Album Of The Month:

My Life in Music by Ruth Slenczynska

This new album from Polish-american pianist Ruth Slenczynska marks a remarkable comeback: at the age of 96, she returns to Decca after a 65-year-long break, having done her first session with the label in 1956. It was these Fifties’ recordings that became her biggest claim to fame, paving the way for a lengthy and luminous career in classical music.

Listening to the limber, delicate notes cascading down the pianist’s fingertips, there’s not a single thing to suggest that even a iota of Slenczynski’s dexterity or skill has faded with time. The record is a virtuosic, astute and emotionally satiating collection of some of the most beloved—and the musician’s favourite—piano pieces by composers like Chopin, Barber and Rachmaninoff, thoughtfully curated to evoke a rainbow of emotions.

Some of the most affecting works in this collection include the knowingly ambiguous “Nocturne” by Samuel Barber, played here with poise and appreciation of its bountiful, if puzzling, emotional landscape; Chopin’s larger than life Etude Op. 10 No. 3—a luminous tone poem, interpreted by Slenczynska with subtlety and elegance; and another taste of Barber’s fiery musical temperament by means of the staggering Fresh from

West Chester and its irresistible uneasiness bubbling underneath the unpredictable harmonies.

It would be a crude generalisation to state that the Slenczynska’s age and near-unparalleled wealth of experience lends her an upper hand when interpreting these pieces, and yet, learning more about her career, one can’t help but imagine that the course her life took plays a special role in the way she elevates and brings this music to life. See, Rachmaninoff was one of her early piano teachers, Barber became her friend and mentor when she was just five, while Chopin speaks powerfully to her Polish roots. Now that’s what you call a life lived in music.