Bach. Partitas Bwv825-830. Xiao-mei

Composed by: BACH, J.S.

Partitas BWV825-830

Offered in coordination with the release of Chinese pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei's heartbreaking and heartwarming new book, this disc from Mirare exemplifies the unique and compelling musicianship of a special artist. The Secret Piano (ISBN 978-1611090772 released March 6, 2012) is the incredible true story of one woman’s survival in the face of unbelievable odds — and in pursuit of a powerful dream. A child prodigy, Xiao-Mei was just ten years old when she began a rigorous course of study at the Beijing Conservatory. But when the Cultural Revolution began, art schools were closed, and Xiao-Mei was sent to a labor camp in Mongolia, where she would spend the next five years. When the Revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her to heal. Today, Xiao-Mei deliberately keeps her concerts few and far between. She appears in public only to perform especially demanding works, 'mountains of the soul' which she judges essential, in interpretations matured over a long period of gestation. Her worldwide success is especially amazing given that her career very nearly never took place at all.