The history of the development of the piano works for left-hand has spanned for more than one hundred and fifty years, and the piano concertos for left-hand, which made special historical significance in the concerts, were mostly written for one-arm pianist Paul Wittgenstein. The purpose of the thesis is the study of the stylistic features of one-movement piano concertos for one-hand, including Concerto pour la main gauche by Ravel, Parergon and Panathenaenzug by Richard Struass, and Diversions by Britten. The discussions contain the structure, form, orchestration, and performing technique. The contents of the thesis includes four chapters, in addition to the introduction. The first chapter discusses the general historical background for the creation of left-hand playing, and the development of the creation of the piano works for left hand. The second chapter is basic literature research for the piano concertos for left hand, and introduces the creative background to four piano concertos for left hand. The third chapter emphasizes the detailed analysis of the piano concertos for left hand of the selected works of Ravel, Richard Strauss and Britten. In the four left-hand piano concertos, Concerto pour la main gauche and the Parergon are designed in multi-sectional stracyure, the Panathenaenzug is planted for a symphonic studies in Passacaglia form and the Diversions is in a form of thematic variations in which each variation is characteristic in different title. In addition, composers frequently make use of the different instrumental colors of orchestra to replenish the lacks of rich acoustics of the piano playing, including accompaniment, support of harmony, momentum and dynamic of sounding expression. Richard Struass¡¦s Panathenaenzug employs the glockenspiel and celesta to enrich the sounding expression. The difficulties of left-hand piano techniques are variable; Ravel use the different and difficult piano skills in his two candenzas, Richard Struass¡¦s Panathenaenzug is also collected left-hand piano techniques in it, and Britten¡¦s Diversions is in different point of view that the composer employs the whole register of eighty-eight keys to makes this piano concerto sounding rich.

Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961) made significant contributions to the piano literature for the left hand through numerous commissioned works as well as his own transcriptions. In the transcriptions, Wittgenstein preserved the texture of two-hand music, aiming for the simulation of the original works. This requires special techniques in the performance by the left hand alone. This dissertation investigates technical means and performance problems associated with the transcriptions as well as Wittgenstein's own recordings of selections from his works.

This thesis will explore the function of the conductor’s left hand, with emphasis on its expressive possibilities and the gestures. In the first chapter, the role of the conductor is discussed, and some problems around the field of expressive gestures are brought up. In the second chapter, I present the history of conducting, or rather the history of musical leadership, as the practice of conducting we are familiar with today began in the late 19th Century. In this chapter, I also include some paragraphs about gesture and its role and function outside of musical leadership, such as public speaking. In chapter three, I examine a selection of instruction books and how they treat the use of the left hand. During the work on this material I found several quotations and thoughts from conductors, in letters and interviews, presented in chapter four. This is interesting for this study, because it offers the personal opinions and experiences of well-established conductors and conducting teachers. It also shows how the opinions on the use of the left hand have changed over the past century. Chapter five is a lengthy chapter of research on this topic. Not all is directly connected to the left hand, but all is in connection to gesture in some way. These chapters form the basis of a discussion, where findings in previous chapters are pointed out and debated, and the authors personal opinion is presented. At the end follows suggestions on how this topic can be further researched and how one can create a repertoire of expressive gestures.

The left hand has always been perceived as the weaker of the two hands and since about 1840, a substantial amount of piano repertoire for the left hand has seen the light. Composers continue to show an interest in composing works in this genre and the reasons are mainly because of injuries to the right hand, to aid in the pianist's technical development, because of the challenge it poses to the composer and finally to delight audiences with an unique technical display. The technical challenges that are present in these works, differ greatly from the difficulties found in piano music for both hands. In order to give a commanding performance, the pianist is required to make certain adjustments. In music for the left hand alone, this hand is suddenly solely responsible for both the melodic lines and accompanying textures simultaneously. By addressing the technical difficulties of a composition, the interpretation of the work is invariably influenced. One of the most well-known works in this genre, A. Scriabin's Prelude for the left hand, Op. 9, no. 1, has been used to identify the technical aspects in piano music for the left hand. The question that arises, is: which specific technical aspects can be identified in A. Scriabin's Prelude for the left hand, Op. 9, no. 1? The following questions are subsequently raised: firstly, how will the pianist approach these technical aspects, and secondly, how will certain technical adjustments benefit the performance and interpretation of the work? The hypothesis holds that the pianist will have to identify and address the unique technical aspects of piano works for the left hand alone, in order to perform these works successfully. Four specific areas have been identified that could be considered the main factors contributing to the technical challenges idiomatic of music for the left hand: fingering, pedalling, balance and voicing and physical flexibility. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The left hand has always been perceived as the weaker of the two hands and since about 1840, a substantial amount of piano repertoire for the left hand has seen the light. Composers continue to show an interest in composing works in this genre and the reasons are mainly because of injuries to the right hand, to aid in the pianist's technical development, because of the challenge it poses to the composer and finally to delight audiences with an unique technical display. The technical challenges that are present in these works, differ greatly from the difficulties found in piano music for both hands. In order to give a commanding performance, the pianist is required to make certain adjustments. In music for the left hand alone, this hand is suddenly solely responsible for both the melodic lines and accompanying textures simultaneously. By addressing the technical difficulties of a composition, the interpretation of the work is invariably influenced. One of the most well-known works in this genre, A. Scriabin's Prelude for the left hand, Op. 9, no. 1, has been used to identify the technical aspects in piano music for the left hand. The question that arises, is: which specific technical aspects can be identified in A. Scriabin's Prelude for the left hand, Op. 9, no. 1? The following questions are subsequently raised: firstly, how will the pianist approach these technical aspects, and secondly, how will certain technical adjustments benefit the performance and interpretation of the work? The hypothesis holds that the pianist will have to identify and address the unique technical aspects of piano works for the left hand alone, in order to perform these works successfully. Four specific areas have been identified that could be considered the main factors contributing to the technical challenges idiomatic of music for the left hand: fingering, pedalling, balance and voicing and physical flexibility. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The androgyny of the Gethenians in The Left Hand of Darkness is a vehicle for Ursula Le Guin's rhetoric concerning gender roles. Le Guin attempts to make the reader identify with an ideal form of androgyny, through which she argues that many of the problems of human existence, from rape and war to dualistic thought and sexism, are products of gender roles and would be absent in an androgynous world. The novel also links barriers of separation and Othering with masculine thought, and deconstructs these separative boundaries of opposition, while promoting connective borders which acknowledge difference without creating opposition. The novel thus criticizes gendered thought processes and social roles, because they lead to opposition and separation.

