Well, as to Alfven, here's a quick precis of the moods of the 4 symphonies
I remember (i haven't heard the 5th, actually, beyond snatches, so I won't
try):

sym. 1 in f minor- a novice work. .I. enjoy it a lot.  No one else does, if
Penguin Guide is any indication.  Heard it a lot on WQXR around midnight,
so maybe Nimet likes it too, actually.  (Or was it WNYC, and I'm
misremembering?)  It's not deep.  (But then, I don't think of the first
rhapsody as "sappy", as Mr. Satz describes it, either; happy, yes, but
sappy, no. All I can say is, if it bothers you that much, don't give up
on Alfven until you've heard the 3rd Rhapsody, a quite different beast
altogether- and not, by the way, to be confused with the 3rd symphony.)

sym. 2 in D major/minor... have only heard first mvt. and finale, but hope
to hear rest sometime; .very. striking.  The first movement is cheery in a
somewhat but not very subdued fashion, and the finale, a chorale and fugue
IIRC, is .very. minor-mode.  Tragic.  Depressed.  Nobly-doomed, if that
doesn't give the wrong impression.  This is a good one.

sym. 3 in E major.  Probably the best all around of the symphonies, and
the one I've heard most often, though it doesn't necessarily leave the
same impressions as 1 (imperfect, but, contagious!- to me anyhow!) or 2
(an impressive and ultimately bleak edifice).  3 is very enjoyable, though,
and I think it deserves such popularity as it does have (and some more as
well).

sym. 4 in c minor.  Ok, you either haven't heard of this piece, or you love
it, or you hate it.  I fall into category 3 after just one listen.  Only
Alfven piece that ever did .that. to me, either.  I love Strauss (Richard,
that is)'s music, but while this piece is full of Straussian gestures, no
piece by Strauss ever sounded so- to my ears- unoriginally Straussian.
(Ok, I haven't heard the Festliches Praludium yet, or the Japonische (sp?)
Festmusik, or the... but feel some confidence that I might even like them.
I might even like this piece, if I can bring myself to listen to it again.
It seemed to have little to recommend it, alas...)

sym. 5 has an interesting history- only the first movement was even known
to survive for years, I believe (not sure), but all four movements were
recorded by Neeme Jarvi for BIS- and the audio snatches I've heard from
it, I liked.  Of course, they try to choose the best stuff from a piece...

Hope this helps at least .somewhat.

As to Hill- heard a quartet of his once on an Australian label, liked it,
hope to hear more sometime.

Eric Schissel
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http://www.lightlink.com/schissel ICQ#7279016