Aladdin Suite was written to accompany a production of Adam Oehlenschläger’s "dramatic fairy tale" about the Arabian Nights presented in Copenhagen in 1919. Seven extracts were published in 1940, of which three are presented today: “Oriental Festival March,” “Aladdin's Dream/Dance of the Morning Mist,” and “Moorish Dance.”

Carl Nielsen (1865–1931) was a Danish musician, conductor and violinist. He is widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. He composed much of the music in Skagen, Denmark during the summer of 1918. Back in Copenhagen a few months later, he experienced major difficulties with the work as the director had used the orchestra pit for an extended stage, leaving the orchestra cramped below a majestic staircase on the set. When the director cut out large parts of the music during final rehearsals and changed the sequence of dances, Nielsen demanded that his name be removed from the posters and the program. The theatre production was not very successful and was withdrawn after only 15 performances, but in subsequent years Nielsen frequently conducted extracts of the suite to great popular acclaim.