In 1934, Distler, then 26, was inspired by the medieval Lübecker Totentanz [de], which would be destroyed in World War II.

He chose stanzas from the Baroque poem Der Cherubinische Wandersmann (The Cherubinic Pilgrim) by Angelus Silesius and used them as text for 14 choral sections.

[1] The spoken poems connecting the choral sections were written by Johannes Klöcking [de], an acquaintance of the composer.

[1] The subtitle is "14 Spruchmotetten zum Totensonntag nach Worten aus dem "Cherubinischen Wandersmann" des Angelus Silesius im Wechsel mit einem von Johannes Klöcking nach dem Lübecker Totentanz gestalteten Dialog für Sprecher; Flöte ad libitum" (14 motets on sayings for the Sunday of Death after words from "The Cherubinic Pilgrim" by Angelus Silesius in alternation with a dialogue for speakers created by Johannes Klöcking after the Lübeck Dance of Death; recorder ad libitum).

[3] Totentanz was recorded in 1994 by the Kammerchor der Universität Dortmund, conducted by Willi Gundlach, with narrators Will Quadflieg, Michaela Krämer, Heinz Ostermann and Jürgen Uter.