Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21 (known as the Waldstein in honor of its dedicatee) originally had a longer middle movement. A friend suggested to Beethoven that it made the whole sonata too long, and Beethoven come to agree, so he replaced it with something shorter.
After Beethoven removed the original middle Andante movement from the Waldstein Sonata, it became a separate independent work. Czerny tell us “Because of its popularity (for Beethoven played it frequently in society) he gave it the title ‘Andante favori’.”
#Beethoven250 Day 177
Andante Favori in F Major (WoO 57), 1803
Ukrainian-American pianist Anna Dmytrenko in a lovely performance in San Jose.
The “Andante favori” reminds us of Beethoven’s lyrical grace and subtle stylistic mastery, qualities that coexist with the more tempestuous characteristics of his art. — William Kinderman, Beethoven, p. 109