A Chinese Military Tune at the White House

According to Bach, “music’s only purpose should be the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit.” For the marvelous Chinese pianist, Lang Lang, music also seems able to glorify the power of nations. This young 28-year-old prodigy was recently invited to a White House dinner that was hosted by President Barack Obama in honor of President Hu Jintao. After playing a four-handed piece with the jazz legend Herbie Hancock, the Chinese pianist performed “My Homeland,” a well-known song from his country. However, it is also the soundtrack for the 1956 movie “Battle on Shangganling Mountain,” which depicts a fierce battle that took place between Chinese soldiers and American GIs in a bloody episode from the Korean War that ended with an American defeat.

Since the dinner at the White House, the song has created quite a stir online in China. For web users excited by this incident in the U.S., the “message conveyed by the song suggests that China is no longer afraid of other powers.” Others, notably university professors, wonder if there was a subtle meaning in the choice … and whether the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had approved the repertoire. They also wonder if Lang Lang had deliberately wanted to snub America and if he knew about the “anti-American” context of this patriotic piece. Apparently, however, the talented artist cares very little about politics and is very fond of the United States. On his blog, Lang Lang said that he only chose the song “for the beauty of its melody” and because it pays homage to “China’s strength and Chinese peoples’ unity.” He also condemned the incident’s exploitation by some Chinese web users, “And once, you know, people use it as a political issue, that makes me really sad because I am a musician. I’m not a politician.”