Ruth Slenczynska - Historic Performances of Bach, Liszt, etc

These historic recordings by Ruth Slenczynska were made shortly after she resumed performing in public in 1951. For those who are unfamiliar with her story, she was a child prodigy who was pushed by her father through intense practice and performance schedules from an early age. When she was a teenager, she was able to break from her father's dominance, and she retired from public for 10 years. These recordings demonstrate that despite the alarming childhood, she emerged a successful, well-rounded, and mature musician. Thanks to the lifetime of extreme practicing, her technique is secure and confident, whether it is Bach or Liszt that she is playing. In the faster movements of the Italian Concerto or even the Chromatic Fantasy, despite the speed there is a beautiful clarity of lines and of tone in her playing. On top of that, however, is her richness of expression that is also confident and tailored to each piece or movement. The Italian Concerto's Andante is a very moving solo over a quiet bass, while the Rakoczy March alternates between stern intensity and playful ostentation. The sound of the mono recordings is fairly clear, but it is also extremely low. It has to be turned way up in order for Slenczynska's talent to be heard more fully.