【古殿唱片音樂故事】
沒有右手，如何能彈鋼琴？單手攀登的靈魂：保羅 維根斯坦
古殿殿主
我剛把一張黑膠唱片放上唱盤，我想請你聽聽這個聲音。這是 Orion 唱片於1970年發行的編號 ORS 7028，錄製於1958年。這家唱片公司在封套上驕傲地寫著，他們拒絕了當時流行的電子聲道噱頭，堅持用原始母帶，還原那種「溫暖、真實的臨場感」。
當唱針落下，傳出的鋼琴聲非常厚實，但如果你仔細聽，這所有的音符，都是由一隻左手彈出來的。
演奏者叫保羅·維根斯坦(Paul Wittgenstein,1887-1961)。在歷史上，他常被貼上很多標籤：著名哲學家路德維希維根斯坦(Ludwig Wittgenstein,1889-1951)的哥哥、維也納鉅富之子、或是那個「跟拉威爾吵架的鋼琴家」。但在我眼裡，他是一個拒絕被命運擊倒的硬漢。
一、從雲端跌落泥沼
想像一下，你出生在19世紀末歐洲最顯赫的富豪家庭。你家有錢到什麼程度？布拉姆斯(Brahms,1833-1897)、馬勒(Mahler,1860-1911)、理查·史特勞斯(Richard Strauss,1864-1949)這些課本上的名字，都是你家的座上賓，甚至會跟你一起彈二重奏。
不只如此，保羅的音樂血統簡直是鑲金的。你知道那位傳說中的德奧小提琴宗師——約瑟夫·姚阿幸 (Joseph Joachim,1831-1907) 嗎？那是他的叔公。
而他在鋼琴上的師承更是嚇人。他的老師是傳奇維也納鋼琴名師：西奧多·萊謝蒂茨基 (Theodor Leschetizky,1830-1915)。這個名字如果你覺得陌生沒關係，你只要知道，帕德雷夫斯基 (Paderewski,1860-1941) 、施納貝爾 (Schnabel,1882-1951)、富立德曼(Friedman,1882-1948) 這些鋼琴史上的巨人都出自他門下。這意味著什麼？這意味著保羅不是玩票的，他是跟這些大師站在同一個起跑點上，拿著通往音樂殿堂最高殿堂的VIP門票長大的。
但是，命運開了一個最殘酷的玩笑。
1914年，第一次世界大戰爆發。保羅上了戰場，被派往俄國前線。一聲槍響，或者一顆砲彈，讓他失去了右臂。對一個鋼琴家來說，這等同於宣判死刑。
你可以想像那種絕望嗎？曾經擁有的輝煌未來，瞬間歸零。
但他沒有在那裡倒下。在療傷期間，他說了一句讓我非常感動的話：「這就像試圖攀登一座高山。如果你不能從這一邊爬上去，那就試試另一邊。」
他決定只用左手，繼續他的鋼琴生涯。
二、兩個固執天才的戰爭
因為家裡實在太有錢（這真的很重要），他開始瘋狂地委託當時最頂尖的作曲家為他寫「左手鋼琴曲」。普羅科菲耶夫、理查·史特勞斯、布里頓......名單長得驚人。但他最著名的委託，也是讓他愛恨交織的，就是拉威爾(Ravel,1875-1937)的《D大調左手鋼琴協奏曲》。
這首曲子寫於1931年，那時拉威爾身體也不好了。不同於同時期創作的《G大調協奏曲》那樣明亮、古典，這首左手協奏曲充滿了陰暗、戲劇性，甚至有一種李斯特式的悲壯英雄感。這完全符合保羅的生命狀態——孤獨的戰鬥。
但這兩個人吵翻了。
保羅拿到樂譜後，覺得有些地方不夠好發揮，竟然自己動手改了！他加了音符、改了和聲，甚至在大結局加了一串華麗的琶音。拉威爾氣瘋了，兩人一度決裂。
保羅當時很霸氣地說了一句名言：
「你建房子不只是為了讓別人住進去。我委託並付了錢，這作品我有獨家演奏權，只要我還在演奏，它就屬於我。」
這聽起來很蠻橫對吧？但如果不這麼強勢、不這麼「自我中心」，他又如何能在那樣殘缺的身體狀態下，獨自對抗全世界的質疑呢？
三、被留住的聲音：1937與1958
保羅·維根斯坦留下的錄音其實非常稀少，他不像同時代的鋼琴家那樣錄了一大堆唱片。所以，能找到他的聲音，就像挖掘到出土文物一樣珍貴。
如果你想聽聽歷史的現場，有一份 1937年2月20日 的錄音，是他與指揮大師布魯諾·瓦爾特（Bruno Walter）及阿姆斯特丹大會堂管弦樂團的現場演出。那是戰前的歐洲，空氣中可能已經瀰漫著不安，但音樂裡的張力是無法複製的。這也是保羅與這首曲子的世界首次錄音！
但如果你想聽得更清楚，聽聽他晚年的沉澱，那就是我剛放的這張——1958年的錄音（原發行於Period Records，後由Orion再版）。這時他已經定居美國紐約，與大都會歌劇院管弦樂團合作。
這張唱片非常誠實。就像Orion公司宣稱的，它沒有那些花俏的立體聲後製，保留了聲音的厚度。在這份錄音裡，你聽到的不再是年輕氣盛的對抗，而是一位歷經滄桑的老人，用他僅存的左手，向世界訴說他的故事。
四、獨手的魔術與生命的硬漢
在這張唱片的背面，還收錄了一些獨奏曲，像是巴哈的〈夏康舞曲〉（布拉姆斯改編給左手）。這是我最推薦大家在夜深人靜時聽的軌道。
保羅曾解釋過他的祕訣：
「左手的大拇指是最有力的，它必須承擔起失去的右手的工作，負責演奏旋律。」
聽這些曲子時，你會驚訝地發現，你幾乎感覺不到這是一隻手彈的。他利用踏板和快速的跳躍，填補了空間。他說：「聽眾絕不能察覺到那種停頓。」
正如拉威爾曾經說過的那樣：
「如果聽眾感覺到雙手演奏也比不上這樣精彩的話，那就成功了！」
這是一種什麼樣的意志力？為了不讓音樂中斷，他必須比雙手健全的人付出多幾倍的努力，去計算每一個落鍵、每一次呼吸。
這真的是生命的硬漢！
最後：聽見缺憾中的完整
保羅·維根斯坦的一生，就是不斷在面對「失去」。失去了手臂、失去了原本的職涯規劃，甚至差點失去了朋友。但他沒有讓這些「失去」定義他，反而用這些碎片，拼湊出一個全新的、無人能及的生命價值。
當我們在工作上受挫、覺得生活不如意，或是感到自己「不夠好」的時候，或許可以聽聽這首《左手鋼琴協奏曲》。
去感受那一隻孤獨的左手，如何在龐大的管弦樂團面前，不卑不亢地發出巨響。那不是競爭，那是對生命最莊嚴的肯定。
