Symphony in C major

Dukas’ Symphony in C major is the work of a perfectionist, known to have destroyed a large part of his output. This unique symphony, long matured and resonating with an extraordinary vital breath, marks the composer’s emancipation from César Franck and Vincent d’Indy. It is structured in three movements. After a lively, conquering first theme stated by the strings, the Allegro offers a second theme with a melancholic feeling, while broad developments, at first shrouded in mystery, burst forth with incredible energy. The Andante opens in the deeply felt key of E minor. A generous, airy theme soon emerges from a skilful, delicate orchestral counterpoint, providing a breath of fresh air. Finally, the Finale, bringing back a triumphant C major, revisits – in a relatively free rondo form with couplets – the various thematic ideas, sustaining a broad discourse that is constantly renewed. Sketched out in 1895, when Dukas was thirty years old, the Symphony in C major was completed the following year and premiered on 3 January 1897 at the Concerts de l’Opéra under the baton of Paul Vidal, the work’s dedicatee. Despite the musicians’ sabotage attempts and the audience’s cold reception, it was acclaimed when it was revived in 1902 at the Concerts Lamoureux. Although it played a major part in the revival of the French symphonic school, the Symphony in C major is still too rarely performed today.