“Entartete” Music— Hugo Distler and the Harpsichord Larry Palmer ntartete—“degenerate”—was a de- more attention was directed toward me than probably would have been the case Erogatory term used in Nazi Germany if a public performance had taken place. to characterize art works deemed to be The Quartet was premiered soon after in “un-German” or “impure.” The word Frankfurt by the Lenzewski Quartet, ex- itself originated as a biological term cellently, and with success, and not much to describe a plant or animal that has later in an independent concert of this en- changed so much that it no longer be- semble in Berlin as well.11 longs to its species. In 1937 a large exhibition of entartete Hessenberg apparently had a more san- paintings and graphic arts was mounted guine outlook than Distler (whom, he in Munich, birthplace of the National wrote, he had met only twice, despite the Socialist movement. Works by Max fact that both were students at the same Beckmann, Marc Chagall, Wassily Kan- time in the same city). Balanced and ge- dinsky, Paul Klee, Max Ernst, Oskar Ko- nial in character as in music, Hessenberg koschka, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil adapted well to pre- and post-war neces- Nolde and many others were displayed sities, living until 1984. to show the degradation of modern art Other harpsichord offerings from the by artists unacceptable to the regime: Germany of the 1930s include Music for Nazi-denounced “Jews, Bolsheviks, per- 2 Violins and Cembalo 1932 by Hein- sons of color, and perverts.” rich Kaminski (1886–1946), composed As contrast, directly across the plaza, in post-Regerian thick texture by a fa- there was another exhibition, many of its vorite composer of Thomaskantor Karl pieces chosen by Adolph Hitler himself. Straube, and the appropriately spare This show demonstrated “true German 1934 Spinettmusik by Rudolf Wagner- art”—realistic representations of heroic Régeny (1903–1969), composer, pianist blond Aryan fi gures by the Führer’s fa- and clavichordist of Romanian origin, vorite sculptor Arno Breker, and his perhaps historically shunned because “court painter” Adolf Ziegler. he was one of two approved surro- That music, too, could be degenerate Hugo Distler (1908–1942) at his harpsichord gates who wrote pure “Aryan” alterna- was a concept put forward as justifi ca- tive music to replace the banned Mid- tion for denying performances of works How did church composer Hugo Dist- concerto, which would have soon been summer Night’s Dream music of Felix by such contemporary masters as Arnold ler come to write a major composition for fi nished, was unfortunately interrupted Mendelssohn (for performance at the Schoenberg, Paul Hindemith, and Kurt harpsichord, a far from ubiquitous key- by another task [a Luther Cantata for a 1935 Reichstagung of the Nazi Kultur- Weill. For the most part, the creators of board instrument in the 1930s? As Wanda Lübeck Reformation Festival] . .” gemeinde in Düsseldorf).12 these works were forced to fl ee Hitler’s Landowska remarked (about J. S. Bach), In another communication dated 17 Wagner-Régeny’s seven short pieces oppressive totalitarian regime or face to understand the greatness of a master August, this one to Gerhard Schwarz, compare favorably with Distler’s Dreissig incarceration in concentration camps. composer, one needs to place it in the the young composer wrote, “I have also Spielstücke of 1938,13 and since Distler, To fi nd a score by Distler among those context of music by his contemporaries. completed a Concerto for Harpsichord too, joined the Nazi party on May 1, 1933, deemed modernist and unfi t for German Urged by Leipzig professor Hermann and Eleven Solo Instruments that I have perhaps one need no longer cast neither ears seems unimaginable to present-day Grabner to base his composition studies given to Professor Ramin to look over; so aspersions nor stones at either composer auditors, but such a travesty did occur. on music of the past, specifi cally that of far as I can tell, he would like to perform for such ancient political miscalculations. During October of that same year, the Baroque, and infl uenced further by it this winter, perhaps even in Berlin. In At least in Distler’s case, it is evident that 1937, a week-long Festival of German his organ teacher, Günther Ramin, one addition, Frau Mann-Weiss wants to do he became increasingly unsympathetic Church Music took place in Berlin. of Germany’s pioneering harpsichordists it in Hamburg for the New Music series, with the government authorities, and fi - Among a plethora of new music, several during the 1920s,3 Distler was evidently also this winter.”8 nally committed the ultimate act of civil of Hugo Distler’s compositions were drawn to the instrument. In addition to However, it was more than