Tune of the day #185

Carl Maria von Weber wrote “Aufforderung zum Tanz” in 1819. Berlioz orchestrated it in 1841. That orchestration was used by Michel Fokine for the ballet Le Spectre de la Rose.¹ Karl Tausig, probably Liszt’s most brilliant student, took Weber’s “Invitation to the Dance” and made it a virtuoso showpiece.

1. While Le Spectre de la Rose was a landmark in the history of ballet, it is also just a wee bit ridiculous. A century ago, one of my aunts attended a performance with her boyfriend. When the “spectre” entered the stage, her friend’s guffaw rang out through the auditorium, mortifying my aunt.