Siegfried Mauser offers an introduction to the history and characteristics of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas. He clarifies why these works are considered highlights and exceptional phenomena in music history. Through numerous well-explained examples, the immense compositional and aesthetic richness of these musical treasures is presented. The C. H. Beck Wissen series in the field of music aims to provide comprehensive information about the works of significant composers in music history, focusing on a representative musical genre of their oeuvre. In this way, the reader not only learns about the style, compositional techniques, and interpretation of individual works but also gains the opportunity to contextualize the respective composer, their compositional development, and the genre in question along with its evolution in music history.