Armas Järnefelt

Training under Martin Wegelius, Ferruccio Busoni and Albert Becker is recorded. The recorded working language is Swedish and Finnish. The field of work recorded is conducting. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are classical music. Places of work recorded in the authority are Stockholm. Distinctions recorded are Litteris et Artibus, Order of the Dannebrog, Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland and Commander of the Order of the White Rose of Finland.

Armas Järnefelt was born in Vyborg, in the Grand Duchy of Finland, the son of General August Aleksander Järnefelt and Elisabeth Järnefelt (née Clodt von Jürgensburg). Järnefelt studied with Ferruccio Busoni in Helsinki and with Jules Massenet in Paris. Both Järnefelt and Busoni enjoyed a close relationship with Jean Sibelius, who was married to Järnefelt's sister Aino. From 1905 Järnefelt had a long career as conductor at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, beginning as repetiteur from 1905 to 1911 (he became a Swedish citizen in 1909); conductor 1911-1923 and chief conductor 1923–1933. Between 1932 and 1936 Järnefelt was the artistic director and conductor of the Finnish National Opera. He presented, among others, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung from Wagner's Ring cycle, and Parsifal. He was the principal conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra 1942–1943, and also returned to the Royal Swedish Opera as chief conductor from 1938 to 1946. He died in Stockholm.

Järnefelt's musical works include: • Lyrical Overture (1892) • Lapsuuden ajoilta (Childhood Days, 1892) 4-hand piano • Serenade for Small Orchestra in B minor (1893) • Symphonic poem Korsholma (Korsholm, 1894) • Symphonic Fantasy for orchestra (1895) • Symphonic poem Heimathklang (The Sound of Home, 1895) • 3 Piano Pieces Op.4 (1897) • Suite in E-flat major for orchestra (1897) • Finnish Rhapsody (1899) • Praeludium (1900) • Festive Overture (1902) • Berceuse (1904) In addition, he composed more than 70 solo songs, 21 pieces for male chorus, 12 part-songs for mixed chorus, and 13 cantatas. His Berceuse (1904) arranged for violin and piano is included in the Royal Conservatory of Music grade 7 violin repertoire (Canada). Järnefelt also wrote stage and film music, e.g. for the film Song of the Scarlet Flower (1919), directed by Mauritz Stiller, possibly the first original film music by a Nordic composer.

His siblings were Kasper Järnefelt, a critic and translator of Russian literature; the writer Arvid Järnefelt (the incidental music for his play Kuolema was written by Jean Sibelius); the painter Eero Järnefelt (Erik); Ellida; Ellen, Aino (who married Sibelius); Hilja; and Sigrid. He was married twice: firstly to the soprano Maikki Järnefelt (née Pakarinen) from 1893 to 1908 (she subsequently married Selim Palmgren), and secondly in 1910 to the opera singer Liva Edström.