Sonata no. 3 in C major is one of the first three Beethoven's sonatas (opus 2) written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. This UTEXT edition is based on early original editions, which Beethoven personally supervised. The fingerings are provided by the editor.

Beethoven’s piano sonatas form one of the most important collections of works in the whole history of music. Spanning several decades of his life as a composer, the sonatas soon came to be seen as the first body of substantial serious works for piano suited to performance in large concert halls seating hundreds of people. In this comprehensive and authoritative guide, Charles Rosen places the works in context and provides an understanding of the formal principles involved in interpreting and performing this unique repertoire, covering such aspects as sonata form, phrasing, and tempo, as well as the use of pedal and trills. In the second part of his book, he looks at the sonatas individually, from the earliest works of the 1790s through the sonatas of Beethoven’s youthful popularity of the early 1800s, the subsequent years of mastery, the years of stress (1812†“1817), and the last three sonatas of the 1820s. Composed as much for private music-making as public recital, Beethoven’s sonatas have long formed a bridge between the worlds of the salon and the concert hall. For today’s audience, Rosen has written a guide that brings out the gravity, passion, and humor of these works and will enrich the appreciation of a wide range of readers, whether listeners, amateur musicians, or professional pianists. The book includes a CD of Rosen performing extracts from several of the sonatas, illustrating points made in the text.

Beethoven's Sonata, Opus 27, No. 2, was not known as the "Moonlight Sonata" during his lifetime. The name has its origins in 1832, in remarks by the German music critic Ludwig Rellstab, as he likened the effect of the first movement to that of moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. The name caught on quickly, and later in the nineteenth century, it could be said that the sonata was "universally known" by that name.

This is a newly edited and engraved edition: this new edition is based on the most authoritative early publications; mistakes and misprints from the old editions are corrected; missing technical markings and other inconsistencies have been resolved; all texts, titles and dates are carefully checked with Grove's Music Dictionary; the new layout offers more comfortable reading; increased staff size will help to make the score more legible on music stands, tablets or other digital media. Now, this new edition finally offers musicians the opportunity to fully enjoy this beautiful piece.