Celebrating Hugo Distler: 100 Year Anniversary of the Birth of a Genius David L

Celebrating Hugo Distler: 100 Year Anniversary of the Birth of a Genius David L. McKinney This article celebrates the 100th anni- and Distler placed a lot of worth in his Figure 1: Compositional/professional output, secular versus sacred40 versary of Distler’s birth year. It enhances judgment and advice. Leipzig Lübeck Stuttgart Berlin Unknown understanding of Distler as a composer In 1930 Breitkopf & Härtel published Secular 4 21 5 8 5 and examines performance aspects of two of his works. Everything went well Sacred 5 34 4 3 9 his organ works. Relevant biographical for Distler until his step-grandfather, information introduces us to Distler’s who fi nanced Distler’s education, died. socio-historical environment. The physi- Distler was forced to quit his studies Figure 2: List of organ works, dates Distler’s suicide letter to Waltraut cal infl uences of Lübeck’s organs and because he could not afford them. At completed, premiere information Distler’s house organ explain Distler’s Ramin’s advice, Distler applied as organ- November 1, 1942 compositional output in terms of compo- ist at St. Jakobi-Kirche in Lübeck. The Opus 8 My dearly beloved Waltraut, sitional style and playing requirements. church leaders debated over two appli- I. Partita on Nun komm’ der Heiden Hei- I’ve only one request in the world: that Information about playing Distler’s or- cants. In the end, they cast a lot, and it land; November 12, 1932; December you are not angry with me; who knows gan music follows. fell to Distler! 26, 1932 at 17th Vesper Concert in St. more than you, what fears have resided in Jakobi me since I’ve been alive; everything that I “A heart ablaze, which in giving of Lübeck (1931–1937) II. Partita on Wachet auf, ruft uns die ever created stood under this sign, even my itself, burns out.”1 Thus, the famous Hansestadt Lübeck Stimme; May 1935; October 13, 1935 latest plans for an oratorio. at Kassel Music Festival Let the children think kindly of me: the “I want to break away from contem- and its Mariners’ church, St. Jakobi, III. Kleine Orgel-Choralbearbeitungen time will come, and it’s not far away, when porary confi nements and venture into where Dietrich Buxtehude once worked, they, too, will understand my last step, as they 2 Das alte Jahr vergangen ist; unknown; un- the realm of the supreme.” Here, Hugo became Hugo Distler’s home. At fi rst, known today do not. My dearly beloved children, ah, Distler (1908–1942) expresses the typical he found circumstances agreeable. A Ach wie fl üchtig, ach wie nichtig; unkown; if you only knew what pain I am in. dream of youth to change the world. “I young pastor supported musical activity October 13, 1935 at Kassel Music Festival Pray for me. I die a poor, sinful man and feel an indescribable loneliness, a sense within the parish, and Distler befriended Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern; un- hope for the mercy of God . of being separated from everyone and Bruno Grusnick, the cantor at St. Jakobi. known; February 16, 1936 at 33rd Vesper I want to be brought to rest in a small cir- everything.”3 This statement seems the The Lübeck Sing- und Spielkreis,7 un- Concert in St. Jakobi cle; let my mother and her relations know Christe, du Lamm Gottes; unknown; May 8, only after the fact. sentiment of someone aged who failed der Grusnick’s baton, premiered nearly 1936 at Hamburg Church Music Festival I leave to you everything I own and pos- to achieve anything. Distler’s world all of Distler’s choral compositions. Fi- Mit Freuden zart; unknown; May 8, 1936 at sess. was fraught with such dichotomies. He nally, the historical organs of St. Jakobi Hamburg Church Music Festival Yours, thought he lived a life of failure. One provided Distler with the inspiration for Christ, der du bist der helle Tag; unknown; Hugo39 hundred years after his birth, we see it his fi rst organ compositions. What began May 8, 1936 at Hamburg Church Music was full of successes. as a simple, half-time church music post Festival As an organ composer, Distler broke soon became a fertile creative font. Jesus Christus, unser Heiland; unknown; He spent his entire life fl eeing from ground and became the fi rst to compose Distler restored the Vesper series and October 10, 1937 at Berlin Church Music city to city in order to escape trouble. His pieces in a modern style that suited the brought its reputation back to the level Festival by Friedrich Högner deep world angst, continual inner unrest, sound of a Baroque organ. Clarity in when Buxtehude worked in Lübeck. Af- Opus 18 ongoing feelings of worthlessness and re- Distler’s works is of utmost importance. ter just four months, Distler