唱片曲目：
SIDE ONE
1.Ravel: Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand
2.Schubert (arr. Liszt): MEERESSTILLE (Calm of the Sea)
3.Max Reger: ROMANZE
SIDE TWO
4.Bach (arr. Brahms): CHACONNE (From the violin Partita #2 in D Minor)
5.Max Reger: Prelude & Fugue
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實體音樂：
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【Classical Palace Music Story】: How Can One Play Piano Without a Right Hand? A Soul Climbing Solo: Paul Wittgenstein
I’ve just placed a vinyl record on the turntable, and I really want you to hear this sound.
This is Orion Records catalog number ORS 7028, released in 1970, but recorded back in 1958. On the jacket, the record company proudly declares that they rejected the trendy electronic gimmicks of that era. Instead, they insisted on using the original master tapes to restore that "warm, true sense of presence."
As the needle drops, the piano sound that flows out is incredibly rich and thick. But if you listen closely, every single note you are hearing is being played by just one left hand.
The player is Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961). In history books, he often gets stuck with many labels: the older brother of the famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, the son of a super-wealthy Viennese family, or simply "that pianist who argued with Ravel."
But in my eyes? He is a true fighter who refused to let fate knock him down.
1. Falling from the Clouds into the Mud
Imagine being born into the most dazzling, wealthy family in late 19th-century Europe. How rich were they? Well, names you see in music textbooks—Brahms, Mahler, Richard Strauss—were regular guests at your house. They would even sit down and play duets with you.
It wasn't just money; Paul’s musical bloodline was practically gold-plated. You know the legendary master of the German violin school, Joseph Joachim? That was his great-uncle.
And his piano lineage was even scarier. His teacher was the legendary Viennese master Theodor Leschetizky. If that name sounds unfamiliar, don’t worry. You just need to know that giants of piano history like Paderewski, Schnabel, and Friedman were all his students.
What does this mean? It means Paul wasn't just playing for fun. He grew up holding a VIP ticket to the highest halls of music, standing at the same starting line as the greatest masters.
