Emblems of Mortality; representing, in upwards of fifty cuts, death seizing all ranks and degrees of people

The work opens with a vivid exploration of a medieval mural that portrays death’s impartial reach, created after a devastating plague that struck the Council of Basel in 1439. A scholarly prefatory essay traces the painting’s origins, the uncertain hand of its artist, and the way the scene was copied and altered over the centuries. Listeners also hear translations of the eight‑line German verses that each figure exchanges with Death, giving voice to Pope, emperor, peasant and all in between.

The book reproduces the engravings that once graced the Dominican cemetery walls, allowing the listener to picture the stark procession of robes and symbols. Interwoven with the images are moral reflections that made the work a popular instructional tool for both scholars and youth in the eighteenth century. By the end of the first act, the listener senses the uneasy blend of art, history and the universal reminder that mortality knows no rank.