Järnefelt, Armas - Song of the Scarlet Flower - Laulu tulipunaisesta kukasta - Sången om den eldröda blomman (Full Score) - Kuusisto, Jaakko

This release contains the world premiere recording of the orchestral composition composed by Armas Järnefelt (1869–1958) for Mauritz Stiller's silent film Song of the Crimson Flower (1919). The recording is performed by the Gävle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jaakko Kuusisto.

Armas Järnefelt – who is now known in music literature mainly as Sibelius' brother-in-law – became one of the most important Finnish orchestral composers in the 1890s. As a young man, the composer wrote several symphonic poems and orchestral suites, which were very successful and widely performed by various orchestras in his home country. For reasons unknown, however, Järnefelt decided to devote himself to conducting. In the following years, Järnefelt moved to Sweden and became a highly respected conductor. Some of Järnefelt's miniatures, such as his Berceuse, became hits for salon orchestras in Europe, but this recording does more justice to the largely forgotten Nordic composer.

In 1919, Finnish-born film director Mauritz Stiller contacted Armas Järnefelt and commissioned him to compose an orchestral score for his silent film Song of the Purple Flower (Sågen om den eldröda blomman), based on Johannes Linnankoski's novel. Järnefelt put a lot of effort into the project and composed an extensive 100-minute orchestral score. The work can be considered his last orchestral masterpiece and a groundbreaking piece of film music.