List of works for piano left-hand and orchestra

This is a list of concertos and concertante works for piano left-hand and orchestra.

The very first such composition was published as late as 1895, by the Hungarian Count Géza Zichy. The best known left-hand concerto is the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D by Maurice Ravel, which was written for Paul Wittgenstein between 1929 and 1930. Wittgenstein commissioned a number of such works around that time, as did Otakar Hollmann. More recently, Gary Graffman has commissioned a number of left-hand concertos.

Chronological list of works for piano left-hand and orchestra

• Géza Zichy - Piano Concerto in E flat for the left hand, 1895 (written for himself to play)
• Josef Labor - Concertpiece in the form of variations for piano left-hand and orchestra, 1916 (composed for Paul Wittgenstein)
• Josef Labor - Concert Piece in F minor, 1917 (commissioned by Wittgenstein, who premiered it in 1936)
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Piano Concerto in C-sharp for the left hand, Op. 17, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Paul Hindemith - Klaviermusik mit Orchester, Op. 29, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein, but never played by him; score discovered in his widow's papers after her death in 2002, and premiered by Leon Fleisher in 2004)
• Josef Labor - Concert Piece in B flat minor (E flat major?), 1923
• Franz Schmidt - Concertante Variations on a Theme of Beethoven, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Sergei Bortkiewicz - Piano Concerto No. 2 for the Left Hand, Op. 28, 1924 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Karl Weigl - Concerto for the left hand, 1924
• Richard Strauss - Panathenäenzug: Sinfonische Etüden in Form einer Passacaglia for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 74, 1925 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Leoš Janáček - Capriccio for piano left hand and chamber ensemble, 1926 (suggested by Otakar Hollmann but not written for him specifically)
• Bohuslav Martinů - Concertino (later renamed Divertimento) for piano left hand and chamber orchestra, Op. 173, 1926 (commissioned by Hollmann)
• Rudolf Braun - Piano Concerto in A minor, 1927 (written for Wittgenstein)
• Richard Strauss - Parergon zur "Sinfonia Domestica" for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73, 1927 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Eduard Schütt - Paraphrase for piano and orchestra, 1929 (written for Wittgenstein)
• Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D, 1929-30 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Sergei Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 4 for the left hand, Op. 53, 1931 (commissioned by Wittgenstein but never played by him; premiered in 1956 by Siegfried Rapp)
• Franz Schmidt - Piano Concerto No. 2, for the Left Hand, 1934 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Benjamin Britten - Diversions for Piano (left hand) and Orchestra, 1940 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Alexandre Tansman - Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra, 1943
• Norman Demuth - Piano Concerto for the left hand, 1947 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Kurt Leimer - Piano Concerto No. 2 (in one movement), 1944-48
• Arnold Bax - Concertante for Piano (Left Hand) and Orchestra, 1948
• Norman Demuth - Legend for piano left hand and orchestra, 1949 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Josef Bartovský - Piano Concerto No. 2 for left hand, 1952 (written for Hollmann)
• Johannes Paul Thilman - Concertino for piano (left hand) and orchestra, Op.65, 1954
• Jan Zimmer - Piano Concerto No. 5 for the Left Hand, Op. 50, 1961
• Lucijan Marija Škerjanc - Concerto for piano left hand and orchestra, 1963
• Dieter Nowka - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Op. 71, 1971
• Raoul Sosa - Concerto for piano left hand with string orchestra, 1989
• Gunther Schuller - Concerto for 3 Hands, 1990 (written for Lorin Hollander and Leon Fleisher)
• Curtis Curtis-Smith - Concerto for piano (left hand) and orchestra, 1991 (commissioned by Leon Fleisher)
• Lukas Foss - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, 1993
• Ned Rorem - Piano Concerto No. 4 for the Left Hand, 1993 (commissioned by Gary Graffman)
• William Bolcom - Gaea for Two Pianos Left Hand, and Orchestra, 1996 (commissioned by Graffman for him to play with Leon Fleisher)
• David Haynes - Concerto No. 1 for Left Hand and orchestra, 1999
• Richard Danielpour - Piano Concerto No. 3 "Zodiac Variations", 2002
• Daron Hagen - Seven Last Words: Concerto for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, 2002 (commissioned by Graffman)
• Mario Alfagüell - First Concerto for piano left hand and small orchestra, Op. 145, 2003
• Stanisław Skrowaczewski - Concerto Niccolò for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, 2003
• Pehr Henrik Nordgren - Concerto for piano left hand and chamber orchestra, Op. 129, 2004
• Mario Alfagüell - Second Concerto for piano left hand and orchestra, Op. 185, 2007
• Takashi Yoshimatsu - Concerto for Piano Left Hand and Chamber Orchestra "Cepheus Note", Op. 102, 2007

• Igor Ivanek - Concerto for piano left hand alone and orchestra: Igni Natura Renovatur Integra (All of Nature is Restored by Fire
• Luis Prado - Piano Concerto for the left hand (Concierto de piano para la mano izquierda, written for Gary Graffman, 2001 and premiered by him in 2002)

Alphabetical listing (by composer's surname)

By the composer's last name:

