baußnern's extensive catalogue of compositions includes almost all musical genres, yet it displays an emphasis on both choral symphonic and orchestral composition. as a composer, baußnern found stimulation from poetry, for not only his vocal music, but also his instrumental music; the poetry of johann wolfgang von goethe emerged as an especial source of inspiration. this compositional impetus is reflected in numerous titles of his works, yet his oeuvre lacks any programmatic design. stylistically, baußnern stands out as a maverick to his contemporaries, remaining a composer who defies classification. generally, however, his music is rooted in the 19th century, yet exhibits independence of form, ranging from extremes of conventional tonality to frequently polyphonic chromaticism, nonetheless never metamorphosizing into atonality.