additional disobedience by removing himself from heard. In addition to the choral and or- Ramin’s public performances, there was commissions that prevented the fi rst per- earthly existence altogether. gan music that had secured his reputa- new music for harpsichord being cre- formance, expected in March of 1933. Unquestionably the compositional tion as one of the most talented compos- ated during Distler’s student days. In The presumptive dedicatee and soloist of high point encountered thus far among ers of his generation, Distler’s secular 1927 Carl Orff (who was to become a the Chamber Concerto for Harpsichord examples of Third Reich harpsichord magnum opus, the Concerto for Harpsi- household name ten years later with his and Eleven Solo Instruments, Günther music is Distler’s (Second) Harpsichord chord and Strings, opus 14, was given a wildly successful choral/orchestral work Ramin, did not like the score as it was Concerto, with its vivacious Stravinskian prominent place in a Sunday concert at Carmina Burana) composed a Kleines presented to him, and asked for extensive fi rst movement; hauntingly lovely, lyri- the Philharmonic Concert Hall, with the Konzert nach Lautensätzen for winds, revisions. In a letter to his fi ancée, Wal- cal second movement featuring arching composer’s Lübeck colleague, Marien- harpsichord, and percussion. Based on traut Thienhaus, Distler expressed anger solo violin lines above percussive, insis- organist Walter Kraft, as soloist. The lute pieces by Vincentio (Vincenzo) Gali- at his former teacher’s request. The work, tent rhythmic fi gures from the harpsi- conductor was none other than Dr. Peter lei and Jean-Baptiste Besard, the work is missing many pages by the time of its re- chord; and culminating with a rollick- Raabe, president of the Nazi music regu- a 13-minute precursor to a similar work discovery in 1968, was not performed un- ing third movement based on Samuel latory board (the Reichsmusikkammer), by Francis Poulenc, the Suite Française til 1998. Although it is now available in Scheidt’s four-part harmonization of the so one might have expected that the of- (1935), also based on Renaissance dance a performing edition by Michael Töpel, folk song Ei, du feiner Reiter. Distler’s fi cial press would use only superlatives to music (by Claude Gervaise), and scored I fi nd it a fl awed and unpleasant work.9 variations on this sturdy German tune praise the concert. for the same instrumental forces. Score one for Professor Ramin! certainly display wit and good humor, Not so! Here is an excerpt from one of Forced by economic necessity to leave Further annoyance for the young especially in a solo harpsichord parody the more scathing reviews: the conservatory course before complet- composer may have been triggered by of the mechanistic technique-build- ing his degree, Distler auditioned for the fact that Ramin DID play a Cham- ing keyboard exercises of Carl Czerny. there was the general aggravation of and won the position of organist at the ber Concerto for Harpsichord and String Two further keyboard solo variations Hugo Distler’s Concerto for Harpsichord, Jakobikirche in the north German city of Orchestra in the spring of 1933, but it (six and twelve) show an idiomatic va- an “in-your-face” example of degenerate Lübeck, a position he assumed on Janu- was a work by Distler’s exact contempo- riety of texture. The note C held over art. The delicate domestic harpsichord was 10 utilized in an unnatural way—like a piano. ary 1, 1931. There he began a brilliant rary Kurt Hessenberg, later to be asso- by the second violin serves as a breath- At the Finale the young composer seemed career as composer of choral and organ ciated in Frankfurt with another Leipzig taking common tone modulation for the to be driven by the devil! This motoric noisy music, with the smaller of the church’s fellow student, the blind German organ- A-fl at major return of the theme, set music chattered endlessly on . Listen- two baroque instruments as his special ist Helmut Walcha. Although I have not as a phrase by phrase dialog between ers could only laugh. Perhaps it would have muse and guide.4 Somehow, despite a seen a score of Hessenberg’s Concerto, if strings and harpsichord, concluding been better had they whistled and pon- meager salary, Distler managed to ac- it holds as much musical charm as several with a whimsical employment of ever- dered the biblical quotation: He mocked 1 quire a two-manual Neupert concert of the Zehn Kleine Präludien für Klavier longer periods of silence, à la Haydn, only himself . harpsichord in November of that same oder Clavichord, opus 35 (published by from which the fi nal expected answer year5 and used it on November 29 for the Schott in 1949), it may be a work worth by the harpsichord never occurs at all.