2 by Robert Simpson was completed in 1956 and dedicated to Anthony Bernard, conductor of the London Chamber Orchestra, though the first performance was in fact given by the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli on 16 July 1957 at the Cheltenham Festival.
The finale makes an ironic end to the symphony, with its themes and brass/timpani interjections creating a sort of Beethovenian hilarity.
Even so, this movement has its fair share of dissonance which is always a distinctive feature in Simpson's writing.
Currently, the only commercially available CD is a Hyperion Records release which also includes Symphony No.
4, both performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley.