Sibelius' Valse Triste, Op. 44, No. 1, is a hauntingly beautiful waltz originally composed in 1903 as part of the incidental music for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt’s play Kuolema ("Death"). The piece captures a dreamlike and melancholic...

While Sibelius’ composed music for many plays to great effect, with the brief melodramas Ett ensamt skidspår (A Lonely Ski Trail) and Grevinnans konterfej (The Countess’ Portrait) he also demonstrated his skill in writing for drama on a...