Symphony No. 1 in D major

Gounod had two new operas staged in the 1850s before he wrote this symphony. The first, Sappho, was a success but <

Gounod found it liberating to write absolute music with no staging or dramatic requierments. He added a pair of outer movements to make the work a symphony (speeding up the tempo marking of the slow movement a little bit to "Allegretto moderato"). The result is a nice symphony of classical proportions (about twenty-eight minutes), restrained emotions, good humor, and bright, clear orchestration.