Why Ravel Wrote a Concerto... For Only One Hand??

The fascinating and dark story behind Ravel's Left Hand Concerto, with plenty of musical excerpts for you to enjoy!
Wittgenstein Plays the Left Hand Concerto:
• Wittgenstein plays Rav...
Script by Hailey Paige
Narrated by Oscar Osicki
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[@mylesjordan9970]

Ravel’s sonata partner (also Béla Bartók’s), violinist Zoltán Székely also commissioned a concerto, from Bartók. He had several arguments with Bartók over its form, because the composer wished to write a series of variations, while Székely wanted to perform a classic, three-movement work. When, much later, Bartók gave him the finished manuscript, he said to Székely: “You see, I have satisfied us both!” He had spread the variations over three movements that each could stand on their own. Not yet satisfied, Székely wrote ten more measures in Bartók’s style for the first movement, subsequently passing them by Bartók. This, far from enraging him, intrigued the composer, who approved them for inclusion in its final publication. The second Bartók Violin Concerto is not only a musical masterpiece, but one of diplomacy.

[@Noobodey]

As a Hungarian I feel honored that you were able to write their name correctly! Much respect for you!

[@mylesjordan9970]

@@Noobodey As a Hungarian-school musician-having studied for a period of seven years with eight prominent ex-patriate Hungarians who had all graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music between the the world wars-my whole musical life is lived in the Hungarian cultural tradition, a gift for which I am immeasurably grateful. All my masters studied with Weiner Leó, my most influential professor-although I never met him! To have studied with Mr. Székely was an especially great honor; when he showed us the ten measures he had integrated with the original Bartók manuscript it was a very important moment. We played both the Concerto and Second Rhapsody with him; later we studied the First and Sixth Quartets together, almost all of it written for him.

[@Rhythmmical]

I had the privilege of playing this concerto for my school's concerto competition this past winter. My right hand appears to have dystonia (no official diagnosis however), so I chose to learn this work. I didn't win, but I did make it to the final, giving a decent performance, but, truthfully, my performance still needed a lot work. Some passages needed a faster tempo, and I wasn't projecting my phrasing well enough. It's also 18 minutes long and incredibly difficulty, much more so than many think, and I had to learn and memorize it in a few months. It was a good experience that taught me a lot about learning a piece and performing the most advanced kind of music under pressure.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Goodness!! That’s a huge piece to tackle in that short amount of time! Congratulations on making it to the finals, though!! Fantastic!!

[@febilogi]

Wow this is interesting story to read. Thank you for sharing 😁

[@tonphammusic]

Similar experience here last year. That passage with the gradually accelerating leaps is atrociously difficult but the whole thing is so satisfying to pull off, especially that cadenza. Happy to hear another pianist decided to pick it for their own concerto competition.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

How did your symptoms start? Why? I'm a Chiropractor and passed the Swiss Boards, but then suffered a shoulder injury that changed my life completely. Lets just say I've come back from multiple operations. And I became quite the specialist for treating the shoulder but also the upper extremity. If you want you can email me.

[@stephenmcintyre4544]

Should you have RH focal dystonia, there is an enormous amount of literature and treatments now available. Distinguished pianist and teacher in NZ, Prof Rae Delisle, has published internationally and has also treated professional pianists successfully. Good luck

[@RobbieLugos]

7:47 Ravel was the first person to call someone mid as an insult.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Facts. 😂

[@earlystrings1]

I’d argue that Ravel’s brilliant Gaspard de la Nuit for piano solo is even darker but his concerto for the left hand is one of the greatest masterpieces of the western musical canon, period. It blends an incredible fertility of invention with an incredibly deep, yet somehow icy and unflinching pathos.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I had a hard time coming up with a creative title for this, so while I agree that Gaspard de la Nuit is quite dark in its own merit, I feel “Darkest” could also fit with La Valse or his less-known “Frontispiece” for piano solo, written right after his mother died. It has some Messiaen-like harmonies toward the end!

