For Immediate Release: June 7, 2008
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THE ESOTERICS CELEBRATES A "DEGENERATE" ARTIST Hugo Distler's tragic, short life and intricate, neo-baroque a cappella works embody the spirit and mission of Seattle's most innovative choir DISTLER CENTENNIAL ~ June 21 - 22 and 28 - 29 |
SEATTLE - Simply put, Hugo Distler composed the wrong music at the wrong time. He was 25 when Hitler came to power and was driven by a devotion that was far too progressive for the German traditionalism of his day. Replete with spiritual fervor that was not tolerated by the Nazis, Distler's music was eventually labeled "degenerate art." For The Esoterics, honoring the 100th anniversary of Distler's birth is an appropriate complement for its own 15-year anniversary celebration.
"I think Distler is a great fit for The Esoterics. He was writing music that was innovative, ahead of its time, and, in some ways, subversive. It's the type of music we love to support and perpetuate." say Founding Director Eric Banks. "In Distler's work, you see the dramatic contrast between his devout elation and the context of severe oppression. When you hear it, you can't help but marvel at how one person can be so depressed and so joyous at the same."
Born in Nuremberg on 24 June 1908, Hugo Distler attended Leipzig Conservatory, where he studied piano, conducting, composition, and organ. He served as an organist in Lübeck, and taught in Spandau before his appointment as professor of church music in Stuttgart. A profoundly religious man, Distler found himself caught in the crossfire during the escalation of World War II. As a conscientious objector who was under the constant threat of conscription into the German army, Distler grew increasingly disillusioned and depressed.
On 1 November 1942, the pressure became too much for the 34-year-old composer to bear. While his wife and children were out for a walk, Hugo Distler took his own life. Distler's tragic story ended with an ironic footnote: on the following day, the letter arrived that would have exempted him from military service.
Although his life was shorter than that of Mozart and he wrote in a far more hostile climate, Hugo Distler was a prolific and pioneering choral composer. His virtuosic choral brilliance is exemplified in Geistliche Chormusik (Op 12), his collection of nine sacred motets composed between 1935 and 1941.
This month, The Esoterics will perform all nine of these candidly quirky choral pieces, including Distler's renowned Totentanz (Dance of Death), which features brief flute interludes and twelve spoken monologues representing different members of German society (e.g., emperor, hermit, farmer) as they respond to death's final call.
For members of The Esoterics, singing Distler is an opportunity to celebrate their self-proclaimed status as "choir nerds." Not only do these nine motets breathe new life into the four-square tunes of the German Reformation, they are also delightfully challenging for singers, with spirited syncopation, intricate melismata, and pentatonic polyphony found on almost every page of the score.
"Distler is knocking my socks off," says Phil Edry, baritone, after an intense rehearsal. "I am completely in awe of this music: it is a stunning work of genius . . . and really [expletive deleted] difficult. It's so much fun to sing -- I love every minute of it!"
The Esoterics' performances of Distler's work will also be a moving tribute Guenther Woerne, the pioneering Seattle baker, who passed away in January. Woerne was not only a fan of Dislter, he was a vital member of The Esoterics' community (and father to soprano Maria Drury); The Esoterics have dedicated the Distler Centennial concerts to his memory.
Please join The Esoterics to celebrate the life and work of this master choral composer.
NOTE: Dates of the Distler Centennial concerts have changed since the 2008 Season Announcements
The dates and venues for the Distler Centennial concerts are:
Saturday • 21 June • 8 pm • Tacoma
Trinity Lutheran Church • 12115 Park Ave S
Sunday • 22 June • 7 pm • Lynnwood
Trinity Lutheran Church • 6215 196th St SW
Saturday • 28 June • 8 pm • West Seattle
Holy Rosary Catholic Church • 4139 42nd Ave SW
Sunday • 29 June • 3 pm • Seattle
Queen Anne Christian Church • 1316 3rd Ave W
Tickets are $20 at the door, $18 in advance, $15 for students,
seniors, the un(der)employed, and the differently-abled. Discounts are available
for groups of five or more at $12 per person. Active singers of any choral group
may attend for only $10. Advance tickets are available online at
The Esoterics has presented dozens of local and international premieres, and has tackled the most challenging works of 20th and 21st century choral repertoire. Now celebrating its fifteenth anniversary season with founding director Eric Banks, the ensemble has drawn national and international praise for presenting the many styles that comprise contemporary choral music. In 2001, 2003, and 2006, The Esoterics' commitment to innovative concert repertoire was nationally recognized when ASCAP and Chorus America granted the ensemble its coveted Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. The ensemble was also honored to be selected as the only North American chorus to compete at the 2000 International Choral Festival in Cork, Ireland, the 2001 International Choral Festival in Tolosa, Spain, and the 2006 Harald Andersén International Choir Competition in Helsinki, Finland.
If you have additional questions about Distler or The Esoterics (media contact only), please contact Bayta Maring ().