Piano for the left hand (part 1)
During the first half of the 20th century a lot of piano works for the left hand alone were composed. The main instigator for these works was the immensely wealthy Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm during World War I. Wittgenstein
commissioned compositions to a.o.: Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss and Paul Hindemith.
Included in this hour are the commissions he gave to Benjamin Britten and Sergej Prokofjev.
Playlist
- 1. Benjamin Britten: Diversions, op. 21. Peter Donohoe, piano; City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simon Rattle
- 2. Sergej Prokofjev: Piano Concerto no. 4 in B-flat, op. 53. Alexander Toradze, piano; Kirov Orkest conducted by Valery Gergiev
- 3. Jenö Takács: Toccata and Fugue, op. 56. Leon Fleisher, piano
