Hugo Distler is primarily known as a choral and organ composer. But he also composed a whole series of instrumental works, including chamber and piano music. This facet of his oeuvre deserves more attention, for it includes a number of remarkable works. A prerequisite for dealing with these works, however, is that they would have to be accessible: unfortunately, a substantial number of Distler’s piano works have yet to be published, or have been out of print for a long time. A critical-practical complete edition of the piano works is currently in preparation. Of Distler’s works for piano solo, only the Elf kleine Klavierstücke ("Eleven little piano pieces“), op. 15b, were published during his lifetime, in May 1942, seven years after their composition and barely a half a year before the composer’s death. Before that only a small composition based on the Christmas hymn Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her had appeared in 1935 within the framework of a collection of new piano music for Christmas. That many of the 30 Spielstücke für die Kleinorgel oder andere Tasteninstrumente ("Thirty Pieces for Small Organ or Other Keyboard Instruments“), op. 18. no. 1 (written and published in 1938), can also be performed on the piano is indeed obvious from the title, yet the title clearly implies that these miniatures are actually intended for a small organ, which is probably the reason why pianists do not exactly feel encouraged to turn their attention to them. All in all, it is hardly surprising that until now Distler’s piano music has for all practical purposes not been available on records/CDs or downloads. This lacuna and the centennial of the composer’s birth on 24 June 2008 are the reason for the present album with Distler’s most important piano works and a large portion of the 30 Spielstücke op. 18, no. 1 (these, too, are to be heard here played on piano for the first time on CD).