Moses Pergament, Volume One: A Musical Miscellany

Release Date: 4th Oct 2024        Catalogue No: TOCC0728

Label: Toccata Classics                   Length: 76 minutes

The neglect of Moses Pergament (1893–1977) can be ascribed in part to the complexities of his life: he was born in Finland of Lithuanian-Jewish stock, a student in Russia and a Swedish citizen by 1919. As a result, no national culture stepped forward to claim him, with his outsider status initially worsened by blatant anti-Semitism – and the gradual realisation that he was one of the most interesting Swedish composers of the mid-twentieth century then fell away again after his death. This series of recordings aim to return his music to the public ear, beginning with an album tracing the growth of his style, from early Romanticism to a spicy Bartókian vivacity, occasionally animated by Jewish melos and dance-rhythms.

* * *

"[The piano concerto] is a most attractive work, strongly characterised and with a real sense of personality, and it’s played with authority by Martin Malmgren."

Jonathan Woolf, Music Web Interntional

"There's a haunting strangeness and a sadness to much of this music, and Moses Pergament's compositional voice is definitely one to experience. All the performances here are excellent. Martin Malmgren's extensive liner notes […] are fascinating and detailed."

Keith Bramich, Classical Music Daily

Bearing in mind that Pergament began composing before the First World War, his style can be described as eclectically modern. In the piano concerto, this means Bartók-like themes in the first movement, Scriabin-like vision in the slow movement and Jewish themes in the finale (…). Martin Malmgren is a steely-fingered soloist in the demanding piano part, but the orchestral part is also symphonically weighty. (…) In all of these works, one hears the voice of an original composer, and they also cast important light on the multicultural heritage of Finland.”

Antti Häyrynen, Rondo Classic

“The result is an altogether enjoyable and challenging album (…). All in all, Martin Malmgren has struck upon a remarkable composer whose output is well worth exploring more widely.”

Veijo Murtomäki

(…) an impressive example of a happy union of passionate artistic commitment and free-field production skills, complimented by high-quality booklet texts.

Jari Hoffrén, Keskisuomalainen