[@earlystrings1]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 All True! And thank you for posting an appreciation of the Concerto pour la main gauche. I remember once hearing it on the car radio while driving a rental in some strange city and literally having to pull off the road. I just couldn’t see properly, streaming tears of grief and joy at that final cadenza. Not many pieces in the world can do that!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@Kunal Kumar Moorjani Definitely!! Have you heard the recording of Ravel himself playing it??? It’s definitely worth hearing!

[@Vincent-ig2cb]

@@earlystrings1 I had precisely the same experience as you did on hearing Rach's 2nd symphony for the first time! But keeping on subject here, I still get those tears welling-up on hearing the final cadenza, no matter how many time I hear it. I could never make it as a professional pianist -I would never get through it!

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

From the two piano concerti by Ravel, this one is by far my favourite. Fun fact: after a while, Ravel and Wittgenstein reconciliated each other and the latter agreed to play the concerto as originally written and, presumably, there is a little recording of the last bars with Wittgenstein at the piano and Ravel conducting.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Where????

[@eufemiahz1556]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6uWpJlpjLyibbc but the cadenza was still not Ravel’s original. Anyway, he made sure the orchestra played as written. Reportedly at that time Ravel’s health was already pretty bad and he couldn’t care to force the pianist to follow the score.

[@eufemiahz1556]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 I just found this newly uploaded video of pianist Bertrand Chamayou analyzing the 1933 video. More parts and details could be seen there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/naraonmYi9yseM0

[@eufemiahz1556]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 The original 1933 video is on Archives Pathé Journal and is only accessible for registered professionals. However it was just 1m54s long, so we probably have seen most of it

[@lauranielsensoprano]

Love the thumbnail and LOVED that you used Martha Argerich's recording of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major!! She's such a rockstar.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

She really is!! Her recording is my favorite!!

[@thibomeurkens2296]

She’s my favorite pianist, her version of ravels piano concerto is just out of this world

[@michaeledwards1172]

Do you know whether she made a recording of the left-hand concerto? If she did, I'd like to hear it.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@michaeledwards1172 I don’t know! I sure hope so because I’d love to hear it, too!

[@thibomeurkens2296]

@@michaeledwards1172 I believe she hasn’t, sadly. But there are still other great recordings like Wang, Zimmerman and Larrocha.

[@frankallen7779]

Thank you so much for covering Ravel! From one Ravel lover to another, I was very moved by your ending - great video!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you!! I appreciate you watching, and it’s nice to have another Ravel fan here! ✨❤️

[@wesleycolemanmusic]

Love Ravel, he's a favorite of mine!

[@matthewwilson3305]

Ravel is my favorite composer too! I've always loved the Piano Concerto for the left hand. The G Major one never felt epic like this one

[@ZKLofiTone]

It's finally here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6TLqmV_mbh4ocU

[@jeffwatkins352]

It’s difficult to pick a favorite out of Ravel’s remarkable portfolio but, gun pressed to head, I’d have to say this concerto. Certainly the darkest of his works, lacking perhaps Scarbo or the pirates’ scene in Daphnis, it also glitters with passages of such aching beauty, I always weep hearing them. Not to name drop (apologies) but it’s also the occasion of probably my life’s worst faux pas. In the summer of 1970, at the age of 17 thanks to my uncle being their friend, we spent a weekend with Soulima and Françoise Stravinsky at their home in the Massif Central. Soulima was himself a composer/concert pianist and at one point our conversation turned to Ravel. I blurted out, “I just love his Concerto for Left Hand. Do you know it?” Taken aback, Soulima gasped, “Mais…c’est mon métier!”

[@michelleclerc3857]

Sweet, sweet. Youth is always forgiven. I appreciate your sharing this with us.

[@picksalot1]

I first heard this piece many years ago and marveled over its boisterous complexity. I didn't know the backstory until this video, and it's sad that Wittgenstein wasn't more appreciative of the masterpiece Ravel had created. Thanks

[@matmilne]

It's a fascinating work with lots of features you don't expect. Performer vs Composer, absolutely true, still happens today. I've had problems getting musicians to play as written for a premiere, having to get the computer to play it first. I feel however after a premiere a piece takes on a life of its own in the public sphere, and should be free to be interpreted by expert musicians; it's no longer just my work, but as seen through their eyes and ears as well as future audiences. Ravel was one of a kind, and I too wish he'd had more time.

