Aladdin’s story, taken from the Arabian One Thousand and One Nights, has been told many times and in many different ways. This operatic version by the Danish composer, Christian Frederik Emil Horneman, dates from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century and has the lush harmonies and flowing melodies you might expect from a piece of its time. Horneman (1840-1906) adds new luster to the old fairy tale about Aladdin and Princess Gulnare as they escape the forces of nocturnal magic and pursue happiness. Horneman employs motives which are tied to elements in the story, such as the Genie of the Ring which is characterized by a peculiar "mystic" harmony. Even if the opera’s subject has a certain Eastern coloring, Horneman only applies it occasionally to his music. This album presents the first complete recording of Horneman’s life’s work. © Dacapo