Veni sancte Spiritus, Allgén

Allgén was a highly eccentric member of the radical and modernistic Monday Group (måndagsgruppen). Increasingly, his uncompromising compositional ideals led to isolation. Much of his music is highly complex and some is of extreme duration. Little has so far been published. However, even the highly challenging parts of his oeuvre are gaining increasing interest, not least from younger musicians.

The organ partita ”Veni sancte Spiritus” is among his more playable. It is based on the medieval procession hymn that Luther translated to German as Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, and that is now part of the hymnal of the Church of Sweden as Hymn No. 51, Kom, Helge Ande, Herre Gud. Allgén develops the medieval hymn into five variations, with the cantus firmus constantly present. The Swedish Art Music Society now presents this work, edited by the organist Erik Lundqvist.