3 questions to Dmitrij Kitajenko
Last season you kicked off a cycle performing Scriabin’s symphonies with the Gürzenich Orchestra. What makes these works so interesting?
Alexander Scriabin embarked on a new direction in the music of Russian symbolism. His motto was »Life is liberation and a struggle through activity«. I’ve already conducted all of Scriabin’s works in the past – now I’m looking forward to our Cologne cycle.
What makes pianist Gerhard Oppitz the right partner for Scriabin’s piano concert?
He’s an exceptional personality and an outstanding musician. We’re on the same wavelength, both as people and as artists; I appreciate him as one of my best partners on stage.
Does the Gürzenich Orchestra play Russian repertoire still with a German accent?
For more than 30 years I have been making music with the Gürzenich Orchestra, and we have played many Russian works at concerts and on CDs. No, there is no german accent - the orchestra has developed a Russian inflection with lots of atmosphere and warmth by working on the pieces for a long time. Now it’s nice to work together with the musicians on pieces they’ve never encountered before – such as Scriabin’s 2nd Symphony.
Maestro Kitajenko will be in cologne for three concerts on October 27./28./29., conducting Alexander Scrjabin’s Symphony no. 2 and the Piano concerto F sharp minor. Gerhard Oppitz will play the piano part. The concert starts with Sergej Prokofjew’s »Classical Symphony«.
