Arvioitu kesto

1 h

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Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia

Moses Pergament and Simon Parmet in Nordic Music History

The Finnish-born brothers, composer Moses Pergament (1893–1977) and conductor Simon Parmet (1897–1969), occupy an enigmatic place in Nordic music history. While Moses became revered – and feared – for his incorruptibility as a music critic, it was not until 1945 that he was admitted to the Society of Swedish Composers, by which time he had already been active as a composer in Sweden for three decades. Simon Parmet, on the other hand, was closely associated with institutions such as the Finnish Radio Orchestra (1948–53) and the Finnish National Opera (1928–32), yet faced exclusion and was at times effectively erased from accounts of Finnish music history.

After Wilhelm Peterson-Berger described Moses Pergament as a “foreign parasite” in print, Pergament confronted him in person and delivered what he later referred to as “the nationally famous slap in the face.” In a similar vein, the influential composer Kurt Atterberg declared that he could not dream of seeing Pergament launch himself as a Swedish composer.

In Finland, Simon Parmet encountered comparable attitudes. When Robert Kajanus proposed Parmet as his successor at the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, musicians in the orchestra responded that they would prefer someone “purely Finnish-born” (puhtaasti suomalaissyntyinen). Parmet had, of course, been born in Helsinki.

What can the experiences of Moses Pergament and Simon Parmet tell us about belonging and exclusion in the musical life of twentieth-century Finland and Sweden? What has been overlooked as a result of their absence from conventional narratives of Nordic music history? Although there is little doubt that antisemitism hindered both brothers’ careers, a more nuanced picture emerges when the surviving sources are examined critically and in their broader context.

This lecture-recital sheds new light on the lives and work of Moses Pergament and Simon Parmet, drawing on archival sources, interviews and newly unearthed materials. Several of the stories presented here are being told publicly for the first time, and the musical programme may include a world premiere.

Programme

Music by Moses Pergament

Sulamith’s Dance (1915), from the incidental music to Kerttu Paloheimo’s play King Salomo
Martin Malmgren, piano
Zionslied (1914, revised 1966)
Text: Samuel Frug
Olga Heikkilä, soprano
Martin Malmgren, piano
Molto adagio e misterioso, from the Violin Sonata (1918–20)
Sebastian Silén, violin
Martin Malmgren, piano
Canzonetta (1915)
Lauri Rantamoijanen, cello
Martin Malmgren, piano
Kol Nidrë (1949)
Transcribed for violin and piano by Rosenblüth/Silén/Malmgren
Sebastian Silén, violin
Martin Malmgren, piano

Changes are possible.

Martin Malmgren

Martin Malmgren is a pianist and doctoral researcher at the Sibelius Academy, where his research focuses on the life and music of Moses Pergament. His doctoral project combines archival and biographical research with performances and an ongoing series of recordings devoted to Pergament’s music.

The first album in the series, Moses Pergament, Volume One: A Musical Miscellany (Toccata Classics), includes the world-premiere recording of Pergament’s Piano Concerto. The second volume, Songs, recorded with soprano Tuuli Lindeberg, was released in early 2026. Further volumes, including Pergament’s complete works for violin and piano with violinist Sebastian Silén as well as works from the composer’s early years, are scheduled for release in 2027.

Further information: Jannika Lahin, jannika.lahin@uniarts.fi