Lotus Overture (莲花)

Performed by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra (北京交响乐团) and conducted by Tan Lihua. Guo Wenjing (郭文景, born 1 February 1956 in Chongqing) is a Chinese composer and educator. Guo Wenjing is a contemporary Chinese composer. Unlike many Chinese composers who have studied and lived in other countries, he has only studied in Beijing. He has lived and worked in his home country for nearly his entire life with the exception of a short period of time living in New York. However, over the years he has had many works commissioned around the world. He and his music have appeared at the Beijing Music Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Holland Music Festival, New York Lincoln Center Festival, Paris Autumn Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Almeida Theatre (London), Frankfurt Opera (Germany), Konzerthaus Berlin (Germany), Kennedy Center (Washington), as well as Turin, Warsaw, etc. In addition, he is contracted by CASA RICORDI-BMG and the first composer to be contracted by People’s Music Publishing House. The ’Lotus’ (Linhua) Overture by Guo Wenjing is a work written specifically as a message of good will from China to London in honour of the 2012 Olympic Games. The lotus, said to be ‘born in mud, but not stained; washed by clear ripples, but not capricious’ as stated in Zhou Dunyi’s On the Love of the Lotus, is representative of purity, renewal and auspiciousness, which is why composer Wenjing chose to give the piece its name. The work begins with a single violin with a striking chord, before others echo and a picture begins to emerge as music comes to life. The piece then unfolds like a flower, melodic motifs with a menacing sweetness passing among the wind section, translucent harmonics from the strings shimmering over the rest of the orchestra as the sound broadens and richens before returning for the rebirth of the original motifs. Conductor Tan Lihua interpreted the piece with spirituality and poise, allowing the music to sweep unaffectedly but with precision and control, and the musicians played with a sense of unity that made it difficult to believe the orchestra was in fact comprised of two. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guo_Wenjing https://bachtrack.com/review-southbank-centre-beijing-symphony-london-philharmonic Note that I do not own this video. All rights are reserved by the owner of this clip.