Atterberg I think liked to provoke people. He adopted a very romantic style indeed not willing to give it up to more modern ideas. The first symphony has all the typical romantic ideas, dramatic as in the last movement, lush and outward looking in the second movement (yes, you can nearly hear the horses riding onto the prairies in the second movement, middle section) The forth movement gives way to a collection of Swedish folk music in an orchestral setting. All melodies are easily recognizable.