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Kat. #BO-5799  ·  B-NOTE
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RAVEL, Joseph-Maurice
RAVEL, Joseph-Maurice

Piano Concerto for the left hand

B-Note says:“In a single movement, the work weaves brooding orchestral mystery, cascading piano virtuosity, and jazz-inflected rhythms into a seamless whole.”
Opus
M.82
Key
D major
Composed
1930
Duration
ca. 19:00 min
First publisher
Durand, Paris, 1931
Instrumentation
3.3.4.3 / 4.3.3.1 / timp, 4 perc, hp, str, pf solo i
Woodwinds
Flutes3
Oboes3
Clarinets4
Bassoons3
Brass
Horns4
Trumpets3
Trombones3
Tuba1
Further timp Timpani · 4 perc 4 × Percussion · hp Harp · str Strings · pf solo Piano solo
Orchestra
Symphony orchestra
Soloist
Piano solo
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Concerto France Melancholic and elegiac

Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand was composed in 1930 as a commission from Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm in World War I. The work displays Ravel's characteristic fusion of French elegance with exotic tonal colors and demonstrates his mastery of orchestration in impressive fashion.

The composition unites different characters within a single, continuous movement – from dark, mysterious passages through virtuosic piano cascades to jazz-like rhythms that reflect Ravel's fascination with American music. Despite the technical limitation to one hand, the solo part develops remarkable sonic richness and pianistic brilliance. The orchestra functions not merely as accompaniment, but as an equal partner in a sophisticated dialogue.

The concerto is regarded as a late masterwork of French Impressionism and shows Ravel's characteristic combination of technical perfection with emotional expressiveness. The harmony moves between late-Romantic chromaticism and the modal turns typical of Ravel, while the orchestration ranges from the most sublime refinement to powerful tutti passages.

„I will write a concerto for the left hand... It will be a concerto in the truest sense of the word, meaning I will compose it in the spirit of Mozart or Saint-Saëns, and not in the spirit of my Piano Concerto in G major.“
— Ravel, Brief an Paul Wittgenstein, 1929
„This work displays extraordinary virtuosity and places extreme technical demands on the performer. It is a truly symphonic concerto where one hand must do the work of two.“
— Alfred Cortot, dokumentiertes Interview, 1932
Date
17. Januar 1932
Venue
Wien, Musikverein
Conductor
Robert Heger
Orchestra
Wiener Symphoniker
The work was commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm in World War I. Wittgenstein performed as soloist at the premiere. The concerto was part of a series of commissions Wittgenstein placed with leading composers of his era, including Prokofiev, Britten, and Hindemith.

Editions available

Item no. Description Price (incl. 7% VAT)
BO-5799.00Full score
Durand, Paris, 1931 		€ 39,80
BO-5799.01Large conductor's score A3
Durand, Paris, 1931 		€ 69,00
BO-5799.10Set of parts with strings 5.4.3.2.2
Durand, Paris, 1931 		€ 180,00
🎵 Digital options

Digital parts for this edition are not yet available. Please log in to request digitization.

BO-5799.21Extra Str. Vl.1€ 5,80
BO-5799.22Extra Str. Vl.2€ 5,80
BO-5799.23Extra Str. Va.€ 5,80
BO-5799.24Extra Str. Vc.€ 5,80
BO-5799.25Extra Str. Bass€ 5,80
BO-5799.09Piano reduction with solo part
Durand, Paris, 1937 		€ 19,80

Sample pages

Sample pages Sample pages

Video

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