The 3rd edition of the Franco-Russians begins tomorrow Saturday with two works by Sergei Prokofiev, performed by the Orchester du Capitole under the direction of Kirill Karabits, principal conductor of the Bournenouth Symphony Orchestra.
Very attached to France, the Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits says his pleasure to find Toulouse and its symphony orchestra as well as the happiness of conducting the works of his compatriot Sergei Prokofiev. The concert will be broadcast live on Saturday on the Capitol’s social networks and the website of La Dépêche du Midi.
The Franco-Russians have several interests for you …
Yes because I have a somewhat personal history with this part of France! (laughs) I am Ukrainian and as a child Toulouse was the first foreign city I visited because it is twinned with Kiev. With the children’s choir from my school, we came by bus to sing in Toulouse and Muret! It was an amazing experience, it was right after the fall of the Soviet Union so I remember it well. So these are the places that have marked my life forever because these were my first two concerts. And then, I am very happy to see the Orchester du Capitole again, which I already conducted in 2004 in particular.
What significance can such a manifestation have?
The situation is currently very tense between Russia and Ukraine and for me, in this project, there is something of cultural diplomacy. It is thanks to culture that we will be able to emerge from this conflict, it seems to me. I work with the Russian National Orchestra and therefore I am very criticized in Ukraine. Some think that everything related to Russia should be ignored. I do not agree: it is necessary to keep cultural links. Politicians can’t communicate right now so it’s very important that we, orchestras and musicians, keep in touch. And for me, directing Prokofiev is important because he was born in Ukraine.
What relationship do you have with your compatriot?
I conducted a lot of his works and I even recorded a cycle with all his symphonies. He has always been important to me, not only because he was born in Ukraine but because his music and his musical language speak to me, I understand what he meant by his music, in my own way of course! I have something to accomplish with my interpretations of Prokofiev, I have messages to pass on to people.
Is it his freedom to approach music that appeals to you?
In fact there are a lot of things that I find incredible about Prokofiev but the most important thing is that as a chef he gives you carte blanche. Perhaps it is the difference between him and Stravinky that asks you precisely what he wants and does not want in his scores. With Prokofiev it’s different, he invites you to perform his music, he tells you “My music can only work if you are with me, if you can defend what I have put down on paper. It doesn’t work if you don’t put your willpower and enthusiasm into what I’ve written. It just works like that!
Do the works that you are going to conduct have a particular value for you?
Yes the 5th is one of Prokofiev’s symphonies, I won’t say the best because it’s difficult to determine, but this precisely defends the idea of freedom and as it was written during the war, we sees that Prokofiev is trying to give us hope.
Is he the ideal composer to bear witness to the Franco-Russian cultural crossing?
It is part of the tradition of Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) or Moussorgski (1839-1881) but at the same time its musical colors are very French. He loved French culture, wanted to live here and even become a French citizen. This is what his music conveys, in his way of orchestrating, using the colors of the orchestra, the instruments, and at the same time there is no lack of dramatic moments. It is this mixture which causes the uniqueness of the language and the expression of his music.
Interview by Pascal Alquier
Saturday March 13 at 6 p.m. live from the Halle aux Grains. To see on the Facebook and YouTube of the ONCT and the Franco-Russians and on the website of “La Dépêche”. Next concert: Friday March 19 at 8 p.m. with Maxim Emelyanychev conducting the National Capitol Orchestra and Aylen Pritchin on violin. In total, 5 concerts are scheduled until April 1.
With the exception of that of April 1 (broadcast on France Music and Medici.tv), the concerts will be accessible free of charge on the social networks of the Orchester du Capitole and the Franco-Russian Musicals (Facebook and YouTube). For the first time, La Dépêche du Midi will participate in the broadcasting of two evenings, on March 13 and 27, on its website. For Christophe Rauzy, head of the newspaper’s digital hub, this collaboration with “one of Toulouse’s artistic flagships meets a general need for culture”. With this approach, The Dispatch can “share the great success of its site at the Capitol and promote all good initiatives”.
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