CCMusic.com

Hugo Distler was one of the most important composers of choral music in the first half of the 20th century. His music reaches back to the great German polyphonists like Schutz, imbuing it with polymodal and polyrythmic elements, creating a unique, introverted, ascetic but deeply felt language that touches the heart. His personal troubles and the repression of his music by the Nazis that thought it 'degenerate,' led to his suicide in 1942. This recording, featuring a stellar solo cast ably supported by the Thomanerchor Leipzig - one of the most respected choirs in Europe - can only increase your appreciation for a composer whose work represents an important chapter in sacred music history.