First conceived in 1803/04 as the slow movement of the Piano Sonata in C major op. 53 (the “Waldstein” Sonata); the Andante turned out too long in Beethoven's view and was replaced. Beethoven had it published as a standalone movement; presumably in 1805. The movement; marked “Grazioso con moto;” is characterized by a large variety of compositional techniques ranging from simple chord progressions to orchestral-like octave runs. Because of its particular popularity; this single movement was published as “Andante favori” in its second printing - a moniker that apparently harks back to Beethoven himself. Based on her preliminary research for the critical Complete Edition; Beethoven specialist Joanna Cobb Biermann has carefully revised the musical text of the Henle Urtext edition and updated the preface to reflect the latest scholarship.

          PRODUCT INFORMATION