Serbian-American pianist talks about left-handed repertoire and the influence of Paul Wittgenstein

You have dedicated concert programs and albums to music composed for Paul Wittgenstein; what fascinates you about the left hand?

The left hand is the underdog in piano playing; it is considered the weak, less agile hand. I’ve always been interested in repertoire that turns the tables and gives the left hand a leading role. From a musical perspective, a strong bass adds richness: specifically, it increases the spectra of harmonics, which is what makes one timbre more beautiful than another. So the key to a beautiful sound is a rich, deep bass. But considering how important it is, we pianists don’t spend that much time developing our left hand — not just technique, but the quality of the sound.

How did you come to this repertoire?

As a teenager I used to listen to Nathan Milstein’s recording of JS Bach’s solo Sonatas and Partitas for violin over and over again. I discovered Brahms’s arrangement of the Chaconne for the left hand, which is very close to the original, and learned that. My teacher said it was foolish to practise it, and that I should wait for an injury...