[@JWP452]

This is absolutely your best and most engaging video. Whoever wrote the script is immensely talented.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you so much, that is very kind! ❤ (Script writer)

[@dlanska]

This was absolutely fantastic. It had a compelling story with its own drama to explain a complex and unusual piece. The script by Ms. Paige was outstanding as was the naration by Mr Osicki.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Much appreciated!! (I’m Hailey, btw.) I loved reading all the drama involved in this story and getting it all to fit within this script!! Definitely a fun project to tackle. And Oscar, as always, does a fantastic job narrating!

[@EmdrGreg]

It's a magical concerto. It has been a favorite of mine for many years. I have the score and enjoy playing with it; I'm not at a level where I could ever master it-- but it is so much fun to work on.

[@atab24]

outstanding video! I never knew the piece had a story behind it, really adds to it!

[@michaeledwards1172]

It sounds as if Wittgenstein was, to put it very mildly, difficult to get on with. He didn't seem to like any composer's work. I wonder how many of the composers he commissioned, upon hearing his incessant complaining, ever retorted in irritation, "If you're so sure you know better how the music should go, why don't you write your own concerto? You should be able to do it better than I have done."

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@michaeledwards1172 Exactly! I wonder that s well. Wittgenstein should have just composed his own. 😂

[@VincentGiza-Composer]

This Wittgenstein fellow seems like quite an unpleasant person! If you loose your arm in battle, and still want to pursue a performance career with one hand, yet you reject every single left hand piano piece written by several famous and well respected composers essentially saying “they aren’t good enough for you”, well then you really must not be that desperate to have a performance career! Wittgenstein was clearly and egotist with not an ounce of humility left in his soul! On a separate note, thank you very much for bringing light to this concerto! It’s truly interesting to learn about the history of eclectic works such as this one, even if some of the history is filled with bitter, vain, and ungrateful pianists!

[@feraudyh]

There's a whole lot to read about the Wittgenstein family's mental health.

[@VincentGiza-Composer]

@@feraudyh interesting! Is there anything you recommend?

[@GezaMika-vd7bz]

There is one book by a descendant of the writer Evelyn Waugh, that talks about the family. Of all the brothers three committed suicide and the spouses of the daughters either killed themselves or went insane. Fun group. Interesting read. The pianist brother certainly had his challenges.

[@tj-co9go]

Another piece worth listening to is Bortkiewicz Piano Concerto no. 2 which is also composed exclusively for left hand

[@3r7s]

absolutely!! it's a wonderful romantic style piece of music.. one that Wittgenstein immediately understood musically, and was fond of playing. what a shame the video doesn't even mention Bortkiewicz! 🙈

[@kaleidoscopio5]

My God.....yes, yes and yes 😍

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@3r7s My apologies. Even in my research, Bortkiewicz never came up for me. I’ve never heard of him, so I will definitely check him out!

[@EElgar1857]

This is absolutely fascinating. I love the Ravel, as you do, and knew about it being written for Wittgenstein, but had no idea how difficult he was, and how disrespectful he was to the great composer. I've never heard the recording, but will now, of course. Thank you, and bravo!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

That recording is definitely rough. 😂 Give it a listen, though. It says a lot, unfortunately.

[@animalsarebeautifulpeople3094]

Omg this would be the PERFECT piece for Yunchan Lim to play with his impeccable extraordinary left hand!!! 😍

[@alidagupta540]

I loved that MASH episode, so happy to see a video on the piece!

[@thekingofthebees837]

Wittgenstein played the left hand concertos by Britten, Korngold, and Strauss, it was only the Hindemith and Prokofiev concertos that he said he didn't understand.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

That was originally in my script, but it got omitted.

[@3r7s]

AND Bortkiewicz!

[@Muzikman127]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 if this is true, it's hilariously meta lmao

[@Muzikman127]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 by the way, really engagingly told story, great writing, sharing this with some friends

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@Muzikman127 Thank you so much!! Another fun fact: Ravel was originally going to be generous and charge Wittgenstein less of a Commission fee/price. But after everything that went down with the LHC performance, Ravel ended up charging Wittgenstein with the original Commission price PLUS half! 😂😂😂

[@Wkkbooks]

Gorgeous vid! Thanks so much for the Wittgenstein link.

