This edition was prepared by Nikolaus Hold — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Der Schnitter Tod
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Der Schnitter Tod by Louise Reichardt — Lyrics
1. Es ist ein Schnitter, der heißt Tod,
der hat Gewalt vom höchsten Gott;
heut wetzt er das Messer,
es schneidt schon viel besser;
bald wird er drein schneiden,
wir müssen's nur leiden.
Hüte dich, schön's Blümelein!
2. Was heut' noch grün und frisch dasteht,
wird morgen schon hinweg gemäht:
die edle Narzisse,
die himmlische Schlüssel,
die schön' Hyazinthen,
die türkischen Binden.
Hüte dich, schön's Blümelein!
3. Viel hunderttausend ungezählt,
was nur unter die Sichel fällt:
rot' Rosen, weiß' Liljen,
beid' wird er austilgen,
ihr Kaiserkronen,
man wird euch nicht schonen!
Hüte dich, schön's Blümelein!
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About Der Schnitter Tod
Louise Reichardt's Der Schnitter Tod opens with a striking interplay between the voices. This secular German partsong depicts Death as a reaper, wielding his scythe with divine authority. The text vividly portrays the transient nature of life, where beauty and strength alike are subject to mortality. The composer uses the four-part texture to create a sense of both somber reflection and dramatic inevitability, as the song progresses through vivid imagery of flowers and noble blooms all falling before the blade. The warning "Hüte dich, schön's Blümelein!" serves as a poignant refrain, underscoring the universal fate that awaits all living things.
