Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2 No. 3 - I. Allegro con brio

Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major is the third sonata of a set of three from his Opus 2 publication, dedicated to Joseph Haydn. It dates from 1796, three years prior to his groundbreaking Pathétique Sonata. It consists of four movements and lasts about 24 minutes:

1. Allegro con brio
2. Adagio
3. Scherzo: Allegro
4. Allegro assai

The sonata is often referred as Beethoven's first virtuosic piano sonata. The opening notes of the allegro con brio clearly fail at controlling the chipperness that is this movement's ethos, and just when one thinks that this movement is about to end, it plunges into a long and arpeggio-filled cadenza before ending.

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 - 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. The crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.

Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early 20s, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist.

His hearing began to deteriorate in the late 1790s, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even after becoming completely deaf.

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