The Royal Danish Orchestra's performing history stretches back to 1448, making it the oldest orchestra in the world, with Carl Nielsen counted amongst it's distinguished former members. His 16 years of experience as one of the orchestra's second violinists helped shape him as a composer, and it was this ensemble that introduced his symphonies to the world. From the 'imminent storm of genius' of the First Symphony to the disarming outlandishness of the Sixth, Nielsen's symphonies are recognised as among the greatest in their genre, heard here in recordings made with a league of conductors whose bond with Denmark and Nielsen's music is second to none.

This recording contains two compostions by Welsh composer Matthew Owain Jones, String Quartet No. 1, 'Deletia' and Wind Quintet along with his arrangement of nine movements from Carl Nielsen's ballet Aladdin, Op. 63 for chamber ensemble. All three works on this album are premiere recordings and performed by Denmark's leading chamber ensemble Ensemble MidtVest. Jones is widely regarded as a unique, visionary musician and educator. Alongside composition, Jones is one of the leading violists and violinists of his time, recording 25 solo and chamber albums to date, premiering numerous concertos and commissioning dozens of works.

A household word when speaking of repertoire, legendary flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal devoted just as much effort to establishing the masterpieces in their rightful place as to unearthing countless works from the baroque, classical and romantic eras. As far as concertos are concerned, cornerstones by Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi thus gained worldwide fame, and it went the same way for Ibert, Jolivet and Nielsen. Unfailing lyric sense, purity of style, magnificent tone, grace of phrasing, fabulous virtuosity, tremendous commitment... Critics, colleagues and the public were all running out of superlatives. Immediately valued as references, his recordings still fascinate and often leave the listener exhilarated. This 12 CD set tries the challenge of surrounding these marvels with some of the most dazzling rediscoveries, offering famous and less famous music, but equally glorious interpretations.

This release completes the highly acclaimed Nielsen symphony series performed by Odense Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Edward Serov. All six symphonies are supplemented by smaller orchestral works which were rarely recorded or premier recordings. The recordings took place over the three year period from 1993 - 1995 in Odense. Earlier releases: 32157 Symphony 1, 32178 Symphony 2, 32203 Symphony 3, 32193 Symphony 4, 32171 Symphony 5.

This fourth release of the Nielsen symphony series includes the first recording of At The Bier Of A Young Artist (Andante lamentoso) in orchestral version. Odense Symphony Orchestra has recently finished recording a hitherto unknown Nielsen orchestral work called “Dyrehave musikken” which we plan to release later this year.

This is our third volume of the Nielsen symphony series and like the earlier releases (KPT 32157 and KPT 32171) there are a couple of rarely recorded symphonic works added to the main feature Symphony No. 2. Though Symphony No. 2 was composed 10 years later than the Symphony No. 1, it still belongs to the Nielsen’s earlier period in which his compositions are marked by his interest in musical characterization. The chief conductor of Odense Symphony Orchestra Edward Serov is from Moscow and when he is not in Denmark he leads Volgograd Symphony Orchestra.

Kontrapunkt marks its release number 200 with the Nielsen Violin Works performed by Søren Elbæk, undoubtedly the foremost violinist of younger generation in Europe. The first two tracks are solo pieces which Nielsen wrote for his Hungarian son-in-law Emil Telmanyi. As these two unaccompanied works demand its performer superhuman technique, they are practically unheard live on stage. There is only one analogue recording in Deutsche Grammophon catalogue performed by Peder Elbæk (Søren’s father) many years ago. This is the first digital recording.

• These recordings, made during Sir Colin Davis' 'Indian summer' with the London Symphony Orchestra, are acknowledged amongst the finest recordings ever made of this repertoire, receiving numerous awards. • The symphonies were originally released between 2011 and 2013 and are now made available together for the first time as a splendidly packaged 3 SACD box set, including one Pure Audio Blu-ray disc. • Despite giving titles to the majority of his symphonies, Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) was often vague about what influenced each work. • That fact notwithstanding, Neilsen was a master symphonist and his music is often mesmerizing, combining propulsive energy with lyrical invention. • 'Colin Davis establishes himself as a first-class Nielsenian on our pick of the week...' LSO0722 Symphonies Nos 2 & 3 (The Sunday Times) • Editor's Choice LSO0694 Symphonies 4 & 5 (Gramophone) • Disc of the Week LSO0715 Symphonies Nos 1 & 6 (BBC Radio 3)

"The Hindemith concerto, while not exactly revealing itself as an unregarded masterpiece, gets just the right degree of tempered bombast and pastoralism - suggesting that here is a piece ripe for reassessment."

-- BBC Music Magazine reviewing Sony 64507

"These two concertos are the product of Nielsen's last years: the Clarinet Concerto, surely one of his strangest and most powerful utterances, was written in 1929, only two years before his death, and the Flute Concerto comes from 1927. They are two of the most masterly concertos for their respective instruments (Nielsen whose understanding of the wind was second to none had planned a concerto for each of the wind family) and Robert Simpson rightly calls the Flute Concerto "the richest and most original" written for the instrument...Stanley Drucker gives an intelligent account of his demanding part...Julius Baker is the excellent soloist in the Flute Concerto which he plays with great virtuosity."

-- Gramophone Reviewing original LP, CBS 72639