[@etherealtb6021]

I love this concerto SO much! Thanks for teaching us more about it. I'd heard Ravel had a dustup with the ungrateful pianist (my words) but I didn't know the details!

[@mbaldwinlobue]

Thanks for a great video. I got to hear this piece performed by the filharmonia baltycka gdansk recently and fell in love with it. Very happy to hear its history presented so well on your channel.

[@octopusmime]

nice to be back to this channel! lots of new uploads to check out. im happy to see the refinements that have been made.

[@wuwupiano]

Thank you for this video. Ravel has been my biggest inspiration to compose my own pieces.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

That’s great! I wish you success with your compositions. ☺️

[@BenTrem42]

Thanks so much for this lovely story-tale. Have known the piece (and sat in with 2 masters in warmup) so could really enjoy it.

[@awintory]

Lovely video, as always

[@brianneb3118]

Big congratulations to Hailey for writing a great script!! Her personal anecdote in the middle was very moving! Great job to all involved!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you for watching, and for your kind reply! This was a fun project. ☺️

[@brianneb3118]

💕💕

[@thedaviday5838]

an incredible story that produced an incredible piece - Ravel never ceases to amaze and inspire! Fascinating video, thank you!

[@JZHerrenberg]

Terrific piece, one of my favourites by Ravel. Well-made vid!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you for watching!!

[@firehawk128]

My first introduction to this piece was MASH, and it's interesting hearing the story being the piece that served as an inspiration for the episode where a pianist feels his life isn't worth living anymore after losing his arm.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, M*A*S*H is how I was exposed to this Concerto in the first place. ☺️

[@JoeVideoed]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 What's interesting about this vid is that it's great at giving more of the backstory describing the interactions of the 2. The MASH episode made it seem like many other composers turned Wittgenstein down, but in reality he just didn't like what he'd been offered, nor did he like what Ravel had offered either although Ravel was at least empathetic & patient enough to work w/ him. As @picksalot1 said, it's a shame Wittgenstein wasn't more appreciative of the masterpiece Ravel had created. That part wasn't reflected in the MASH episode either.

[@chainuser1774]

Ravel to a one arm pianist: "You are a mediocre pianist even with two hands." What a Chad

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, but if you hear Wittgenstein’s performance, it’s… Awful. Definitely worth that statement, IMO.

[@chainuser1774]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 Yeah I listened to about 30 seconds before I left the video lol.....

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@chainuser1774 I forced myself to hear the whole thing and it was *BAD*. 💀

[@cilliandrohan]

My god, if I wrote a piece for someone and then they ended up changing it and then played their changes in the premier I'd be livid, I feel Ravel's pain

[@jakebruner2719]

Brilliant video! Really, anything that exposes more people to Ravel is important in its own right. I think its funny you mention that Ravel was influenced by jazz (which is absolutely true) without noting much of his pioneering work into his own form of "jazz" many years before "jazz" came to be. For instance, the 'Coltrane Changes' can be found many decades earlier than Coltrane's first experimentation with it within Ravel's Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit (which I'm currently learning :)-Ondine, that is). And Ravel once said about the process of writing both his Pno. Concerto in G and for his Pno. Concerto for the LH: "Planning the two piano concertos simultaneously was an interesting experience. THe one in which I shall appear as the interpreter is a concerto in the truest sense of the word: I mean that it is written very much in the same spirit as those of Mozart and Saint Saens. The music of a concerto should, in my opinion, be light-hearted and brilliant, and not aim at profundity or at dramatic effects. It has been said of certain great classics that their concertos were written not "for," but "against" the piano. I heartily agree. I had intended to entitle this concerto "Divertissement." Then it occurred to me that there was no need to do so, because the very title "concerto" should be sufficiently clear. The concerto for the left hand alone is very different. It contains many jazz effects, and the writing is not so light. In a work of this kind, it is essential to give the impression of a texture no thinner than that of a part written for both hands. For this reason, I resorted to a style that is much nearer to that of the more solemn kind of traditional concerto." (page 101-102 of Orenstein's biography of Ravel-which I highly reccomend) As a quick note: this really was one of Ravel's last *true* pieces. He performed this LH concerto on tour at many cities around the world, which took a major tax on his health. Following a taxi incident shortly after, he was left in quite a precarious condition (especially combined with his progressively developing aphasia-a fascinating topic in its own right).