But then, fate played the cruelest joke.
In 1914, World War I broke out. Paul went to the battlefield and was sent to the Russian front. A single gunshot, or perhaps a shell, took his right arm. For a pianist, this was basically a death sentence.
Can you imagine that despair? A glorious future, instantly reset to zero.
But he didn't stay down. While healing from his wounds, he said something that touches me deeply:
"It is like attempting to climb a mountain. If you cannot climb up from one side, you try the other."
He decided to continue his piano career, using only his left hand.
2. The War of Two Stubborn Geniuses
Because his family was so incredibly wealthy (this is actually really important), he started frantically commissioning the top composers of the time to write "piano music for the left hand" just for him. Prokofiev, Richard Strauss, Britten... the list is astonishing.
But his most famous commission—and the one he had a love-hate relationship with—was Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major.
This piece was written in 1931. At that time, Ravel’s health was failing too. Unlike his Concerto in G Major written around the same time, which is bright and classical, this Left Hand Concerto is full of darkness, drama, and a tragic heroism that feels almost like Liszt. It perfectly matched Paul’s state of life—a lonely battle.
But, oh, did these two fight.
When Paul got the sheet music, he felt some parts weren't impactful enough, so he actually changed them himself! He added notes, changed harmonies, and even added a flashy ripple of notes (arpeggios) at the grand finale. Ravel was furious, and their friendship nearly broke.
Paul dropped a very domineering quote back then: "You don't build a house just for someone else to live in. I commissioned and paid for this; I have the exclusive rights. As long as I am playing, it belongs to me."
Sounds pretty arrogant, right? But think about it: if he hadn’t been that strong-willed, if he hadn't been that "self-centered," how could he have stood alone against the doubts of the entire world with a broken body?
3. The Sound That Stayed: 1937 and 1958
Paul Wittgenstein actually left behind very few recordings. He didn't churn out albums like other pianists of his time. So, finding his voice is as precious as digging up an ancient artifact.
If you want to hear the "scene of history," there is a recording from February 20, 1937. It’s a live performance with the conductor Bruno Walter and the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. That was pre-war Europe; the air might have been filled with anxiety, but the tension in the music is something you can’t fake. This was also the world premiere recording of Paul playing this piece!
However, if you want to hear him more clearly—to hear the settlement of his later years—you need to listen to the record I just played: the 1958 recording (originally released by Period Records, reissued by Orion). By this time, he had settled in New York and was playing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
This record is very honest. Just as Orion claimed, it doesn’t have those fancy stereo effects; it keeps the thickness of the sound. In this recording, you no longer hear a young man fighting the world. You hear an old man who has weathered the storms, using his only remaining left hand to tell the world his story.
4. One-Handed Magic and A Life of Steel
On the flip side of this record, there are some solo pieces, like Bach’s Chaconne (arranged by Brahms for the left hand). This is the track I recommend listening to late at night when everything is quiet.
Paul once explained his secret: "The thumb of the left hand is the strongest. It must take over the work of the lost right hand and be responsible for playing the melody."
When listening to these tracks, you’ll be shocked to realize you can barely tell it’s just one hand playing. He uses the pedal and rapid jumps to fill the empty spaces. He said, "The audience must never perceive that pause."
Just as Ravel once said: "If the listener feels that playing with two hands couldn't be any more wonderful than this, then we have succeeded!"
What kind of willpower is that? To keep the music from breaking, he had to put in many times more effort than a person with two healthy hands, calculating every key strike, every breath.
That is a true man of steel!
Final Thought: Hearing Wholeness in Imperfection
Paul Wittgenstein’s life was about constantly facing "loss." He lost his arm, lost his original career path, and even nearly lost friends. But he didn't let "loss" define him. Instead, he used those broken pieces to piece together a brand-new life value that no one else could reach.
When we feel frustrated at work, feel like life isn't going our way, or feel that we aren't "good enough," maybe we should listen to this Left Hand Concerto.
Feel that single, lonely left hand, facing a massive orchestra, making a giant sound neither humble nor arrogant. That isn't competition; that is the most solemn affirmation of life.
Record Tracklist:
SIDE ONE
- Ravel: Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand
- Schubert (arr. Liszt): MEERESSTILLE (Calm of the Sea)
- Max Reger: ROMANZE
SIDE TWO
4. Bach (arr. Brahms): CHACONNE (From the Violin Partita #2 in D Minor)
5. Max Reger: Prelude & Fugue