Ruth Slenczynska in Concert
Slenczynska, a notoriously exploited child prodigy, made a few recordings as an adult in the 1950s and '60s. This recital, digitally recorded, is a more recent example of her playing. Her Haydn Sonata is rather unstylish, with weird slow trills, and the Brahms Rhapsody sounds rushed and frantic. In the Chopin Sonata, though, she comes into her own and gives a glorious performance, romantic but unmannered and deeply affecting. The Preludes by Rachmaninoff--with whom she studied briefly--are similarly effective and extremely well-played. Enough of this CD shows the pianist at her best for it to be well worth acquiring.--Leslie Gerber