I remember the name Ruth Slenczynska from years and years ago, when her 1960s Chopin and Liszt recordings were part of the LP library at KSJR. They were quite fine, and I remember programming them — and then largely forgetting about her as recordings by other pianists lined up for my attention.
Her backstory is pretty amazing, documented in some interesting books that she's written, and her career has been ongoing, if not necessarily on my radar.
Slenczynska was a remarkably expressive player at 5, as a 9-year-old substituted for an indisposed Rachmaninoff in a recital, managed to survive overbearing promotion of her by her father, and eventually outgrew prodigy-hood and made a name for herself as soloist and teacher.
Now, at 95, she's back in the limelight with a recent 10-disc set issued by no less than Deutsche Grammophon-Eloquence. Reviewers have been taking notice. Perhaps you and I should, too!
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