on gramophone records
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Toscanini
Apart from the fact that in recent times a delightful programme has been attached to Weber's immortal waltz by the Russian Ballet, it is not generally known that Weber himself supplied it with a programme. When the composer had finished the piece, he played it to his wife and made a running commentary on the meaning of the music as he played it. As a matter of fact, the programme is a delightfully naive one and merely illustrates the formalities and the conduct of a ballroom dance of that period. The cavalier approaches the lady and presses her to dance ; she coyly consents ; they converse, begin to dance, still conversing and at the conclusion he escorts her back to her seat and murmurs his thanks for the pleasure she has given him. Actually, in Weber's own synopsis each movement is accounted for within a precise number of bars. Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Barbirolli