1908-1942
Distler's life comes with great tragedy. What does one do if you are German, possibly to be called into the Nazi army, and seeing the horrors of humanity? In the case of Hugo Distler, suicide was his choice. A promising life cut short.
While still living, the Nazi party stamped his artistry as Degenerate, or Entartete, even though Distler was a German citizen and not Jewish. Most surprisingly, his music was not atonal, modernistic, nor influenced by the West, so the blacklisting of Distler's works is curious.
The composer had an obvious love of the Baroque, with particular attention to Bach and Schütz. His organ and choral music showed that era's love of polyphony and vocal independence, combined with a very tonal, 20th Century style.
It is his choral music I am most familiar with, not that I have great musical experience with the composer's works, but I hope to get into more of the genres he wrote for in due time.
Recordings and reviews currently on hand (Click below to visit):
By Recording Date
1993: Morike Chorlierderbuch
1995: Neues Chorliederbuch
2000: Liturgical Pieces
2003: Incidental Music
2003: Passion
2005: Sacred Choral Music
2008: Mass
2009: Harpsichord Concertos
2012: Totentanz
2015: Die Weihnachtsgesichte
2016: Totentanz
1993: Morike Chorlierderbuch
1995: Neues Chorliederbuch
2000: Liturgical Pieces
2003: Incidental Music
2003: Passion
2005: Sacred Choral Music
2008: Mass
2009: Harpsichord Concertos
2012: Totentanz
2015: Die Weihnachtsgesichte
2016: Totentanz