Die Blume

Bernhard Mettenleiter’s Die Blume sets a tender German text that uses the metaphor of a flower to explore the fleeting nature of love and life. The lyrics speak of a bloom that wilts from drought or perishes from too much moisture, never thriving everywhere. The narrator recalls receiving a red rose, only for it to be dead the next day, a fragile blossom named Love, kept moist by tears. Mettenleiter’s setting for TTBB voices captures the poignant sentiments of the text, reflecting on how easily something precious can be lost, whether through too little or too much care.