The symphony is dedicated to Russian music critic and teacher Semyon Kruglikov.

[1] After contracting tuberculosis in 1893 while serving as conductor of the Maly Theatre in Moscow, Kalinnikov moved to Yalta[2] for a more salubrious climate.

Upon completion in 1895, the symphony's score was sent to its dedicatee Semyon Kruglikov [ru], who was Kalinnikov's teacher and financial benefactor.

The second movement opens with an ostinato of the harp and first violins that leads into a solo for the cor anglais with the violas.

The third movement, a scherzo, contains Russian folk-music influences and melodies and includes a trio played in the woodwinds.