The skerries are a series of archipelagos that lie seaward from Stockholm. Alfv‚n frequently sailed out to them, and as early as well before 1908 (when he first began sketching themes for this symphony) he concieved a wish to paint in music his impressions of the sea in this region. The work, played continuously, falls into four major sections, and is as much a tone poem as a symphony. It is a richly sensuous work, which simultaneously depicts the forces of nature and the story of a love between two human beings. First the man's agonising desires, then the woman's dreamy yearning, then the rising of the sun and the revelation of the highest bliss of love, are linked to, respectively, a dark nocturne of currents and rocks, moonlight on a surging sea, and sunlight rising and passing over the waves. Finally, a sea-storm is linked to tragedy and "the annihilation of happiness". If this sounds sensuous and erotic to you, you are right. The music has the passion of Wagner and the surging action of Richard Strauss, employing a large orchestra of eight horns and winds in fours, with harps, piano, and percussion. It was premiered in 1919 and roundly attacked as immoral, but in the 1920s gained some favor outside of Sweden. Its richness and ardent fervor, as well as the great musical skill and imagination evident in the music, make it an extraordinary music in the late Romantic style.

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