Vorspiel und Satz über “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” Op. 8/3

Hugo Distler (1908–1942) – Vorspiel und Satz über “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” Op. 8/3

Taking a brief diversion from Langlais to look at a Christmas piece. I hadn’t planned to record this on the Rieger, but after practicing Langlais I was in too much of a rush to wait for another sample set to load, so I put this movement on it to practice. To my surprise, the positif’s stops work perfectly and sound authentically Distleresque. I used the indicated Gedackt 8’ and Octave 2’ in the positif as written. For his Dulzian 8’ and Subbaß 16’ in the pedal, I used the Corno di Bassetto 16’ and the Contresoubasse 32’ played one octave higher to achieve the color I wanted.

Distler’s Op. 8 organ works were born in Lübeck, shaped by the Stellwagen organ at St. Jakobi, the singing culture fostered by Bruno Grusnick, and the early-music ideals of the Orgelbewegung. In this environment, Distler forged a style both historically grounded in Baroque forms yet unmistakably modern.

In Op. 8/3 he treats Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern with clarity and imagination. The Vorspiel dances with buoyant counterpoint—light, flexible, and full of the chorale’s bright optimism. Distler highlights crystalline voice interplay with sharply etched rhythms and textural shifts that make the music breathe. The Satz (1:35) then presents the chorale in long notes, surrounded by a finely wrought web of imitation. His craft is fully evident: expressive counterpoint, fresh harmony, and a structure perfectly suited to accompanying a choir or congregation singing the chorale in unison. It is a marvelous example of the alternate harmonizations he used in services.

Like much of his output, this music glows with sincerity and purpose. Written before the pressures of the war years and his final depression, Op. 8 reveals a young composer seeking beauty, clarity, and spiritual truth in every line. (ChatGPT assisted with the editing of this description and making it fit under 2000 characters.)