Weihegesang (BECKER ALBERT)

Violin, piano

SKU: FG.55011-466-1

Composed by Armas Jarnefelt. Fennica Gehrman #55011-466-1. Published by Fennica Gehrman (FG.55011-466-1).

ISBN 9790550114661.

Armas Jarnefelt (1869-1958) was a Finnish composer and conductor. Jarnefelt studied in Berlin in 1890-91 with Albert Becker as his teacher. In addition to composing studies, Jarnefelt fully enjoyed the life that a bustling metropolis could offer to a young man - concerts, operas, cafe life etc. Romanze, composed for Geraldine Morgan, was premiered in Helsinki in February 1892. According to critics (notably Bis Wasenius) the work was un-Finnish, perhaps echoing the continental winds Jarnefelt had experienced in Berlin. That aside, Jarnefelt's future brother-in-law, Jean Sibelius, analyzed the Romanze in a letter to his fiancee, Aino, sister of Armas: I think Romanze is a fine technical accomplishment, even the structure works well, given the theme as it is. But Armas certainly can do better than this, he should not waste his efforts in small-scale [salon] music. - Armas will find his own way and will be hailed as the greatest musician of this country..