The Symphony in C Roma is the second of Georges Bizet's symphonies, written over an eleven-year span. Bizet was never fully satisfied with it, subjecting it to a number of revisions, but died before finishing his definitive version. All four movements were performed in his lifetime, but never all on the same occasion. The full symphony in its latest revision was premiered in 1875, after his death. It has been recorded a number of times but is not often heard on the concert platform. Given its somewhat careless construction and lack of a programme, the work stands somewhere between a symphony and a suite. In some sources, it is even numbered as Symphonic Suite no. 3. It is to be noted that Roma is a very unequal work: the scherzo is usually singled out as its best movement, full of liveliness and grace. The outer movements contain both brilliance and academic pedantry, and the slow movement is not generally well regarded. The work takes about 31 minutes to play.
