Stenhammar began work on what most consider to be his finest orchestral work while on vacationing in Italy in 1911. The Serenade was completed two years later and given its premiere under the composer's baton in Stockholm in January 1914. Revisions were made a few years later and the final version was premiered in Gothenburg in 1920. While unmistakably Scandinavian, Stenhammar's music often takes a more lyrical and classical approach than his fellow Scaninavians Sibelius and Nielsen. The Serenade is widely considered to be the finest example of the Swedish composer's style.