Carnaval / Kinderszenen / Sonata 2
Ruth Slenczynska was one of the most famous piano prodigies ever. But after her childhood career, which did not include any recordings, she withdrew from performing and later published an autobiography detailing the hellish life her father had imposed on her. Slenczynska returned to public performance in the early 1950s, but she has never had a major career as an adult and has made only a few LPs. Ivory Classics has taken an interest in Slenczynska, reissuing a disc of uneven performances from early mono LPs (70802) and a superb live concert from the 1980s (70902). This is her first studio recording in decades, made in 1999. Although her technique is never in doubt, Slenczynska slights the virtuosic elements ofCarnavalsomewhat, making hers a performance mostly for introverts. In the more consistently lyrical music ofKinderszenen, though, she is rivetingly intense and very moving. She reads some rhythms in the opening movement of the Sonata rather oddly, but otherwise gives us a splendid performance, full of drama. The best elements of this disc make it well worth hearing.--Leslie Gerber