Debut David Nebel

What a clever program for the Festival’s “Open End” theme! For his debut, the young Zurich-born violinist David Nebel presents three works that did not attain completion. Mozart put his Violin Sonata in A major, K. 402, aside after two movements, Dmitri Shostakovich did not get beyond a “Moderato con moto” in his attempt at a sonata in 1945 — and yet both provided revealing insights into their work. Maurice Ravel also left off with a single movement in 1897 when he composed his First Violin Sonata; it was not premiered until 1975, the year of his 100th birthday. César Franck’s contribution to the genre, on the other hand, embodies the principle of eternal return with a network of related motifs. David Nebel, who was born in 1996, caused a sensation when he recorded violin concertos by Glass and Stravinsky under Kristjan Järvi in 2020. “This is a CD like an addictive drug,” enthused the reviewer from Bayerischer Rundfunk. Nebel currently holds the position of concertmaster at the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. But alongside this role, his solo career is flourishing in performances with renowned orchestras and at major festivals — such as the one he will give in Lucerne.