His early compositions included chamber and church music and secular songs, among which stands the Stabat Mater for soloists, choir, and orchestra, composed in 1849.

Cornelius's third and final operatic project, Gunlöd, based on the Norse eddas, was left incomplete at his death (from diabetes) in Mainz.

Several streets and squares are named after him in Mainz (Peter-Cornelius-Platz [de]) and across other German cities such as Berlin,[3] Frankfurt am Main, Augsburg and Weimar, as well as in Vienna, Salzburg, and Waalwijk, Netherlands.

The Peter Cornelius Archive is an extensive collection maintained by the Mainz City Library [de], consisting of the composer’s personal items, documents, and musical works.

The song's melody line is accompanied by the chorale tune of "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" ("How brightly shines the morning star"), written by Philipp Nicolai in 1597.