The famous Valse triste grew out of the incidental music to Arvid Järnefelts drama Kuolema (Death). After the first staged performances in December 1903 at the Finnish National Theater in Helsinki, Sibelius expanded the original string scoring by adding winds and timpani.
It is in this form that the work was first heard at the University of Helsinki's festival hall on 25 April 1904 under the direction of the composer before it set out to conquer the musical world.