We performed La Ronde in At Weymouth College in 1990 and Lindsay Ingram, the director, asked me to produce ten incidental pieces as links to the ten acts. Each act portrays an encounter between pairs of characters drawn from all levels of society. These encounters are all of a sexual nature and demonstrate how sexual contact knows no social boundaries. Schnitzler wrote the play in 1900 but it was not performed publicly until 1920 when it caused much controversy. He was attacked as a "Jewish pornographer", the affair becoming known as the "Reigen scandal" - Reigen being the German for the play's title. The sexual liaisons 'doing the rounds' through the social strata demonstrates the ease with which venereal disease (specifically syphillis) spreads through society at large.

The ten interludes needed to be fairly short, in the style of nineteenth century dances [polkas, waltzes etc], and were danced to by the entire cast, two of whom become mutually attracted for each new act. The order of characters starts from the bottom of the social rung and end with the aristocracy, who is encountering a prostitute....

Prostitute - soldier - parlourmaid - young gentleman - wife - husband - sweet girl - poet - actress - count.

This version of the music is for orchestra; the original was for a small ensemble which included an accordion.