Reger composed the first song in Weiden in 1890, and the others in 1891 and 1892 in Wiesbaden[1] where he studied at the conservatory from September 1890, composition with Hugo Riemann.

[2] Reger dedicated them to the singer Elisabeth Riemann, his teacher's wife.

[1] The texts are poems by five authors: In 2008, the musicologists Richard Mercier and Donald Nold dedicated a book to Reger's songs.

[7] "Gebet" (Prayer) is set as a slow chorale with continuous counterpart lines.

The dark mood of "Der zerrißne Grabkranz" (The broken grave wreath) is expressed in a hesitant slow beginning, accented by chords in the accompaniment.