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I used the book you mentioned for my research, and I originally had a lot more of a “compare-contrast” idea in mind, comparing the two Concerti. But as I read further into the LH Concerto, I decided to focus only on that one. Plus, I have more Ravel topics I want go into for scripts. ☺️

[@Vincent-ig2cb]

Another comment below alluded to the apparent darkness of this concerto outlined by the author of this video. The story behind its conception may well be a bit on the dark side, but the music is anything but dark. Ravel's inspiration through jazz was a new concept to him and he embraced it with both hands (oops!) and created a work of genius, and I don't use that word lightly. It's no secret that some of his piano works can be seen as an orchestral score in the making, and of course he later orchestrated several, I for one would have loved his orchestration of Gaspard had he done so, but the left-hand concerto could almost be seen as the reverse. Some of the piano writing does sound orchestral, especially the final cadenza. I really feel that you can hear the orchestration building up in the second part of it before the orchestra joins the piano for the final fling. Absolutely magical.

[@Chesterton7]

Beautiful and fascinating video. Bravo.

[@gracewenzel]

Hell yeah, new Inside the Score!!!

[@guille____]

I loved this idea to make videos with scripts made by other people. Amazing content!

[@Fmajor7]

Wow! Interesting story! Great video! 👏

[@amaldpdamald8874]

Gershwin fell in love with Ravels’ music

[@afip4n6doc]

This story of Wittgenstein and Ravel is the basis of a biographical novel called “The Crown Prince” by John Barchilon. It was published by Norton in 1984.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you!! I’ll definitely check that out. ☺️

[@pjjns7918]

My favorite composer!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Mine too!

[@Noejjkkkj]

Thank you Charles

[@kelement27]

That is very interesting! What a strange way for such a grand piece to have come about.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thanks for watching! And yes, what a story!

[@Robotie]

This video reminded me of Charles Valentin Alkan's 3 Grandes Etudes Op.76 They consist of 3 pieces, one for the left hand, one for the right, and one for both playing in unison two octaves apart.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

That’s awesome!!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you all for watching this video! I had a great time writing this script!! Here’s the M*A*S*H clip that has the Concerto in it!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5uomqp4gaiLm9E

[@mavisching3280]

Thank you for your script and the clip, Hailey. Very inspiring.

[@lisa-mariegray5510]

Thank you, Hailey! This was wonderfully informative! David Ogden Stiers took every chance he could to introduce classical music into his episodes in M*A*S*H. This definitely elevated a wonderful show to an even higher level, in my opinion.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@lisa-mariegray5510 Yes! That’s one of the reasons I even like Major Winchester, ha. He can truly be compassionate when he wants to be!

[@lisa-mariegray5510]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 Yes, Charles has a very good heart under all that bluff and bluster 😊

[@Cemballo]

Thanks for this video. Surprised to see this picture of Ravel beside a Lutheal piano (with 4 stops) probably at the salle Gaveau in Paris. This concert hall (and the piano) were destroyed by a fire. This was a kind of prepared piano and imitated sounds of cymbalum or harp. He wrote his Tzigane for that instrument and the last remaning model is on display at the Brussels Instrument Museum.

[@Cemballo]

Min 2.00

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Wow!! Thanks for sharing that. I knew Ravel had gotten at least one custom piano made, but I had no idea it was destroyed in a fire. 🥹

[@neiladlington912]

One hand or two it"s a beautiful composition but especially whe you understand the context of the injury and the war where it happened.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

Ha! Fantastic narrative! I used to think Franz Liszt was the king of difficult piano. Not being a piano player myself I could only guess. However after studying the scores and listening to players talking about trying to play Ravel’s piano works, I really think its a toss up between them, with Ravel arguably seizing the title of king of difficult to play piano works.

