# Compositions for the handicapped



## Sol Invictus (Sep 17, 2016)

Ravel wrote a piano concerto for the left hand which was commissioned by an Austrian pianist whose right arm was amputated. Does anyone know any others?


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

In 1891, Scriabin injured his right hand, perhaps as a result of too much vigorous practice. While his right hand was recovering from the strain, he composed Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9.

I have to admit that when I play this piece, I use both hands!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Sol Invictus said:


> Ravel wrote a piano concerto for the left hand which was commissioned by an Austrian pianist whose right arm was amputated. Does anyone know any others?


A number of composers wrote works for this pianist (Paul Wittgenstein), including Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, Alexandre Tansman, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Schmidt, Sergei Bortkiewicz, and Richard Strauss.


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## jdec (Mar 23, 2013)

4'33", for the left and right eyes.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

jdec said:


> 4'33", for the left and right eyes.


For musicians that have become paralysed.

I realised that was what you were thinking.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Sure! The Prokofiev Fourth Piano Concerto was written for the left hand alone.

For me it is Prokofiev's least accessible piano concerto.

He did much better writing for two hands.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

I wonder if there are any piano works for the right hand. Or whether the left hand ones can be just as well played by the right hand.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Sol Invictus said:


> Ravel wrote a piano concerto for the left hand which was commissioned by an Austrian pianist whose right arm was amputated. Does anyone know any others?


Wittgenstein made changes to Ravel's score which didn't sit well with the composer. Many pieces have been written for the deaf Scottish percussionist, Evelyn Glennie.


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

Sol Invictus said:


> Ravel wrote a piano concerto for the left hand which was commissioned by an Austrian pianist whose right arm was amputated. Does anyone know any others?


One nice example is *Geza Zichy (1849-1924)* - Zichy was an Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist who lost his arm at 14 years old in a hunting accident, later he studied with Franz Liszt (Liszt presented him as his best friend to Richard Wagner) and made very virtuoso transcriptions and original works for the left hand alone (Including the first piano concerto for the left hand in the history)
His complete piano solo music is available in CD by Acte Prealable (Complete Piano Works - AP0371 / Complete Piano Transcriptions - AP0372) you can see the names of the pieces in the links.
He made music for himself play. and Liszt also dedicated one left hand piece called "Hungarian's God" to him.

Here two tracks - one from CD 1





and the other from CD 2





Actually there is a very special website about left hand repertoire made by my friend Hans Brofeld
http://www.left-hand-brofeldt.dk/Catalogue_c.htm

You will notice I'm included in his catalogue, so here is an old video of mine playing a left hand transcription of mine




(my website has a better list of my works anyway)

And here a video of the British pianist Nicholas McCarthy playing MY transcription of Scriabin Etude "Patetique" Op.8 No.12 
McCarthy was born without his right arm, and I made some left hand transcriptiosn to him:





There are also lot of other great composers for left hand (Godowsky, Fumagalli, Blumenfeld...)
For the right hand alone check C.P.E.Bach, Alkan, Kessler...

All the best
Artur Cimirro


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Paul Wittgenstein commissioned left-hand pieces from Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, Alexandre Tansman, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Schmidt, Sergei Bortkiewicz, Richard Strauss and Maurice Ravel. He typically required sole rights on performance and enforced them. For instance, Prokofiev’s 4th piano Concerto was never performed until years after Prokofiev’s death. Hindemith’s left-hand concerto was forgotten until rediscovered some years later.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

Most music qualifies as compositions for the handicapped


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## 433 (Jan 4, 2017)

Casebearer said:


> Most music qualifies as compositions for the handicapped


sounds . good .


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Mussorgsky's long list of left-hand piano compositions are lost, but apparently he originally wrote them for himself; they would leave his right hand free to lift a glass...

On a more serious note, one has to wonder whether, if Wittgenstein lost his left hand, whether there would now be a whole tradition of pieces for the right hand. As I noted before, one-handed piano pieces somehow all seem for the left hand.


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## cimirro (Sep 6, 2016)

brianvds said:


> Mussorgsky's long list of left-hand piano compositions are lost, but apparently he originally wrote them for himself; they would leave his right hand free to lift a glass...


Not difficult,  Fumagalli made it because of his cigars



brianvds said:


> On a more serious note, one has to wonder whether, if Wittgenstein lost his left hand, whether there would now be a whole tradition of pieces for the right hand. As I noted before, one-handed piano pieces somehow all seem for the left hand.


Basically we can imagine the pieces he comissioned in right hand versions.
The study of left hand with "left hand only pieces" started long before Wittgenstein, please check the website link I posted (Hans Brofeld site)


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