Piano Concertos for the Left Hand and Orchestera

Mathias Halvorsen / Norwegian Radio Orchestra / Otto Tausk

Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Piano Concerto in C sharp

Maurice Ravel: Concerto for the Left Hand

Recorded live 10th of March 2022
Edits recorded 9th and 11th March 2022 at Store Studio, NRK

Produced by Geoff Miles

Edited and mastered by Johann Guenther

Design by Ida Hatleskog

Released by Backlash Music and distributed by Orchid Classics & NAXOS

Booklet text

In the aftermath of World War I, Europe was left with deep physical and emotional scars. The challenge was not just to rebuild cities but to reconstruct national identities and navigate a changed international society. For Paul Wittgenstein, a pianist who lost his right arm in the war, this was both a personal and physical struggle. His injury occurred on the Eastern Front, where he was captured by Russian forces in 1914. The loss of his arm could have ended his career, especially as he had not been a particularly distinguished pianist before the war. However, it instead became the start of a remarkable new chapter in his life: As a touring one-armed pianist.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Maurice Ravel, from opposing sides of the conflict, were among the composers Wittgenstein commissioned new music from. Ravel, while deeply patriotic, had a complex relationship with the war. His fragile health prevented him from serving as a soldier, relegating him to the role of a truck driver. Nevertheless, the war left a lasting impact on him, shaping the disillusionment, loss, and fragility found in his later works—perhaps most profoundly in his left-hand concerto.

For Korngold, the war was a time of profound upheaval. Though he was not directly involved in combat, the political and cultural shifts it caused deeply influenced his creative outlook. His left-hand concerto, composed during the interwar years, reflects the lingering tension and emotional intensity of a Europe still grappling with the scars of conflict.

Both Ravel’s and Korngold’s concertos stand out as some of the darkest and most dramatic works they ever composed, possessing an intensity that feels almost unhinged at times. Written in minor, these one-movement works unfold with a often surprisingly muscular, yet integrated piano part. Korngold’s concerto, in particular, feels more akin to a symphonic poem, filled with narrative depth. The presence of war and themes of dark heroism are unmistakable in both works.

Given the nature of Wittgenstein’s injury and the war, these pieces transcend their apparent nature as “absolute music” (music created purely for its own sake). The dialogue between soloist and orchestra takes on new significance. The “one against many” dynamic becomes a metaphor for both personal and collective resilience, illustrating the struggle to assert one’s voice amidst overwhelming circumstances and the strength found in embracing limitations.

Classical music is often viewed as an idealized realm of perfection, where supreme technical skill meets emotional and narrative depth. The Wittgenstein concertos, however, challenge this ideal by embracing struggle and human imperfection. These works originate from a place where limitations are not only acknowledged but are central to the music’s identity. Writing for a one-handed pianist introduces a tangible tension between what is possible and what must be done, adding a rawness to the music that contrasts with the polished nature of most classical compositions. The fact that we continue to perform these pieces one-handed (rather than adapting them for two hands to achieve a smoother, more perfect version) speaks to our recognition of their profound extra-musical qualities.

This point highlights an often understated aspect of classical music performance: performers are bound by an unwritten code not to “cheat” in the face of specific technical challenges. In this sense, performance takes on an almost athletic dimension, where overcoming difficulty becomes part of the artistry.

In an era where digital tools assist music-making of all kinds, producing results of flawless precision, the relevance of physical instruments and live performance is sometimes questioned. Yet these concertos argue powerfully for the continued significance of traditional instruments and live music as a real, risky performative endeavor. The imperfections and risks inherent in human performance are not flaws but essential elements of what makes live music meaningful.

These concertos affirm the enduring relevance of traditional music-making in a world increasingly drawn to smooth, mechanical perfection. Here, the human element is not just preserved but celebrated, affirming our ability to create, in spite of—and perhaps because of—our limitations.

Mathias Halvorsen

Mathias Halvorsen lives Reykjavik with his family. He performs regularly all over Europe, doing anything from chamber music and solo concerts to composition and various projects conceptualising classical repertoire. Upcoming albums this spring on Lawo (Sinding sonatas for violin & piano) and Backlash (On Palestrina), with an album of piano concertos by Ravel & Korngold with Otto Tausk and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra coming early fall.

He studied with prof. Jiri Hlinka (2006-2010) in Oslo and with prof. Gerald Fauth (2011 - 2013) in Leipzig. In 2009 he discovered the manuscript of piano concerto no. 5 by the Norwegian composer Halfdan Cleve at the National Library in Oslo and performed it with the Lithuania State Symphony and conductor Gintaras Rinkevicius. Since 2010 he has been performing concerts in complete darkness as a founding member of the critically acclaimed group LightsOut. In 2020 he performed Ravel’s G major piano concerto with JEB orchestra and Miguel Perez Inesta in Berliener Philharmonie. Fall 2024 Berlin - label BacklashMusicis releasing his recording of piano concertos for left hand by Korngold and Ravel with Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Otto Tausk.

Since April 2019 he has been touring with violinist Mathieu van Bellen in new productions of Puccinis La Boheme and Tosca and Strauss Salome, featuring only violin, piano and subtitles. The arrangements were made by the musicians themselves, combining the parts of the soloists, the choir(s), and the orchestra in giant, uncut versions of the operas for only two players. La Boheme was recorded for Backlash Music, and recieved great reviews in many major outlets (BBC Music Magazine *Album of the month, Sunday Times, Trouw, Klassekampen etc.). Other albums include The Well Prepared Piano vol. 1 (Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier on prepared pianos), On Goldberg Variations with Jan Martin Gismervik (the second instalment On Palestrina coming very soon), Music for Piano and Clarinet and Music for Two Pianos.

Mathias appears regularly alongside Peaches in the duo show Peaches Christ Superstar. This production has visited many festivals such as Theater der Welt in Mannheim and Yoko Ono's Meltdown in London. He has also done several dance and theatre pieces with director and choreographer Laurent Chetouane. One of these, the comedy 'Den Stundesløse' featured Mathias' acting debut at the National Theatre in Oslo, Norway.

Mathias also writes operas, one being the worlds first opera on a story by Agatha Christie (And Then There Were None, premiered 27th of April 2023). NRK reviewed the premiere with the headline: "Criminally powerful Agatha Christie-opera". Other pieces like the The Square and The Transfigurator 3000 are the basis for several youth projects, as their use of alternative notation systems like movement and wooden cubes letting the audience compose for musicians in real time.

Mathias has recently been heard at Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Brighton Festival, Mofo (Tazmania), Yoko Onos Meltdown (London), Oranjiewoud Festival (Nederland) and Portland Chamber Music Festival. He has also performed at Philharmonie de Paris, Elbfilharmonie (Hamburg) Nikolaisaal (Potsdam), Münchner Kammerspiele, Onassis Cultural Centre (Athens), Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre) and Kampnagel (Hamburg) - to name a few.