[@leun88]

great vid thanks for the upload!

[@Manzie1000]

“You had no RIGHT!” What devastating thing to say to someone missing their right arm 😅

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Hahaha, yes! 😂 I thought that was funny, too.

[@Liggie55821]

Interestingly, the French and German words for “right”, “droit” and “Recht” respectively, both mean “opposite of left” and “the power to, the ability of”, as it does in English.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

This Keyboard Concerto (Along w/ Prokofiev's 4th Keyboard Concerto & other pieces of music like that) was written for Keyboardist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his Right Arm in WW1

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, I touch on other composers who made works for him later in this video. ☺️ Korngold’s is my second favorite!

[@jgesselberty]

Other composers of the time were commissioned to write works for the left hand. Serge Prokofiev comes to mind. Another amazing work, his fourth. It was never performed in his lifetime.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, I mentioned Prokofiev in the video. He was so upset with Wittgenstein’s reaction toward that Concerto that he had it stowed away until his death. 🥺

[@richiejohnson]

This masterpiece of what is really a narrative, or program music, COMPELS attention. Can anyone listen and not hear the conflict and triumph? Each character demands to have its side heard. The protagonist victorious at the end, ascending to space. A brief look back with admonishment to the world, then disappearing into the mystic.

[@richiejohnson]

What a marvelous video! i had no idea about the Gershwin connection. I want to hear the other composers' works! 09:10 Hey, You come right out and say Ravel is your favorite composer! Bold! I love him, but I love Puccini more!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Next to Ravel’s Concerto, I highly recommend Korngold’s and Britten’s!! Both are phenomenal pieces!

[@alexeisavrasov888]

I think Puccini is another composer that influenced jazz...his melodies are timeless and were synthesized through jazz musicians...wasn't "Avalon" the pop song subject to a lawsuit by Puccini, who claimed they ripped off one of his arias?

[@richiejohnson]

@@alexeisavrasov888 "Avalon" is the same melody as "E lucevan le stellae" from Tosca. Was that the deal?

[@alexeisavrasov888]

@@richiejohnson I know that piece, and I know Avalon, but I can't say that the latter is close to the former. Are you sure that's the one?

[@alexeisavrasov888]

OK, I've sung it through in my head, I see the similarity. But Avalon has altered the whole feel, extended the time values of the notes, made minor into major, etc. I think Puccini won this case, I should look it up, but I'm a lazy sob

[@horaciomillan4181]

I still remember that same episode of MASH, and think that was the first time I heard this concerto too! Though I mist admit that none of this concerti are my favorite, and I am more in tune with Ravel’s orchestral music, wich I love, particularly Dafnis et Chloe.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Daphnis et Chloe is one of my favorites too!! Absolutely stunning.

[@gigiravel]

He was a musical genius 🤗

[@garymcaleer6112]

This & Prokofiev's concertos for left hand were such an honor given to that war veteran.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Have you heard Korngold’s Piano Concerto? It’s immensely powerful and difficult. Definitely worth a good listen!

[@faithtroyer75]

Great video!! 👍

[@MutantsInDisguise]

One of Ravel's best works by far.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Agreed! Definitely one of my favorites, next to Daphnis et Chloe, L’Enfant et les Sortiléges, and Miroirs!

[@carolemerckel3461]

I first heard this on M*A*S*H where Winchester helped a wounded soldier who's right hand was injured and was a concert pianist before the serving in the (Korean ) war.

[@edmoore]

Paul Wittgenstein sounds like he would have loved Twitter.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Definitely. 😂

[@davidrediger6407]

I remember an episode of M.A.S.H. where Charles Emerson Winchester III introduced a soldier who was a concert pianist that had recently lost his arm in combat to this piece to encourage him to go on with life.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, that’s the exact episode I talk about in the video. ☺️

[@chrisisbell3080]

There is a documentary about Paul Wittgenstein and other left-handed pianists on Arte Television. Searching for "Left-Handed Virtuosity arte" will find it. It is in German, but subtitles in English and other languages are provided (as well as a dubbed French version). It is available until 30th August 2022

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Wow!! Thank you!

[@frankgradus9474]

A masterpiece.

[@willyhwang1059]

wow the pianist. im in love.

[@ZKLofiTone]

It's finally here : kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6TLqmV_mbh4ocU

[@liamsmith728]

Definitive interpretation? I vote Leon Fleisher. I had the privilege to work with several orchestras years ago that he performed this with. Watching the rehearsals and performances was a big part of how I developed as a musician later. And I am not a pianist, lol. Such an amazing talent and a wonderful human. RIP.

[@Roarshark12]

Absolutely brilliant analysis, thanks!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you for watching!!

[@alexs1504]

It's not brilliant at all, it's actually pretty lame

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@alexs1504 How would you have done it, out of curiosity? 🤔

[@alexs1504]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 It's simply not an analysis, it's a short introduction that gives a superficial idea of the context of this work, without actually explaining anything about the music. I don't blame you for that but calling it a brilliant analysis is delusional

[@Roarshark12]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 Absolutely!! There is one piece by Ravel (well, out of many) that I enjoy in particular, it's the Le Tombeau de Couperin: V. Toccata. My favorite rendition is by Phillippe Entremont, here, because it's fast and accurate, and hits rhythmically and heavy like a train: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIubgaGFZ8Srrbs

[@JBorda]

Great story! Thanks

[@juanferestrada]

Thanks for this great video :)

[@gigiravel]

Subscribed 🙋🏽‍♀️

[@nicoledu]

The Russian/Ukrainian Composer Sergei Bortkiewicz composed a piano concerto for Wittgenstein as well! This piece is less known, but personally it has become one of my favorites of all time. It would make sense to mention, that Wittgenstein successfully performed the piano concerto! For anybody curious : Bortkiewicz - Piano Concerto no.2 "for the left hand"

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thank you! I had no idea, so I’ll check that out!

[@nicoledu]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 please do! I'd love for more ppl to discover that piano concerto:)

[@seaoggo9574]

@@nicoledu might listen to it out rn

[@Piflaser]

Compare it with the Forellen-quintet by Schubert. It is only for one hand doubled by the other (with some exceptions). The difference is using the piano orchestral (with chords) as a "second orchestra" or as "soloist", like a wind instrument, without or with less chords.

[@virtuousvibes2852]

Ah yes, one of my favorite concertos ever

[@ValseInstrumentalist]

There's an excellent mostly-historical novel called Ravel by Jean Echenoz which expounds upon this in even more detail. Highly recommend.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Ooooooo!!! Thank you!! I’ll absolutely look into that!

It's just a pity that I don't know a singel one recording of this concerto which would "satisfy" me. There are always some "issues". Orchestra screws some places, ending after the cadenza often is not together. And I could go on. Today, when "time is money" and orchestras usually have 1 or 2max rehearsals with the soloist...., I am not surprised. If I was about to play this concerto, I would demand to have 5+ rehearsals with an orchestra at least and even that, I would feel it's not enough.

[@TheStickCollector]

This is good. Good job

[@madjanetramerez2383]

FAMOUS BESTIE

[@neilsaunders9309]

Wittgenstein certainly did *not* refuse to perform the series of works for piano, left-hand that he commissioned from the Vienna-based composer Franz Schmidt (1874-1939), the most notable of which, perhaps, is the Concertante Variations on a Theme of Beethoven.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I’m aware he performed most of them eventually, but he was extremely skeptical of the commissions at first and initially refused to play most of them, including Prokofiev’s and Korngold’s.

[@neilsaunders9309]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 My point is that he was enthusiastic about Schmidt's works from the very start.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

@@neilsaunders9309 Oh! Well, that I didn’t know. I didn’t get that from my research, so I appreciate you pointing that out.

[@neilsaunders9309]

@@Hailey_Paige_1937 Have a listen!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIq8h4eMfpKLd8U There's also a score - the work is now out of copyright - on IMSLP: vmirror.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/e/e6/IMSLP363608-PMLP587101-Schmidt_-_Conzertante_Variationen_über_ein_Thema_von_Beethoven.pdf

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Ravel even did a neat orchestral arrangement of Pictures at An exhibition

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes! I love that piece. Definitely one of his best works, alongside “Daphis et Chloe” and “La Valse”!

