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Raised in the Danish countryside as the son of a poor folk musician, Carl Nielsen's indomitable courage and infinite curiosity helped him develop into one of the greatest symphonists of the 20th century and eventually Denmark's national composer. Carl Nielsen constantly challenged himself and his audience. It is an incredibly long way from the robust upstart you encounter in the First Symphony to the atonal experiments in the Sixth Symphony and the Clarinet Concerto. "I think it's really full-blooded, passionate, dramatic and ultimately human music. That's what I'm going for, and that's what the Philharmonic is good at," says conductor Alan Gilbert. After living in Scandinavia for a number of years Gilbert knows the roots of the music. "Carl Nielsen's music is based on classic traditions, but it's just so Danish! Strong, beautiful and independent," says Gilbert.

"The players clearly share Mr. Gilbert's enthusiasm for the composer, conveying the music with a commitment and attention to detail that rendered the Fifth an exciting traversal of contrasting moods." - New York Times

"If there is any composer that Alan Gilbert conducts to perfection, it is Carl Nielsen." - The New Yorker

"The Nielsen sound brings out the best in the Philharmonic: muscular, warm, open-throated, even slightly rough playing that seems ideal." - New York Classical Review.