Cast
Paul Wittgenstein
Program notes
Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian concert pianist, loses his arm at the age of twenty seven, while serving as an officer in the First World War. Nonetheless, he is set on continuing his career.
Major composers, such as Ravel and Strauss wrote concerts for him, from which he gained international acclaim. Forced to leave Austria by the Nazis, he dies in New York in 1961.
Paul's father, Karl Wittgenstein millionaire and chief Austrian "iron and steel baron," determined to have his five sons follow in his footsteps and become industrialists, he does not permit them to pursue artistic careers. Ultimately, he will pay for his intransigence with the lives of his three eldest children who escape their father's authority by committing suicide. Finally, Karl Wittgenstein allows his two remaining sons the freedom to choose their own profession. Ludwig, the younger brother of Paul, turns to philosophy.
Paul Wittgenstein's biography is an extraordinary life-affirming story. It is the tale of a man who perseveres in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and prevails.
