"Valse triste" is a short orchestral work that was originally part of the incidental music Sibelius composed for his brother-in-law Arvid Järnefelt's 1903 play "Kuolema". It is now far better known as a separate concert piece. Sibelius wrote six pieces for the 2 December 1903 production of "Kuolema" (meaning death). The waltz accompanied a sequence in which a woman rises from her deathbed to dance with ghosts. In 1904, Sibelius revised the piece for a performance in Helsinki on 25 April where it was presented as "Valse triste". An instant success, it took on a life of its own, and remains one of Sibelius's signature pieces.