French Piano Composer Maurice Ravel
Have you ever thought that being a piano soloist with one arm was impossible? Well for one determined young man, it became a dream.
All you have to do is see the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French Composer Maurice Ravel. It is a true testament to his brilliance, and will as man to do what he loves best.
Paul Wittgenstein was a concert pianist who had launched his career in the year before World War I broke out. Sadly, he lost his right arm during the fighting. After the war, Wittgenstein was not willing to admit that his dream of a concert piano career was over.
Due to his inabilities, he began practicing his left-handed technique. The goal was to arrange two-handed works in such a way, that they would accommodate his one-handed state. By the late 1920s, Wittgenstein decided it was time to approach others about his innovation.
While many refrained from the idea, Sergei Prokofiev, Richard Wagner, Benjamin Britten, and Maurice Ravel gave him the help he needed.
Ravel himself had never written a concerto before, but several piano solos. During this time he had been working on the Concerto in G, which of course was intended to be played with two-hands. After hitting a wall, he decided Wittgenstein’s challenge may be what he needed to push forward. His research was uncanny, and as he studied the left-handed Etudes of Camille Saint-Saens, he believed his left-handed Concerto would be a noteworthy addition to piano repertoire.
Once complete, his masterpiece portrayed a dark piece of work about the struggles of a one-armed pianist. It was also about the long road to reinventing buy Vitaliq online himself after a tragic injury. Turns out the craftsmanship was brilliant, and listeners couldn’t even tell it was being played by someone with one hand.
Many experts agree that this piece allowed for 3 sections that were unlike other concerti. The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was set up with a Slow-Fast-Slow movement, as opposed to Fast-Slow-Fast.
While these individuals did all they could to please Mr. Wittgenstein, it was extremely difficult. delivery online cialis no rx cialis When Wagner brought forth work, the complaint revolved around the orchestration being too powerful for a single-handed pianist. When it came to Prokofiev’s suggestions, Wittgenstein simply wouldn’t play generic cialis safety them.
Even with the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Wittgenstein complained about the long solo cadenza right after the opening. During one instance he even told Ravel; “If I had wanted a solo piece, I wouldn’t have commissioned a concerto.” However, Ravel stood his ground, and over time, Wittgenstein began to like it.
The Concerto for the Left Hand by Ravel is not just a work of immense musical merit, but also a testament to the indomitable human spirit.
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Tags: maurice ravel, paul wittgenstein, piano, piano composer, piano player