Georges Bizet: Symphony in C major | Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin & François Leleux

Georges Bizet’s Symphony in C major is now regarded as one of the most remarkable early achievements in classical music. Born in 1838, Bizet was just seventeen years old when he composed the work in 1855 while studying at the Paris Conservatoire. He would later gain international fame as the composer of the opera Carmen. Despite its brilliance, the symphony remained unpublished during his lifetime and lay undiscovered for more than eighty years.

After several stops along the way, the manuscript of the symphony ended up back at the Paris Conservatoire in 1933. There, Austrian conductor Felix Weingartner (1863–1942) learned about it and conducted the symphony's premiere in Basel in 1935. In the video, the work is performed by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of François Leleux. The concert took place on July 12, 2025, as part of the Kissinger Sommer music festival in Bad Kissingen.

(00:00) I. Allegro vivo
(10:36) II. Andante. Adagio
(19:12) III. Allegro vivace
(24:52) IV. Finale. Allegro vivace

The mixture of youthful energy and compositional maturity makes the work especially fascinating. Although the influence of his teacher Charles Gounod (1818–1893) is clearly recognizable, Bizet is clearly developing his own style, characterized by dance-like elegance, clear structures and tonal transparency. The woodwinds — especially the oboe in the lyrical Adagio — repeatedly come to the forefront as soloists, lending the music a chamber music-like clarity that gives the work a certain lightness.

Each of the four movements unfolds within its own distinct tonal character. The Allegro vivo opens the symphony with energetic, sparkling themes that immediately reveal Bizet’s gift for melody. In the Adagio, the oboe takes on an almost soloistic role, shaping a graceful and lyrical line. The Scherzo stands out for its elegance and rhythmic vitality, with trio sections that suggest a lighthearted dance. In the finale, Bizet gathers the work’s brilliance into a radiant conclusion whose freshness recalls the early music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847).

François Leleux is a French conductor and oboist with an active international career. Born in Croix in 1971, he studied oboe at the conservatories of Roubaix and Paris. At eighteen, he was appointed principal oboist of the Opéra de Paris (Bastille). He has since appeared worldwide as a soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. As a guest conductor, he has worked with ensembles such as the Bamberg Symphony, the Dresden Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal.

The German Symphony Orchestra Berlin was founded in 1946 as the RIAS Symphony Orchestra and soon established itself as a leading ensemble for both classical and contemporary repertoire. Renamed the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin in 1956, it has carried its current name since 1993. Its principal conductors have included Ferenc Fricsay, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kent Nagano and Robin Ticciati. Kazuki Yamada is set to assume the role of artistic director in autumn 2026.

© 2025 Deutsche Welle

Watch more concerts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey

Famous symphonies: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBWJ5t7LxFkBRlcTu4qHdo67

Other great pieces from the Romantic period: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih

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