Maurice Ravel: The Piano Concerto For The Left Hand In D Major

One of the most astonishing stories in pianist history came from World War I veteran Paul Wittgenstein. A man with utter determination to make his dreams come true was surfacing in the pianist world…

The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, by French composer Maurice Ravel, was simply a masterpiece. It’s a true testament to his brilliance as a writer, and his ability to change a man’s life.

Before the turn of World War I, a concert pianist named Paul Wittgenstein had showed promise. Unfortunately, by the time the war was over, he had lost his right arm during the fighting. While most people would give up their dreams, he still believed he could be an exceptional pianist.

So he began working on his left-handed technique. If he could arrange two-handed works in a single handed state, he would be able to pull off something no other pianist had attempted. By the late 1920s, he had mastered his technique and felt it was time to approach the all-star composers of the world. Read more