The three popular sonatas op. 10 were written between the end of 1795 and the beginning of 1798, only shortly after Beethoven had completed his first fully-fledged sonatas op. 2. In the press they were announced as „3 very nice piano sonatas“ of a composer whose name would sufficiently guarantee „for the quality of his work to the audience.“ The three technically and musically demanding works, which reach their peak with the third sonata and its highly expressive “Largo e mesto”, have their firm place in advanced piano teaching.

The musicologist Jonathan Del Mar, intimate connoisseur of Beethoven’s music, evaluates all sources and editions published during Beethoven’s lifetime for the present scholarly-critical Urtext edition. Particularly enlightening is the chapter on period performance practice which sheds light on certain issues of Beethoven’s instruments and their range, the usage of the pedals, tempo, dynamics, articulation and ornaments. The Introduction offers information on the work and its genesis. The detailed Critical Commentary accounts for sources, readings and editorial emendations. In this edition great care has been given to a user-friendly layout which on the one hand reflects the flow and tempo of the music and on the other hand facilitates the study of this complex music by means of a transparent and clear appearance on the page as well as good page turns