Symphony No. 25, Violin Concerto No. 2 David Nebel, Bergische Symphoniker & Daniel Huppert

• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953):
• 1 Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63: I. Allegro moderato 11:07
• 2 Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63: II. Andante assai 09:46
• 3 Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 63: III. Allegro ben marcato 06:35
• Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881 - 1950): Symphony No. 25 in D-Flat Major:
• 4 Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 25 in D-Flat Major: I. Adagio - Andante 13:24
• 5 Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 25 in D-Flat Major: II. Moderato 04:58
• 6 Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 25 in D-Flat Major: III. Allegro impetuoso - Adagio con elevazione 14:00
• Sergei Prokofiev:
• 7 Prokofiev: Romeo und Juliet, Op. 64: V. Masks (Arrangement for Violin and Orchestra) 02:44
• Total Runtime 01:02:34

Info for Symphony No. 25, Violin Concerto No. 2

Music of the transition: An interesting compilation presented here by Daniel Huppert and the Bergische Symphoniker. The 2nd Violin Concerto by Sergei Prokofiev (soloist: David Nebel), is combined with Symphony No. 25 by Nikolai Myaskovsky. The programme is complemented by the arrangement of the piece "Masks" from Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet" for violin and orchestra, made especially for this recording.

Prokofiev's second violin concerto was written shortly before he moved from Paris to Moscow. It clearly traces this transition and the accompanying tightrope walk musically. While the first violin concerto still surprised with sharp dissonances and abrupt sounds, the second sounds milder and more lyrical. The clattering castanets in the last movement are reminiscent of Spain - the country in which the concerto was first performed. Despite the romantic air that wafts through the concerto, Prokofiev does not refrain from ironic elements that infiltrate the concerto: Brash brass interjections flash through in the 2nd movement and the spirited, Spanish mood of the last movement is repeatedly punctuated by dissonances

Nikolai Myaskovsky, on the other hand, was not granted the international success of Prokofiev or Shostakovich - even though his music was repeatedly praised by listeners and experts. Rarely heard, therefore, is his Symphony No. 25 in D flat major. It is his first major post-war work, the initial sketches of which he wrote down in February 1946.

Despite health problems, Myaskovsky intensified work on his new symphony in the summer and completed the orchestration in October 1946. A fortnight later, he confided to his work diary that he had put the finishing touches to his 25th Symphony. The clear, splendid, but in places veiled tonal language reflects the composer's inner emigration. The fact that in his old age he turned more to Russian Romanticism than to modern trends may also have been part of his personality. However, the painful experiences of a composer in a totalitarian regime certainly contributed to this development. A Russian melody is already heard in the first movement. Commentators at the time wanted to recognise in it a "protyazhnaya", a slow, melismatic dance song that was considered the essence of the Russian soul. However, it is more likely that the melody originates from a miniature of Myaskovsky's 8 Piano Pieces from 1906, and that it is based on the songs of the Old Believers from Mussorgsky's opera Khovanchina.

Swiss violinist David Nebel is a much sought-after soloist who combines technical brilliance with mature musicality and a distinctive tone. Highlights of recent seasons include performances and recordings with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, David Nebel has performed with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic under Kristjan Järvi at the Finlandia Concert Hall (Helsinki), the Mariinsky Theatre 2 (St. Petersburg) and the Estonia Concert Hall (Tallinn). Nebel and Järvi recorded an album together with the London Symphony Orchestra at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

David Nebel, violin
Bergische Symphoniker
Daniel Huppert, conductor

David Nebel
is in demand as a soloist, combining technical brilliance with mature musicality and an unmistakable tone.

Highlights of past seasons include performances and recordings with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Royal Philharmonique de Liège and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. David performed as soloist with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic under Kristjan Järvi at the Finlandia Concert Hall (Helsinki), the Mariinsky Theatre 2 (St. Petersburg) and the Estonia Concert Hall (Tallinn). With the London Symphony Orchestra, Nebel and Järvi recorded together at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

Nebel was guest soloist at renowned festivals, such as the Khachaturian Festival in Yerevan where he performed with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under Sergey Smbatyan and at the Kissinger Sommer in Germany, where he performed the world premiere of Gediminas Gelgotas’s Violin Concerto No 1. In Mexico, he was invited to play at the Morelia Music Festival with the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Guanajuato under Roberto Beltrán-Zavala. Furthermore, he is also a regular performing artist at concerts of the Orpheum Foundation in Switzerland.

Born in Zurich, Nebel began playing the violin at the age of five. He first attended the conservatory in Zurich and later studied with Boris Kuschnir in Vienna and Yair Kless in Graz. David then continued his studies with Professor Alexander Gilman, currently at the Royal College of Music in London as a Leverhulme Arts Scholar . David achieved remarkable success in 2014 as the youngest prize winner of the prestigious Valsesia Musica violin competition in Italy. He was also a member of the LGT Young Soloists, a string ensemble consisting of exceptionally talented young musicians, led by Alexander Gilman. Numerous tours have taken them through Europe and Asia.

In 2020, David Nebel released his debut solo CD album with Maestro Kristjan Järvi under the label Sony Classical. He recorded together with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic the Philip Glass Violin Concerto No 1 and the Igor Stravinksy Violin Concerto. His CD album received excellent reviews by international press such as the Strad Magazine and the Bayerischer Rundfunk featuring this CD as album of the week. The Gramophone Magazine commented: “(…) a tremendously impressive debut album, and the Stravinsky performance is among the very best” (Gramophone, 2020).

Nebel plays on a fine violin made by Antonio Stradivari on loan from a private sponsor.

“David Nebel - a name to remember! This young violinist from Zurich has a flawless, stupendous playing technique and an immensely impressive musical intelligence” (Fono Forum, 2020)

Booklet for Symphony No. 25, Violin Concerto No. 2