cmoore@BRL-VLD.ARPA (VLD/VMB) (03/18/85)
On Ripley's Believe-it-or-not, I have heard of "Piano Concerto for Left Hand" by Maurice Ravel; 1st public performance in 1931. It was written for a pianist who lost right arm while serving in Austrian forces in World War I.
ellis@spar.UUCP (Michael Ellis) (03/19/85)
From cmoore@BRL-VLD: >On Ripley's Believe-it-or-not, I have heard of "Piano Concerto >for Left Hand" by Maurice Ravel; 1st public performance in 1931. >It was written for a pianist who lost right arm while serving >in Austrian forces in World War I. If you like the popular romantic piano concerti, such as those by Tchaikovksi and Rachmaninov, you will probably love this piece. It is full of spectacular orchestral color and big melodies. Ravel does everything possible to make five fingers sound like twenty. I believe the pianist was Wittgenstein. Other composers wrote one-handed music for him as well. Prokofiev's 4th piano concerto, for example. Unfortunately, this somewhat prickly piece (which resembles #5) was labeled `too modern' by the pianist for whom it was written; nor has it attracted much attention from the listening public. I've worn out two copies of Serkin's old Columbia recording of this one. -michael
john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) (03/20/85)
>From: cmoore@BRL-VLD.ARPA (VLD/VMB) >Message-ID: <9300@brl-tgr.ARPA> > >On Ripley's Believe-it-or-not, I have heard of "Piano Concerto >for Left Hand" by Maurice Ravel; 1st public performance in 1931. >It was written for a pianist who lost right arm while serving >in Austrian forces in World War I. One of the later episodes of M*A*S*H also featured this piece. In the episode, Dr. Winchester uses this piece to demonstrate to a young musician (played by Gary Frank) that his life is not over because he has lost the use of a hand. -- Name: John Ruschmeyer US Mail: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 Phone: (201) 222-6600 x366 UUCP: ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john ...!princeton!moncol!john ...!pesnta!moncol!john Silly Quote: "Kill Spock? Bones, that isn't what we came to Vulcan for." - from "Amok Time"