THE PIANO TEACHER

Orlagh Cassidy's narration starts languorously, allowing listeners to slip into the exotic, sensual world that Claire Pendleton finds when she moves to Hong Kong in 1952. Newly married and bored, Claire teaches piano to the daughter of the wealthy Chens and starts an affair with their European chauffeur, Will Truesdale. Cassidy steps up the passion as she dramatizes flashbacks to 1942 Hong Kong and the world of Truesdale. These chapters take center stage as Cassidy portrays the intriguing Eurasian Trudy Liang, who enchants and mystifies both Truesdale and audio listeners. Cassidy shifts her tone again as this luminous world changes to one of torment under the Japanese occupation. As the tension builds and the characters’ stories come together, Cassidy shifts her initial coolness into a heated performance. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]