Symphonies 1 & 2
Larsson (1908-1986) became one of the most beloved Swedish composers of  his generation. His Symphony 1, written when he was twenty years old, has all  the hallmarks of Nordic Romanticism, and the presence of Sibelius wanders about  in the background. But the center of the work is tonal and very colorful. This  was immensely popular when it appeared in 1928. His Symphony 2 (1937) doesn't  lose its romantic center, but is this time colored in darker shades. A political  statement about the Russians and the Nazis? Perhaps. But it has the same  brooding charm as Nielsen's Symphony 4 or Sibelius's Symphony 6. Great music  inside and out.--Paul Cook