Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

Quick Facts

• Full title: Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand
• Written between 1929-30
• Commissioned by and dedicated to pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in WWI.
• Premiered in 1932 with Wittgenstein as the soloist and Robert Heger conducting the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
• A note about the structure piece:
  • Rather than being organized into three movements like most concerti, Ravel wrote one long movement divided into two sections: “Lento” and “Allegro.”¹

About the Piece

• Although Ravel did not attend the concerto’s premiere, he later learned that Wittgenstein modified the composer’s score in the performance, resulting in quite a row between the two musicians.
• Listen for – Ravel incorporates elements of jazz, inspired by his recent trip to the United States and exposure to Harlem’s jazz clubs.
• Fun fact – the concerto was Ravel’s last large-scale work. It was written concurrently with his Piano Concerto in G Major.²

1. “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (Ravel, Maurice),” IMSLP, accessed April 27, 2023, https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_for_the_Left_Hand_(Ravel,_Maurice).
2. Timothy Judd, “Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand: Big, Bold, and Jazzy,” The Listener’s Club (2021), accessed April 27, 2023, https://thelistenersclub.com/2021/05/05/ravels-piano-concerto-for-the-left-hand-big-bold-and-jazzy/.