[@Bigandrewm]

Noting the perception of two hands at times in the Left-Handed Concerto, one wonders if Ravel ever encountered the virtuoso jazz pianist Art Tatum, who often sounded like he was playing with 4 hands.

[@lolilollolilol7773]

Ravel certainly was an outstanding pianist himself, given the extreme difficulty of some of his pieces.

[@alexeisavrasov888]

I believe he did when he was in New York in 1932. I think it was even Gershwin that invited Tatum to a party, or took Ravel to see him at a club. Just my memory, but the info is out there. James Lester book on Tatum I think.

[@benvad9010]

I heard of this composer through a MASH episode on an injured soldier who was a classically trained pianist.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, that’s how I came across this piece. M*A*S*H is such a great show.

[@timothylien452]

I would still need four hands to play this

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Haha, me too! 😂 There’s no way I’d ever be able to play that!

[@josemiguelmaciasvocar2690]

the end of Ravel's quote "i have no time; i've run out long ago" cuts deep when you know both Concerti were his last large-scale works before succumbing to brain degeneration

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Exactly! There’s also an anecdote where he attended a performance of “Daphnis et Chloé” about a week before he was scheduled for his experimental brain surgery. After the performance, he apparently broke down sobbing and said, “I have composed nothing. I had much more to say, so much more music in my head. And now it will remain there.” He wanted to compose a Symphony in C for Airplanes. He was trying to compose for a movie. He wanted to write another Opera. But none of those works came to fruition, other than fragments of the movie score.

[@landrelarose745]

You don't know that answer? I certainly do. A man lost his hand, which meant he only had one of them. I believe he was a piano virtuoso. Is that close to what happened to him? He continued to want to play it, so he commissioned Maurice Revel to compose (which has three movements) a concerto for him.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Ravel himself stated that the Left Hand Concerto was only one, continuous Movement.

[@stanthonyofpadua1]

BTW, Hindemith's left hand concerto is also awesome.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes! I listened to all the commissions Paul asked for. My favorites (besides Ravel’s, obviously), are Korngold’s and Britten’s!! Both are fantastic works. Truly epic pieces.

[@jakebruner2719]

And I can’t believe you kept cutting short the orchestras entrance after the brilliant piano cadenza leading up to it!!! haha it’s the best part!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I agree! But you can’t use too much music in videos like this because KZbin will want it taken down for “copyright.” So, as much as we wish more music could be used, we need to tread lightly. 😂

[@alexkije]

Great!

[@lotuswraith]

I remember this story from an episode of MASH ("Morale Victory" is the episode).

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes! I mention that exact M*A*S*H episode in the video! That’s how I came to know this Concerto in the first place. ☺️

[@austin-multicellular]

so excited to play piano 1 handed :)

[@carolepaul8390]

I always liked this work. With the insight you give in this video I appreciate it even more. Very uplifting for me.

[@danielhughes441]

The title makes it seem like like concerti for one hand are rare, but there are several of them out there

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

I had a really hard time coming up with a creative title for this. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But yes, I know plenty of composers have written them before.

[@zandernewton4452]

3:37 Liebestraum No. 3- Liszt. I was surprised to see familiar sheet music

[@justintuccimusic]

Thank you

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Thanks for watching!

[@novembergold4144]

When I saw the title of this video I just thought, wait... Did I not read about something like that in the biography about the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein? Indeed I was right, haha. The Wittgensteins truly were a very very special family.

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Haha, yes! Quite an interesting family!

[@lxiaspb]

Check please the piano pieces of C. V. Alkan for the left hand. You will be amazed

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

Yes, I love Alkan!! Thank you, I’ll check those out!

[@yuggor]

Some questions are better unanswered.

[@ValkyRiver]

I’m surprised that Leopold Godowsky didn’t get a mention in this video

[@charlesallan6978]

He was having a pull with the other hand which he nicknamed the Fist Of Fury !

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

HAHAHA! 😂💀