Wilhelm Stenhammar's Snöfrid, Op.5, sets Viktor Rydberg's poem about a noble, magical woman who leads the hero Gunnar past the temptations of nature; at its first performance Stockholm musicians compared its effect to Die Walküre. Midvinter (1907), one of the composer's rare encounters with folk music, is a vivid depiction of the Swedish winter solstice – written, ironically, in sunny Florence. The disc also includes the orchestral Interlude from Stenhammar's last major symphonic work, the cantata Sången (The Song), composed at the suggestion of Carl Nielsen, and the colourful suite from the incidental music Lodolezzi sjunger. Neeme Järvi conducts the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Gothenburg Concert Hall Choir and soloists. Penguin Guide: 3 stars.