Prodigy & Others

For $75,000 10-year-old Ruth Slenczynski will give 30 U. S. concerts this season. Manhattan's Carnegie Hall is so big that the only adult pianists who will play there this month are Josef Hofmann and Artur Schnabel. But Carnegie was not too big for Pianist Ruth Slenczynski last week. Three thousand New Yorkers were delighted to pay to hear a child so confident that she will attempt the weightiest music, so pert that she will suggest a different tempo to an experienced conductor like Bernardino Molinari.

The amazing prodigy appeared in a white dress with tucked sleeves and red velvet bows on both her shoulders.* She made her jerky little bow, hopped up on the piano stool, stretched for the pedals and sturdily began Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Her tone was clear and singing, her energy heroic as she swept into the Presto Agitato. To Mozart's A Major Sonata she brought little grace. But for most of the afternoon young Ruth was in might-&-main mood, sweeping the keyboard with glittering arpeggios, pounding out tremendous chords. Knowing that she usually likes to keep on playing, hundreds of listeners rushed forward at the end of the program to watch the stubby flying fingers. But after two encores a lackey walked on stage, sternly closed the piano.

When Ruth Slenczynski was nine she had her horoscope read. Some of the findings :

"It is probable that she will never marry. . . . Her training and genius should not be forced, for she is easily made nervous and her mind can be excited to her detriment; in which case she is restless, her control is lost, and she may be more than sarcastic. . . . There is a divergence of views about her and these views will have some publicity. . . . Indeed it looks as if this year should be spent in retirement with as little effort as possible to attain further prominence. . . ." For her tenth birthday, three days after her Manhattan concert, Ruth's horoscope was read again:

"This year, from an astrological standpoint, she should receive the highest acclaim as a real prodigy. Many great musicians have been born in January, among them Mozart. . . . Ruth has two planets in the same degree as he. Schubert was born in January, and Ruth also has degrees in common with his. . . . She has planets in the same degree as Beethoven, and within ten years her Jupiter will have progressed to the same degree as his when he wrote his Eroica. . . . She will be high-strung and temperamental. . . ."

Meanwhile last week the concert season was at its peak, with business definitely better than last year when it was on the upswing from the season before. Established artists are having more engagements this winter before bigger audiences. Music halls from coast to coast are plastered with posters which coax people to step inside and buy tickets. Concert headliners in the season's news:

Pianists. Sergei Rachmaninoff had given 30 U. S. concerts when he sailed last week for Europe. Josef Hofmann arrived on the Rex, attended briefly to his duties at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, then took to the road. Jose Iturbi, the elfin little Spaniard who sometimes conducts, was working his way up the Pacific Coast. In Manhattan such steady oldtimers as Harold Bauer and Ossip Gabrilowitsch were drawing their own faithful audiences. Artur Schnabel was doubling his success of last season. In Detroit Myra Hess, greatest of women pianists, began a tour of 40 concerts. Ignace Jan Paderewski, at 74 the world's best-selling pianist, is spending the winter in his villa on Lake Geneva but he hints at a U. S. tour for next year.

Violinists. Jascha Heifetz flew from St. Louis last week to keep engagements in Salt Lake City, Helena. Mont., Seattle, Eugene, Ore. Fritz Kreisler, now touring England, gave his 39 U. S. concerts early in the season. Efrem Zimbalist jumped from Florida to Canada last week. Mischa Elman was due to arrive from Europe. Sleek Albert Spalding was in New England. After 25 concerts Bronislaw Hubermann sailed to play in London but he will return in February for a General Motors' broadcast and an engagement with the Philadelphia orchestra. Yehudi Menuhin's dates cram sheets of paper. He played 18 times in Europe this autumn. He now has 25 concerts in the U. S., to be followed by some 50 in Australia, 28 in South Africa. At the end of his world tour in February 1936, his parents will make him retire for a year.

Singers. Busiest of busy singers is Baritone Lawrence Tibbett who, besides his Metropolitan Opera and radio performances, is giving 66 concerts. As he was last year, he will be the season's biggest moneymaker. Baritone John Charles Thomas, now touring California, has 64 dates. Soprano Dusolina Giannini, whose teacher was the late Marcella Sembrich (see below), went sadly to Detroit last week. The increasingly popular Lotte Lehmann sang at the Metropolitan, then in Washington and Princeton. Mary Garden was resting in Manhattan before her last Debussy recital. After a two years' absence big Basso Feodor Chaliapin will come zooming back to the U. S. this week, sing first in Kansas City.

*According to the program, the dress was donated by Saks, 34th Street, Manhattan department store.

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