“It is with children in mind that I recorded these French Suites, always having heartfelt simplicity and purity in their mind. Children see the world with hope, optimism, and cast in light – much like Miró sees the world. I find a childlike purity in him, similar to what I hear in the French Suites. There is a quote by Miró that touches me enormously and makes me think a lot whenever I play, as it reflects something that may be the most difficult aspect of musical interpretation – and of art in general: “To gain freedom is to gain simplicity.” Zhu Xiao-Mei
This new recording of the French Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach is the fourth CD release of Zhu Xiao-Mei on the Accentus Music label. Zhu Xiao-Mei and Accentus Music plan to continue their collaboration with a recording of Bach’s English Suites by the end of this year.
In short, these are honest and deeply affectionate perfomances, set to become a classic.
BBC Music Magazine
Zhu Xiao-Mei’s Bach performances belong to the very best ones. After a very eventful and not always beautiful life, the Chinese pianist seems to have found the way to the light in Bach’s music. Nobody plays Bach in a purer, more unaffected and unpretentious way. The combination of this simplicity, of an overwhelming beauty, of depth and transcendence is simply breath-taking. Pizzicato, Alain Steffen
Playing which compels you to stop whatever you’re doing and stand still, wonderstruck. [..] Also, listening to vinyl inevitably involves more concentration: you can’t get up, wander around or go into the kitchen. It’s as if you’re enjoying a private recital. theartsdesk
