Among the early-20th century composers involved in the transition from romanticism to modernism, Carl Nielsen was particularly conspicuous for his originality which deviated from everything known and was perceived at the time as downright provocative. Today we see in Carl Nielsen’s six symphonies – each strikingly different – consistent genre contributions of unique and outstanding importance. Yet Nielsen’s international breakthrough only began in the 1950s and today his works are still far from being commonplace in our concert halls. The Symphony No. 4 was considered by the composer himself as one of his best works and it is one of the most performed. The Symphony No. 2 was inspired by paintings in a pub, showing grotesquely exaggerated depictions of the four ‘characters’ that were thought in medieval times to make up the human personality. Listeners shouldn’t be surprised that there’s a lot more humour at play here than is apparent in most other works.