• Mario Alfagüell - First Concerto for piano left hand and small orchestra, Op. 145, 2003
• Josef Bartovský - Piano Concerto No. 2 for left hand, 1952 (written for Hollmann)
• Arnold Bax - Concertante for Piano (Left Hand) and Orchestra, 1948
• William Bolcom - Gaea for Two Pianos Left Hand, and Orchestra, 1996 (commissioned by Graffman for him to play with Leon Fleisher)
• Sergei Bortkiewicz - Piano Concerto No. 2 for the Left Hand, Op. 28, 1924 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Rudolf Braun - Piano Concerto in A minor, 1927 (written for Wittgenstein)
• Benjamin Britten - Diversions for Piano (left hand) and Orchestra, 1940 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Curtis Curtis-Smith - Concerto for piano (left hand) and orchestra, 1991 (commissioned by Leon Fleisher)
• Richard Danielpour - Piano Concerto No. 3 "Zodiac Variations", 2002
• Norman Demuth - Piano Concerto for the left hand, 1947 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Norman Demuth - Legend for piano left hand and orchestra, 1949 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Lukas Foss - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, 1993
• Daron Hagen - Seven Last Words: Concerto for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, 2002 (commissioned by Graffman)
• David Haynes - Concerto No. 1 for Left Hand and orchestra, 1999
• Paul Hindemith - Klaviermusik mit Orchester, Op. 29, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein, but never played by him; score discovered in his widow's papers after her death in 2002, and premiered by Leon Fleisher in 2004)
• Igor Ivanek - Concerto for piano left hand alone and orchestra: Igni Natura Renovatur Integra (All of Nature is Restored by Fire)
• Leoš Janáček - Capriccio for piano left hand and chamber ensemble, 1926 (suggested by Otakar Hollmann but not written for him specifically)
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Piano Concerto in C-sharp for the left hand, Op. 17, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Josef Labor - Concertpiece in the form of variations for piano left-hand and orchestra, 1916 (composed for Paul Wittgenstein)
• Josef Labor - Concert Piece in F minor, 1917 (commissioned by Wittgenstein, who premiered it in 1936)
• Josef Labor - Concert Piece in B flat minor (E flat major?), 1923
• Kurt Leimer - Piano Concerto No. 2 (in one movement), 1944-48
• Bohuslav Martinů - Concertino (later renamed Divertimento) for piano left hand and chamber orchestra, Op. 173, 1926 (commissioned by Hollmann)
• Pehr Henrik Nordgren - Concerto for piano left hand and chamber orchestra, Op. 129, 2004
• Dieter Nowka - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Op. 71, 1971
• Luis Prado - Piano Concerto for the left hand (Concierto de piano para la mano izquierda, written for Gary Graffman, 2001 and premiered by him in 2002)
• Sergei Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 4 for the left hand, Op. 53, 1931 (commissioned by Wittgenstein but never played by him; premiered in 1956 by Siegfried Rapp)
• Maurice Ravel - Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D, 1929-30 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Ned Rorem - Piano Concerto No. 4 for the Left Hand, 1993 (commissioned by Gary Graffman)
• Franz Schmidt - Concertante Variations on a Theme of Beethoven, 1923 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Franz Schmidt - Piano Concerto No. 2, for the Left Hand, 1934 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Gunther Schuller - Concerto for 3 Hands, 1990 (written for Lorin Hollander and Leon Fleisher)
• Eduard Schütt - Paraphrase for piano and orchestra, 1929 (written for Wittgenstein)
• Lucijan Marija Škerjanc - Concerto for piano left hand and orchestra, 1963
• Stanisław Skrowaczewski - Concerto Niccolò for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, 2003
• Raoul Sosa - Concerto for piano left hand with string orchestra, 1989
• Richard Strauss - Parergon zur "Sinfonia Domestica" for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 73, 1927 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Richard Strauss - Panathenäenzug: Sinfonische Etüden in Form einer Passacaglia for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 74, 1925 (commissioned by Wittgenstein)
• Alexandre Tansman - Concert Piece for Piano and Orchestra, 1943
• Johannes Paul Thilman - Concertino for piano (left hand) and orchestra, Op.65, 1954
• Karl Weigl - Concerto for the left hand, 1924
• Takashi Yoshimatsu - Concerto for Piano Left Hand and Chamber Orchestra "Cepheus Note", Op. 102, 2007
• Géza Zichy - Piano Concerto in E flat for the left hand, 1895 (written for himself to play)
• Jan Zimmer - Piano Concerto No. 5 for the Left Hand, Op. 50, 1961

Works for the right hand only

Works for piano right-hand only also exist, but there are far fewer of them than for left-hand only.

Concertante works involving piano right-hand include:

• Henri Cliquet-Pleyel (1894-1963) - Concerto for Piano Right Hand and Orchestra

• Arthur Bliss - Concerto for Two Pianos (3 Hands) and Orchestra, Op. 17 (1968; originally for tenor, piano, strings and percussion; then arranged for 2 pianos and orchestra for Phyllis Sellick and Cyril Smith; then arranged by Bliss and Clifford Phillips for 2 pianos 3 hands and orchestra)

• Malcolm Arnold - Concerto for Two Pianos Three Hands and Orchestra (also known as Concerto for Phyllis and Cyril), 1969. One pianist plays with both hands, the other with the right hand only.

• Gordon Jacob - Concerto for Three Hands on One Piano, 1969 (written for Sellick and Smith).

References

• Hans Brofeldt, Piano Music for the Left Hand Alone