"The Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke" is a prose poem written by Rainer Maria Rilke in 1899. It was revised in 1906 and published in 1912. Rilke wrote the poem after discovering a document in his uncle Jaroslav’s papers about Christopher Rilke, a man Rainer’s family wrongly believed to be an ancestor. The document described Christopher as a cornet in the baron of Pirovano’s company, which was part of the Imperial Austrian Heyster Regiment of Horse. The poem tells the story of Christopher Rilke, who travels with soldiers, spends a night in a castle with a lover, fights in a war in Turkey, and dies. He is later mourned by an old woman.

The poem "Cornet" became very popular, selling 5,000 copies in three weeks. A second print run of 20,000 copies followed. Rilke was surprised by its success and later thought it was not as strong as his other works. However, the poem remained in print for the rest of his life. While Rilke and others debated its quality, Judith Ryan said it is an important text for understanding Rilke’s growth as a writer.

Adaptations

In March 1919, Kurt Weill performed a musical version of the poem in Berlin.

A 1955 West German film titled The Cornet was inspired by the same work.

In 1942, the composer Viktor Ullmann created a melodrama based on the work.

In 1943, the Swiss composer Frank Martin set the work to music.

On May 7, 1997, the work had its UK premiere at London’s Wigmore Hall as part of the Stefan Zweig Series. The performance featured pianist William Howard and narrator Walter van Dyk.

In 2006, the American composer Lisa Bielawa set the work to music. The premiere took place on March 22, 2006, at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, New York. One year later, the piece was recorded by Innova Recordings.