Sibelius – Symphonie Nr. 5, Finlandia, Op. 26, Valse Triste / Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan / Deutsche Grammophon LP 1978 Stereo

SLPXL 31239

Valse triste (Sad Waltz), Op. 44, No. 1, is a short orchestral work by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was originally part of the incidental music he composed for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt's 1903 play Kuolema (Death), but is far better known as a separate concert piece.

Sibelius wrote six pieces for the 2 December 1903 production of Kuolema. The first was titled Tempo di valse lente - Poco risoluto. In 1904 he revised the piece, which was performed in Helsinki on 25 April of that year as Valse triste. It was an instant hit with the public, took on a life of its own, and remains one of Sibelius's signature pieces.

Jean Sibelius (/sɪˈbeɪliəs/ sib-AY-lee-əs; Finland Swedish: [ˈjɑːn siˈbeːliʉs, ˈʃɑːn -]; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, 8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957), was a Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia.