2 by Peter Maxwell Davies was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its centenary, and was composed in 1980.

Seiji Ozawa conducted the world premiere with the BSO on 26 February 1981 at Symphony Hall, Boston.

[2] For example, instead of the usual dominant, F♯, throughout the symphony Davies uses E♯, a semitone lower and a tritone above the tonic—a technique used earlier by Bartók in the first movement of his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.

[6] The symphony is scored for two flutes, piccolo (doubling alto flute), two oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, timpani, glockenspiel, crotales, marimba, harp, and strings.

A slow theme in the cellos, presenting "an almost Elgarian demeanour"[5] is followed by four variations—called "doubles" by the composer[7]—for bassoon, horn, oboe, and trumpet.