Left/Right hand only compositions

[faulty_damper]

How many composeurs have written pieces for the left or right hand alone?  I know Alkan wrote them and I think Scarlatti (or was it Scriabin) wrote a concerto for left hand alone.  Why would they do that?  Did they realize how difficult it would be to play them?  What a bunch of virtuoso-whores.  And when did this idea start?  Did someone lose one of their arms or injure one of their hands so that they couldn't play with both?

[rosie]

I know Ravel wrote at least one left-hand piano concerto for a guy who lost his arm in a war. I saw Gary Graffman perform it and it was realy cool to how he articulated with his left thumb. Leon Flischer had some hand problems and couldn't  play much for a while, but then started some left hand only works.

[ayahav]

Scriabin's Concerto is for both hands, I believe... Ravel's concerto is the famous one for left hand only. Scriabin does have, however, a prelude and nocturne for the left hand (or maybe nocturne and something else). Brahms has the transcription of the Bach Chaconne from the second violin partita.


More interesting than who did, is why they did it... I know Brahms loved the Chaconne, and he wanted to feel like a violinist, so he used only the left hand, to simulate a violinist's fingers moving on the fingerboard (or whatever it's called - I can't remember... it's too late at night...)

anyone know anything for right hand only?

[bernhard]

The idea started with the invention of the piano and the possibility of sustaining sound with the damper pedal (see the site I suggest below for a full story).

Yes, indeed. Paul Wittgenstein lost his right arm on World War II and commissioned several composers to write pieces for him (the most famous of those being Ravel’s left hand concerto). Incidentally, Paul was brother to Ludwig – the famous philosopher.

Another famous pianist who lost the use of his right hand due to practice induced injuries is Leon Fleisher who also has had many pieces written for him (I hear that after almost thirty years he recovered some of the movements in his right hand and is now starting to give recitals again with the conventional repertory)

There are far more pieces written for the left hand alone, but a few for the right hand also exist (see the site below for a most intriguing explanation why most of the repertory is for left hand).

The most complete reference I came across for one hand repertory is:

Theodore Edel – Piano Music for one hand (Indiana University Press)

And this site lists most if not all of the repertory: (all your questions will be answered! )

https://hjem.get2net.dk/Brofeldt/

And Scarlatti never wrote any piece for left hand alone. It was Scriabin (and as ayahav said it was not a concerto).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[faulty_damper]

Thanks, Bernhard, for that link.  It's pretty funny.

"Cast of Liszt's right hand - which of course has
nothing to do with this site - but is included
in memory of his many memorable feats
with this hand  -  also when it was
concerning piano playing."



Are you sure Scriabin didn't write a concerto?  I remember seeing something that said it was a concerto by scriabin.  It could have been that guy.

[ayahav]

Scriabin has ONE concerto for BOTH hands in F# MINOR

[Regulus Medtner]

Erich Wolfgang Korngold also wrote a piano concerto for left hand (in C sharp, op.17) as a commission from Wittgenstein. Wittegenstein liked the piece so much, he commissioned a second work for chamber ensemble this time, the Suite for 2 violins, cello and piano op.23.

Richard Strauss, wrote the Parergon zur Symphonia Domestica, also for Wittgenstein.

[nad]

Another famous pianist who lost the use of his right hand due to practice induced injuries is Leon Fleisher who also has had many pieces written for him (I hear that after almost thirty years he recovered some of the movements in his right hand and is now starting to give recitals again with the conventional repertory)

Are you talking about dystonia here? Just curious, because although quite some (famous) pianists suffer(ed) from it, there aren't many ppl who know about it.

[faulty_damper]

Scriabin has ONE concerto for BOTH hands in F# MINOR

Sorry, I was being pushed off the computer so I couldn't proof read my prior post but I meant to say that it was the OTHER guy, Ravel, who wrote it.  Yeah, I was wrong, it was Ravel who had the left hand only concerto.

[ayahav]

we all make mistakes...... it's ok...

[dlu]

Isn't prokofiev's 4th piano concerto for the left hand only?

[larse]

that is right..I was supposed to add it, but you came first. That is the same Wittgenstein who asked Ravel. There are two more, I think, who wrote a piano concerto for the left hand after Wittgensteins request, but Ravels and Prokofievs contributions are the most famous ones. I don't remember the two other.