Carl Nielsen - Symphony No. 6; Commotio (Ryan Wigglesworth)

Information

Composer: Carl Nielsen

• Symphony No. 6 "Sinfonia semplice" (arr. Hans Abrahamsen)
• Commotio, Op. 58 (arr. Hans Abrahamsen)

Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble

Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Linn Records

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Marking the centenary of Carl Nielsen’s Sixth Symphony, conductor Ryan Wigglesworth leads the Royal Academy of Music musicians in a recording that explores Nielsen’s late period through Hans Abrahamsen’s chamber arrangements. Nielsen’s Sinfonia semplice (No. 6), often seen as ironic yet deeply sincere, is reimagined with crystalline lightness, highlighting its fragility and playful spirit. Alongside it, Commotio—Nielsen’s final major work inspired by Buxtehude and Bach—is reshaped with Baroque colors and textures, opening a dialogue across centuries. Abrahamsen’s sensitive reworkings reveal new dimensions of Nielsen’s artistry, blending wit, transparency, and timeless resonance in these inventive interpretations.

Ryan Wigglesworth (b. 1979, Yorkshire) is a British composer, conductor, and pianist. A graduate of Oxford and Guildhall, he has held academic posts at Cambridge University and was a composing fellow with The Cleveland Orchestra. He has served as principal guest conductor of The Hallé, founded The Davey Consort (2017) and the Knussen Chamber Orchestra (2019), and became Sir Richard Rodney Bennett Professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His works include The Winter’s Tale (ENO, 2017) and a Piano Concerto, which he has performed himself. In 2022, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.