Hugo Alfvén was just 26 when he completed his ambitious‚ unashamedly epic Second Symphony‚ and its triumphant Stockholm première in May 1899 under the baton of Wilhelm Stenhammar secured the young composer’s reputation virtually overnight. It’s an uneven but striking achievement‚ the last of whose four movements comprises a prelude and fugue during which unhelpful melodrama rears its head from time to time (a criticism that could also be levelled at the sombre slow movement). Though not in the same league as‚ say‚ the symphonies of Berwald or Stenhammar’s Second Symphony‚ it remains something of a land­mark in Swedish musical history and is full of good things (the opening Moderato and scherzo particularly so). Comparative listening proves fascinating. Niklas Willén’s pleasingly cogent conception lasts nearly 54 minutes‚ about the same length as Neeme Järvi’s 1987 recording for BIS‚ yet some 11 minutes shorter than Evgeni Svetlanov’s stirring 1988 version on Musica Sveciae. Unlike his bigger­name rivals‚ Willén ignores the repeats in the first and third movements (no huge hardship‚ in my opinion)‚ while his treatment of the brooding second­movement Andante is as imposingly spacious as Svetlanov’s. What matters most‚ however‚ is that Willén paces proceedings convincingly throughout (this particular listener’s attention never wavered)‚ and he draws some spruce and keenly responsive playing from his fresh­faced Dublin band both here and in the charmingly relaxed 19­minute suite from Alfvén’s 1956­57 ballet‚ The Prodigal Son. The sound‚ too‚ is undistractingly faithful. Easily‚ then‚ the strongest instalment yet in Willén’s continuing Alfvén symphony cycle for Naxos‚ and well worth investigating at bargain price.