This acclaimed work is a typical Romantic-era folk-based rhapsody. The familiar opening tune for clarinet over pizzicato strings introduces a carefree, almost flippant, mood. As the tempo slows down, a longer section features an English horn solo, eventually leading to a succession of dances which suggest considerable revelry. In Sweden, Midsummer Night, or St. John's Eve, is "midsommar," a celebration fraught with powerful symbolism. Revelers stay up late to celebrate the shortest night—with virtually no darkness—of the year. Composed in 1904, this piece became so popular that Alfvén later expanded it into ballet score called St. John's Eve.

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