The Secret Piano

From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations

By: Zhu Xiao-Mei, Ellen Hinsey - translator

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Zhu Xiao-Mei was three years old when she saw her first piano, a cherished instrument introduced into her family’s Beijing home by her mother. Soon after, the child began to play, developing quickly into a prodigy who immersed herself in the work of such classical masters as Bach and Brahms. Her astonishing proficiency earned her a spot at the Beijing Conservatory at the tender age of 11, where she began laying the foundation for a promising career as a concert pianist. But in 1966, with the onset of the Cultural Revolution, life as she knew it ended abruptly.

The Communist Party’s campaign against culture forced the closure of art schools and resulted in the deportation of countless Chinese, including Xiao-Mei and her entire family. She spent five years in a work camp in Inner Mongolia, suffering under abysmal living conditions and a brutal brainwashing campaign. Yet through it all, Xiao-Mei kept her dream alive, drawing on the power of music to sustain her courage.

©2012 Zhu Xiao-Mei (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Enlightening

I have a few friends that survived the intellectual and Cultural Revolution in China so when I saw this memoir I grabbed it so I could understand more about what my friends went through in China.

Zhu Xiao-Mei was born to middle class parents in post war China and her musical proficiency became clear at an early age. She quickly became a prodigy. She was Ten years old when she began rigorous courses of study at the Beijing Conservatory of Music. In 1966 when she was seventeen, the Cultural Revolution began and her life changed forever. Her family was scattered, sentenced to prison or labor camps. In 1969 all schools had closed and Xiao-Mei was sent to a work camp in Mongolia where she spent the next five years. She suffered horrific living conditions and an intensive brain washing campaign. When the revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her heal.

Zhu Xiao-Mei explains, art is rich with human emotion and thought and that is why the communist regime sought to eliminate art, music and literature. The freedom of expression and knowledge was dangerous to the regime. The Cultural Revolution struck down students, teachers, and the education system. I find this story of Xiao-Mei life’s challenge and how she managed to turn the oppression into extraordinary resolve rather than break, as probably many people around her did, fascinating.

Xiao-Mei left China for the United States in 1979 joining the New England Conservatory in Boston, obtaining a Master’s degree in Piano performance in 1985. She moved to Paris, France in 1985 and teaches at the Conservatoire de Paris and performs concerts around the world.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The book was narrated by Nancy Wu.

calm and thrilling

Would you listen to The Secret Piano again? Why?

Because it reminds me my own experiences under a dictatorship in Argentina

What does Nancy Wu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A voice and an image

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

from anger to peace of mind

Realities of the artistic life in recent China.

There was a bit more music theory than I enjoyed, but a real musician would probably love that very facet of this tale. In the west, we have an idea of the trials Chinese citizens endured, but opening up those sagas is still vitally important. The narration was good, in my opinion, and the stories were sad without the aftertaste of hopelessness. I also appreciate Zhu's thoughts on western and eastern religions. We need to see how our attitudes are interpreted by other cultures.Thank you, Zhu, for sharing your life experiences with us. You are a very strong woman and I bow to your persistence in the face of adversity.

Lost Generation Artist Regains Her Life... and Art

Zhu Xiao-Mei overcomes the numerous set-backs that the Cultural Revolution gives her, one at a time, and regains both her life and her artistic dreams. This story is emblematic of MANY Chinese who suffered greatly during that period, and gives one hope that despite all problems people can succeed at getting to their ultimate goals. Well done

A very powerful story.

This story moved me so much. The story almost has a simple cheesy title . Far more story than I ever could imagine. Should be required reading. Too difficult for me to find words.

Hard to Put This Book Down

Would you consider the audio edition of The Secret Piano to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narration was so life like. I was actually reading along as the narrative flowed with each word. It was like sitting with the author as she told her story. I could never have pronounced all the Chinese words and I didn't have to. Nancy Wu's wonderful and expressive narration brought the story to life for me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously the author, Zhu Xiao-Mei, was my favorite as the story was about her own life. She is a person I can relate to. I am a musician also.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene that grabbed me from the start was the first one told of three year old Zhu Xiao-Mei seeing a piano for the very first time. I recall my first time too. It's something you never forget.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

More than any other reaction to the book, I was reminded of my own childhood safely in a free America while others my own age suffered greatly on the other side of the world. I'd never really thought too much about what other people have overcome in their lives to achieve their dreams until I read this book.

Any additional comments?

If you're discouraged and thinking of quitting, read this book. It will inspire you to keep on trying and never give up.

Quietly thought provoking

An autobiographical account of an artist driven to and by her art in the most unpredictable volatile period of the cultural revolution. Told in narrative from the artist’s view. Told with the sense of detachment that is so Chinese, she interweaves several cultures in turmoil. Recommended reading for its quiet provocation to meet each life challenge one at a time.

an excellent narrative with a political element

. It makes the reader glad not to have been alive during the cultural revolution

A Story That Needs to be Told

Any additional comments?

This book was particularly enjoyable to me because I love classical music, and because I believe the story of what happened to the Chinese people under communist Mao needs to be told! If we don't know history we are doomed to repeat it. I appreciate Zhu XIao-Mei's courage in telling her story.

Good thing I am a musician!

Thoughtful, provocative and remarkable story that shows how our life experiences both enhance and imprison us. There is so much to be learned from different cultures. You can love anyone when you know their story.