Photo: Foppe Schut
Prisma Trio
Folke Nauta, piano left hand
Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer, clarinet
Two pianists were faced with an impossible choice in the middle of their careers: Give up or persevere? The Viennese pianist Paul Wittgenstein lost his right arm in battle in 1914. Our Folke Nauta recently lost the use of his right hand due to focal dystonia. Both persevere with incredible determination, and with great music as the apotheosis.
The discovery of chamber music written for Paul Wittgenstein lead to this extensive project. Wittgenstein did not want to share this works with others during his life; they remained hidden in his library until 2001. Slowly but surely Wittgenstein's treasures are being discovered everywhere, but this all-encompassing Wittgenstein Project is unique in the world. In addition to a series of 21 concerts, it also includes two double albums (to be ordered here), four new works by Dutch composers and a five-part podcast documentary by Lex Bohlmeijer: The pianist with one hand.
Concert tour
In a special staging by Ellen Blom with texts by Herman van Tongerloo and a decor by Hans Jeths our concert program Van mijn hand lets you relive Wittgenstein's life story through music. Four Dutch composers are writing new work. Audiences react elated: ‘This music touches my soul.”
(Concerts; dates and venues...)
Van mijn hand, Paul Wittgenstein, his legacy and the future
Ernest Walker - Variations on an original theme (1933)
Josef Labor OR: Hans Gál
Prach Boondiskulchok OR: Jeppe Moulijn OR: Marlijn Helder OR: Primo Ish-Hurwitz - New work
- pauze -
Frédéric Chopin - Étude Révolutionnaire (arrangement for piano-left-hand by Leopold Godowsky)
Franz Schmidt - Quintet in A OR: Quintet in Bes
The Wittgenstein Project could not have been realised without the financial support of: Performing Arts Fund NL, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Fonds 21, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, NORMA fonds, SENA performersfonds, Gravin van Bylandt Stichting.