Gürzenich-Orchester Köln - Scriabin: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 29 & Symphony No. 4, Op. 54 "Le poème de l'extase" (2021)

For Alexander Scriabin, writing good music was not enough; he wanted it to liberate and redeem humanity. Scriabins ecstatic sound poem pushes the romantic symphony orchestra to its limits, as though departing into infinity: And the universe echoed / From the joyful call / I am! declares the end of his soaring Le poème de lextase, the inspiration for the work. The voices of the WDR Rundfunkchor intensify this bold flight of the soul to produce an orgiastic ending. As a long-time guest conductor of the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Dmitrij Kitajenko demonstrates his particular affinity for the interpretation of Russian music in a programme that also includes Scriabin's Second Symphony. Kitjaneko celebrated his 80th birthday in 2020.