Type: Piano Recital
Pianist: Daniel Barenboim
Location: Vienna, Austria
Year: 1983

This is the most majestic and extroverted of the Op. 2 sonatas. It opens with a bright, fanfare-like gesture that feels almost orchestral. Right from the first bars, Beethoven is writing bold, not just for piano, but with the scope of a symphony in mind. Sonata No 3 shows technical brilliance with dazzling runs, wide leaps, and muscular chords although nothing is flashy for its own sake. Everything is woven into a tight and expressive structure, showing Beethoven’s mastery of form.