The subtitle of this work means "The Delights of Basel, " reflecting its use of venerable popular tunes from that Swiss city. The work was commissioned for the anniversay of the founding of the Basle Chamber Orchestra, which is famous in the history of twentieth-century music for having commissioned and premiered an astonishing number of our era's greatest works for smaller ensemble. The first movement contrasts some dour thoughts with happier passages which, the Swiss-born composer said, "...raise the hope of an escape ... as, for instance, to spend a summer in Switzerland." The second and third movements are more consistently joyful, both based on popular songs. (In the second movement the original version of the song is not heard until the end, on horn.) This is one of the happier and finer symphonies of the twentieth century.

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