Kip Winger: Symphony of the Returning Light / Violin Concerto “In the language of flowers”
Nashville Symphony / Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor / Peter Otto, violin
Naxos 8.559921 (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.559921)
Listen
Kip Winger: Symphony of the Returning Light I. S.O.S. - Listen on Dropbox
Kip Winger: Violin Concerto "In the Language of Flowers" I. Forsythia - Listen on Dropbox
Kip Winger: Violin Concerto "In the Language of Flowers" II. Viscaria - Listen on Dropbox
Read the Review
After a long and successful career in rock music Kip Winger has established himself as a leading voice in contemporary classical composition. The success of his 2017 ballet score Conversations with Nijinsky with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra led to music director Giancarlo Guerrero commissioning two works, the CD of Symphony of the Returning Light and the Violin Concerto “In the Language of Flowers” the result. Nashville concertmaster Peter Otto is the violin soloist (Naxos 8.559921 naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.559921).
Both works have four movements and continually hold your attention and interest with confident and attractive writing. Otto is superb in the concerto, which features a strong, lyrical solo part and an absolutely lovely slow third movement. Morse code motifs abound throughout the impressive symphony, which Winger describes as something of an autobiographical piece centred on atonement.
