PROKOFIEV PIANO CONCERTO 4
in B flat major, Op 53 for the left hand alone

The Prokofiev Piano Concerto 4 is one of a number of works for piano and orchestra for the left hand alone commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein, the well known Austrian concert pianist who lost his right arm during World War I. It was completed in 1931 but Wittgenstein, who lived until 1961, never performed the concerto which remained unperformed until 1956 when the German pianist Siegfried Rapp gave its first performnce in Berlin. Rudolf Serkin gave the American premiere in 1958 with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. You can hear this paring below.

The Prokofiev Piano Concerto 4 is a four movement work with a gorgeous Andante movement. The two Vivace movements share a good deal of thematic and rhythmic material, and while the first movement is more expansive and looks forward to subsequent movements, the fourth is more of a brief recapitulation of the opening material and brings the concerto to its inevitable conclusion.

N.B. The first of the Ginzburg videos is correctly labeled. The second and third videos are incorrectly labeled as concerto 2, but I assure you this is a complete recording of the fourth concerto.

LEO GINZBURG
Russian pianist (1901-1979)

Kurt Sanderling conducting the USSR State Symphony Orchestra

i Vivace