Beethoven wrote his Third Symphony between May 1803 and early 1804. The first known public performance took place at the Theater an der Wien the following year, on 7 April 1805. A Viennese publisher then printed the work, but only in October 1806.

The state of the sources for this key work is complex and incomplete; even the autograph is lost. For this new edition, Peter Hauschild was able to consult for the first time parts from the first edition which contain autographic markings by Beethoven. But in order to bring to the surface Beethoven’s “last will”, the editor subjected this orchestral work to a very informed and meticulous "overall revision”. Among the results is an authentic piano marking in bar 103ff of the final movement which is found in many early sources and places in doubt the entire previous performance tradition of the famous Eroica theme. In other cases, the revision communicates alternative versions which the conductor can choose from before starting rehearsal work.
The score contains the complete Critical Report. Observations deemed particularly important, as well as divergences from established editions, are clearly marked within it.

„Dass nach vielen Jahren systematischer editorischer Erschließung der Quellen nun eine vorbildliche Ausgabe zur Verfügung steht, ist nicht hoch genug einzuschätzen. Die quellenkritische und zugleich praxisorientierte Breitkopf-Ausgabe von Clive Brown und Peter Hauschild wird der Auseinandersetzung mit Beethovens Musik wertvolle Impulse verleihen." (Kurt Masur, 2006)