This work was written in the same year as the popular Symphony in D minor of César Franck, and the two works have more in common than simply their coincidence in time. Both reveal strong influence from Wagner, and both are based on the development of a single motive and thus represent the cyclic form principle championed by Liszt. Unfortunately, Lalo's work has fallen into relative neglect, despite the efforts of conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. The work comprises four movements. It opens with an Andante introduction that presents the motto theme in minor mode. The Allegro non troppo that follows is based on two subjects, the first dramatic and rhythmic, the second tinged by wistfulness. The development is brief. The recapitulation is followed by a coda based on the motto of the introduction. The second movement, Vivace, is a rhythmic scherzo which in its core hides a moving, melancholic theme. Its development reaches tragic proportions, but the scherzo rhythm returns to lift the mood. The last section has a particularly incisive rhythm, but the closing brings an echo of the melancholic theme. The third movement, Adagio, is like an extended song. It opens with the strings in a pensive major mode, gradually leading to a peak of feeling. The second part of the movement brings a pastoral feeling, leading to a full-throated statement of the motto theme, after which the music dies out. The finale, Allegro, is a rondo with an peculiar rhythm suggesting a hopping march. The conclusion recalls the closing pages of the first movement and the motto theme, ending on a tragic note.

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