Claude Loyola Allgén, 1920 - 1990:

The composer Claude Loyola Allgén, originally christened Klas-Ture, was a non-conformist in Swedish music life. In addition to being a composer, he was a devout Christian and a theologian without ordination or parish. Allgén converted to Catholicism in 1950 and studied for priesthood, changing his surname to Claude Loyola.

Allgén was a highly eccentric member of the radical and modernistic Monday Group (måndagsgruppen). Increasingly, his uncompromising compositional ideals led to isolation. The leading figure in The Monday Group, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, characterised him as hyper-intellectual, a view that stuck until younger musicians have started to form their own opinions of his rich oeuvre. Much of his music is highly complex and some is of extreme duration. It includes symphonies, string quartets, masses, a ballet, a violin concerto, chamber music for wind and brass instruments, organ music and many motets and other church music. Little has so far been published, and the majority has never been performed. However, even the highly challenging parts of his oeuvre are gaining increasing interest, not least from younger musicians, and in addition to concert performances, recordings have started to appear.