The rose has inspired every art form, from Sappho to the nostalgic Vie en rose of the unique Edith Piaf. Among the many musical works that speak to us about the most popular flower, the spring notes of the vibrant rosé wine can hardly find a more ideal expression than the lively waltz rhythms from The Spectre of the Rose (Le Spectre de la Rose), Michel Fokine’s ballet based on the poem of the same name by Théophile Gautier, with music by Carl Maria von Weber as orchestrated by Hector Berlioz.

Weber composed the music in 1819 as Aufforderung zum Tanz (Invitation to the Dance) for piano. He dedicated the work as a newlywed to his wife, describing a pair of dancers who meet, dance, and bid farewell. Berlioz orchestrated it in 1841, when Weber’s opera Der Freischütz was presented in Paris and, following French practice, required additional ballet music. In 1911, Michel Fokine choreographed the music as the dream of a girl who, exhausted from dancing, dreams of dancing with the spirit of a rose fragrant on her bosom.

Nijinsky (the first), Nureyev, Baryshnikov are perhaps the most famous dancers who wore the… pink tights to dance it. Here we suggest a high-definition, inter-pandemic recording from La Scala in Milan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn9XfCh5a74

If, however, someone had mentioned Théophile Gautier’s poem to Hector Berlioz, he would probably have thought of the song he wrote to those lyrics for the collection Les nuits d’été (Summer Nights), also in 1841. We will certainly revisit this cycle on a summer night; until then, listen to Le Spectre de la Rose by the prematurely lost high priestess of early music, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, in a rare and intoxicating recording in every respect.

Here you will find the text in its original French and in English translation.
https://oxfordsong.org/song/le-spectre-de-la-rose