also took I. Dreißig Spielstücke für die Kleinorgel jection since childhood, and feelings of This, above all else, dictates a perform- over the cantor position at St. Jakobi. He oder andere Tasteninstrumente; April being overworked proved to be too much er’s interpretive choices. Registration, became a sought-after virtuoso organist, 1938; unknown. in the end. In a fi nal state of total spiri- tempi, and articulation must serve the and he created almost all his entire life’s II. Orgelsonate; September 1938; June tual and physical exhaustion, he planned composition’s ideas. “His entire output output here, including two large organ 21, 1939 at the Stuttgart Conservatory his escape with meticulous detail (see is marked with an indispensable truth, partitas (see Figures 1 and 2). Distler’s suicide letter). clarity, and sincerity of expression.”4 The organ position, merely half-time, Thus, Hugo Distler prematurely end- paid only RM70 monthly.8 But the Lü- and the occupation of the German lands ed his life on All Saints Day, Sunday, No- Biography beck State Conservatory opened in 1932, with troops in 1938 indicated an im- vember 1, 1942. Hugo Distler was laid to and Distler assumed direction of the minent European war, which began on rest in the forest cemetery in Stahnsdorf. Nuremberg (1908–1927) church music department. The organ- September 1, 1939. A favorite New Testament quote of Dist- Distler’s short life is divided into dif- ist position at St. Jakobi then became a Distler awaited events with deep ler, one he used in a motet and that like- ferent periods according to the cities in full-time position, and the following year, angst. His mood fl uctuated between wise stands as the motto for his life and which he lived. Hugo Distler was born Distler married Waltraut Thienhaus. He “confi dence and deep melancholy.”12 In death, was engraved upon the wooden out of wedlock in Nuremberg on June saw the birth of his fi rst daughter, Bar- the midst of chaos, he wrote and pub- cross: “In the world ye shall have tribula- 24, 1908. Such an event was scandalous bara, in 1934. lished an important theory text, Funk- tion: but be of good cheer; I have over- back then, and his mother never actually Unfortunately, the good times did not tionelle Harmonielehre. One particularly come the world.”15 wanted to have him. In 1912, she mar- last. Distler experienced a total nervous moving experience for him during this ried a German-American and moved breakdown in 1934. Afterwards, his life time was a highly acclaimed concert on Organs infl uence compositions to Chicago. Her abandonment affected and works became overshadowed by the the large organ in the St. Lorenz-Kirche The Orgelbewegung, Distler’s teach- him his entire life.5 ruling Hitler regime. Despite joining in Nuremberg. He fi nally proved his ex- ers, and the Zeitgeist of the early 20th He grew up with his maternal grand- the NSDAP9 in May of 1933,10 things ceptional artistic qualities to the town century infl uenced Distler’s composition- parents, who owned and operated a suc- did not improve for Distler. In 1934, that had left him embittered. al output. But nothing infl uenced Dis- cessful butcher shop and were relatively the state decreed that new church mu- tler’s organ music as prominently as the well off. They gave him a fi rst-rate educa- sic must serve the Nazi cause. They for- Berlin (1940–1942) instruments themselves. Distler wrote tion at the Nuremberg Gymnasium and bade performances of Jewish artists and The fi nal chapter of Distler’s life in his works for two main organs: a histori- an early musical education at the Dupont works by Jewish composers. Though he the capital city of Berlin brought him cal Stellwagen instrument in Lübeck’s St. Music School. After graduation from the was not Jewish, they condemned Dis- further advancements in his career. He Jakobi-Kirche and his own house organ Gymnasium in 1927, thrice he tried to tler’s second harpsichord concerto as was instated as full professor in Berlin, in Stuttgart, built by Paul Ott. gain admission to the local conservatory; Bolshevistic.11 Moreover, the Nazis and one of only a few, at the state-supported thrice he was denied. They claimed he Hitlerjugend limited Distler’s own per- Conservatory for Music in Berlin-Char- Stellwagen organ lacked talent, but Distler knew the real formances. All this became extremely lottenburg. Distler quickly became accli- Armin Schoof claims Distler’s fasci- reason was his unusual home situation. diffi cult for him to endure, and he de- mated to his new job, and he pursued his nation with historical organs was made The conservatory considered such fa- cided to leave Lübeck.

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