George Bizet wrote the Symphony in C major in the autumn of 1855 at the age of 17, despite his young age already demonstrating outstanding skills as a melodist.

Bizet considers this work only an exercise in composition and was never performed. Only in 1933 did the composer and pianist Reynaldo Hahn receive the manostrict from the widow Bizet and donate it to the Paris conservatory. The famous conductor Félix Weingartner, who became acquainted with the news, had the opera performed in Basel on February 26, 1935, which was subsequently repeated throughout Europe and America.

George Bizet (Paris, 25 October 1838 - Bougival, 3 June 1875). Son of a singing teacher, he studied at the Paris conservatory with E. Marmontel (piano) and with J.-F.-É. Halévy (composition). At 15 he was awarded the Prix de Rome and won the Offenbach competition with the operetta Le docteur Miracle. In Rome he wrote a comic opera, Don Procopio, a serious Esméralda and a Suite for Orchestra. Other works: Djamileh (1871) and L'Arlésienne (1872), which were not very successful. In 1875 he wrote his masterpiece, Carmen, at first little appreciated, then more and more applauded and loved.