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I am recovering from surgery to fix a torn ligament in my right wrist. I started working on the Chopin-Godowsky etude 25/12. I worked on the Bach-Brahms Chaconne in the past. I don't have an orchestra so the Ravel concerto is out. I've been searching YouTube and IMSLP for other left hand ideas but nothing has grabbed me yet. Does anyone have any suggestions for music you love that is just for the left hand? I've got to keep myself entertained for 6 weeks. (And by the way, avoid putting in screws with your wrist in an awkward position!)

Deborah:

Being right-hand incapacitated myself for several months this Fall, I searched through this list

https://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_Piano_works_for_the_left_hand

and found very little of interest. Much of it is 19th century tepid salon-type music without much content. I did, however, enjoy Fumigali's transcription of the "Casta Diva" from Bellini's Norma, worked on it and played it for one of my monthly group gatherings.

Have you already played Scriabin's Op. 9, Nos. 1 and 2: Prelude and Nocturne for Left Hand alone?

Regards,

I recommend Raymond Lewenthal's Piano Music for One Hand as a good reference.

I like Moskowski's Op. 92 Etudes, which are good pieces for learning technique. Saint-Saens also has a set, op. 135.

Godowsky Waltz Poem IV for the LH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilgXbZhrStc

Blumenfeld Etude for the LH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7KfI50mTAw

Felix Blumenfeld: etude in A-flat op.36, Aleksandr Scriabin: prelude and nocturne op.9, Camille Saint-Saens 6 etudes op. 135, Alkan: etude op.76 no.1

Spent six weeks on the Scriabin prelude and nocturne when I was in a cast! Very satisfying.

Thank you everyone. The Scriabins are out because I heard them played very badly over and over and over at the summer piano academy and I came close to losing my marbles. I'll have a look at the Fumigali. I've listened to the Blumenfeld, Saint Saens, Moskowski and Godowsky and wasn't inspired. There is a Godowsky Meditation and Alkan Fantasie that I might try.

The Alkan LH etude is wonderful. There are also 6 St Seans Etudes for the LH. Ponce also wrote a piece called: Malgre Tout (A Pesar de Todo) that everybody who loses the use of their right hand should learn, and be sure to check out the story behind the music as well! Ponce also wrote a very nice Prelude and Fuge for the LH.

I have had major reconstructive surgery on both of my hands, each in turn, so I ended having more than a passing interest in one handed piano music.

Here is what I have recorded so far: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZZAT1pP5dJpQNY0q0coxmY9T8NDxOa6q

Very nice, Andrew. I just printed out the Ponce. Thank you.

How about the Janacek Capriccio?

I just listened to it. Interesting piece. Thanks!

Oh, yes; I played that one and enjoyed it.

Regards,

Deborah,

So sorry to hear about your wrist. I went through a left hand phase a few years ago after a culinary accident. That said, it was a good opportunity for me to develop my LH some.

My favorites that I've recorded:
- Chopin/Godowsky Op. 10, No. 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPcZOQTdzrk
- Blumenfeld Op. 36 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCTUxrjoQbI - I know you mentioned you didn't care much for this piece, but figured I'd mention it again as it is one of my favorites in the entire piano repertoire

Other favorites:
- Scriabin Nocturne - Op. 9 No. 2
- Donizetti/Leschetizky - Lucia di Lammermoor
- Chopin/Godowsky - Op. 10, No. 3

The Raymond Lewenthal book was already called out - I highly recommend it. If you want to borrow it, let me know. This book ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253319056 ) identifies most of the left handed literature and discusses the difficulty as well as publishers, etc - I own it as well and am happy to lend it to you if you want.

There was a similar thread a while back: http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2639489/re-suggestions-for-lh-only-pieces.html

I hope the recovery goes well,
Ben

Having a long-standing problem with an injured finger on my right hand after a boat accident I have to spend many time playing left hand only nowadays, so I understand you completely and wish all the best to you.

I have recently discovered a very good site full of quality recordings of music for the left hand only.
http://lefthandpianomusic.org/
And it seems that there is a community emerging around this site.

But my favourite piece is the above mentioned etude by Felix Blumenfeld Op. 36.
It's a gorgeous piece, I recommend it very highly.

Good luck!

A recent issue of Pianist Magazine featured left-hand piano:
https://www.pianistmagazine.com/store/back-issues/pianist/pianist-104-oct18-issue-136
Some neat stuff in there, not just sheet music, but interviews and such. Worth picking up, for sure.

You could get a couple of other pianists and play the fifth hand part of Ravel's Frontispice.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations.

Ben your rendition of the Blumenfeld is, as usual, beautiful. Thank you for the offer to lend the book but I think I've found what I need on IMSLP including your Blumenfeld, which I will take a serious look at.

For now, besides the Chopin-Godowsky 25/12, I think I'm going to give Bruce's "Norma" and Ben's Blumenfeld a try.

Thanks for all the help!

You should keep us posted on the Godowsky Op. 25 No.12. I worked on it for a couple months last year and gave us as I found the thing nearly unplayable.

Marc-Andre Hamelin Etude No. 7, based on Tchaikovsky’s Lullaby. When you recover, you can also play Rachmaninoff’s arrangement for both hands!

Alkan’s Fantaisie... who else wrote an actual concert work for one hand like that before him? He wrote it in 1837 or 1838 I believe.

No, CPE’s little study for one hand doesn’t count... I mean a piece of music one would perform in recital.

Thanks OSK. The Alkan and Tchaikovsky are both lovely. I'm still floating from piece to piece, except for 25/12, which I'm really putting some time into.

Mike, I've only worked on the first page of 25/12 so far. It's not too bad as long as I remember to hop instead of reaching for notes. My biggest obstacle so far is memorizing the patterns of the arpeggios going up. The ones that go down are much easier. Shaping it and getting it up to tempo will be its own challenge.