- 1. Eitelkeit (Andreas Gryphius)
- 2. Schnitterlied (Volkslied)
- 3. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Volkslied)
The poem ”Eitelkeit” (Vanity) by the German Baroque poet Andreas Gryphius is a violently told story about the mortality and emptiness of life on earth. In the folk song ”Schnitterlied’s” (The Song of the Grim Reaper) death is compared with a harvester who without mercy mows down everything, including the most beautiful flowers in the field. With its consoling message the third song ”Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” (The Bourgeoning Rose) the complete contrast to all the preceding gloom. This also applies musically: here the tight cromatic harmonics give way to a softer and more melodic musical expression dominated by pure triads and with an obvious reference to Praetorius’ arrangement of the beautiful folk song that is commonly known.
