As a young man Paul Dukas belonged to a rising generation of French composers who were keen to write instrumental music. He was following in the footsteps of Liszt and Berlioz, and more recently César Franck, whom he admired greatly, Saint-Saëns and Vincent d'Indy, who was an admirer of Dukas's music. He began by writing several symphonic poems, but in 1896 produced his one and only contribution to symphonic form. Show less