Informe de Seminario para optar al grado de Licenciado en Lengua y Literatura Hispánica mención Literatura

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / The intention of this study is to examine the quality and quantitative achievements of two hundred seventy-nine left handed children located in the elementary schools of New England.

This document examines Rodney Friend’s approach to violin technique for the left hand, with specific emphasis on the execution of fifths. The application of this technique plays a valuable role in establishing correct hand positioning, creating consistent intonation, improving vibrato, and adding to the palette of colors available to the violinist. Mr. Friend is an esteemed violinist, a perceptive pedagogue, and a dedicated mentor in today’s music world, and, in those roles, he exemplifies the qualities of beauty, truth, and goodness that characterize meaningful engagement in the arts. His thoughtful teaching style is the product of decades of careful observation combined with a devotion to constant personal improvement. As a performer who has toured the world as concertmaster of classical music’s most renowned orchestras, Mr. Friend’s early and continued success could have easily led him to a justifiable sense of arrival. Instead, he continues to hone his craft daily--both as a performer and as a teacher--always striving to remove the roadblocks from the tricky terrain of violin playing. In Mr. Friend’s words, violin playing is “a whole complicated business that we need to make less complicated.” His keen insights into the mechanics of the trade prove that simplification is possible. I firmly believe that his pedagogical innovations will greatly serve the rising generation of violinists. Most recently, Mr. Friend has turned his attention to an area of left hand technique that is commonly avoided by violinists in their practice, and often glossed over by teachers: the study of fifths. For the past six years Mr. Friend has been systematically exploring the benefits of this ignored technique. Other pedagogues have had little to offer in specifically addressing this interval because there is a general lack of understanding about the benefits provided by mastering the execution of fifths. Examples of this omission can be seen in pedagogy books by some of the 20th century’s greatest violinists and teachers. For instance, when Leopold Auer discusses the left hand in his book, Violin Playing as I Teach It, he suggests practicing scales in thirds, fourths, sixths, and octaves, but completely skips over the interval of the fifth. The same omission is also made by Yehudi Menuhin in his instructional text entitled Violin and Viola. Mr. Friend has developed a systematic approach to mastering this difficult technique that is both simple and effective. He plans to publish his method later this year. Some of the benefits provided to the violinist from the consistent practice of this traditionally difficult and neglected interval include better hand positioning, improved vibrato, and more consistent intonation--the continual quest of every violinist. I have experienced the remarkable benefits of his method in my own playing, which motivated me to seek Mr. Friend’s permission to further explore and document his techniques, and with this monograph to share these benefits with the violin community.

In this thesis I have studied how hypermobile joints affect my violin playing and tried to to find solutions how to cope with hypermobility.  The purpose is to find tools how to change my left-hand technique so that I can play Bach´s Fugue from Solo sonata in g minor in my master concert without pain in my 4th finger and without tension in my left-hand. The goal is to find a way to play with hypermobile joints so that my technique will serve the music in the best possible way.  The biggest questions are: what hypermobility is, how can I cope with it, how to play more relaxed and how to develop a better support for my left-hand little finger, 4th finger.  The thesis will first focus more on the theoretical side of hypermobility in order to get better understanding of what hypermobilty is and how it might affect a violinist. Then I will get more into the aspects of violin playing and my process. After this process I noticed that working with hypermobile joints is a lifelong process. In order to have a good left-hand technique while having hypermobile joints it is crucial to have good muscle control and awareness. The most important thing is to find the right tools that work for yourself while trying to cope with hypermobility.