Music
The eight volumes of ''Songs Without Words'', each consisting of six songs (), were written at various points throughout Mendelssohn's life and published separately. The piano became increasingly popular in Europe during the early nineteenth century, when it became a standard item in many middle-class households. The pieces are within the grasp of pianists of various abilities and this undoubtedly contributed to their popularity. This great popularity has caused many critics to under-rate their musical value. The first volume was published by Novello in London (1832) as ''Original Melodies for the Pianoforte'', but the later volumes used the title ''Songs Without Words''. The works were part of the Romantic tradition of writing short lyrical pieces for the piano, although the specific concept of "Songs Without Words" was new. Mendelssohn's sister Fanny wrote a number of similar pieces (though not so entitled) and, according to some music historians, she may have helped inspire the concept. The title ''Song Without Words'' seems to have been Felix Mendelssohn's own invention. In 1828, Fanny wrote in a letter "My birthday was celebrated very nicely ... Felix has given me a 'song without words' for my album (he has lately written several beautiful ones)."Andrew Porter, Liner notes from Walter Gieseking recording, Angel 35428 Mendelssohn himself resisted attempts to interpret the songs too literally, and objected when his friend Marc-André Souchay sought to put words to them to make them literal "What the music I love expresses to me, is not thought too ''indefinite'' to put into words, but on the contrary, too ''definite''". (Mendelssohn's own italics) Mendelssohn also wrote other ''Songs Without Words'' not collected in volumes, and published only in recent years. Furthermore, original drafts exist for many of the 'Songs' many of which differ quite substantially from the eventually published versions. In 2008, the Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda recorded a collection of Mendelssohn's ''Songs Without Words'' for Decca Records totalling 56 , some of them never recorded before.Songs
The titles attributed to some of the songs below were given by Mendelssohn himself. Other fanciful titles were given to certain of them by later publishers but have no authority and do not reflect any intention of the composer.Book 1, Op. 19b (1829–30)
#Andante con moto (E major) #Andante espressivo (A minor) #Molto allegro e vivace (A major) #Moderato (A major) #Poco agitato (F minor) #Andante sostenuto: ("Venetian Boat Song") (G minor)Book 2, Op. 30 (1833–34)
#Andante espressivo (E major) #Allegro di molto (B minor) #Adagio non troppo (E major) #Agitato e con fuoco (B minor) #Andante grazioso (D major) #Allegretto tranquillo: ("Venetian Boat Song") (F minor) Book 2 was dedicated to Elisa von Woringen. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954, Vol. V, p. 703, Felix Mendelssohn: Catalogue of Works Song number 2 was written for his sister Fanny to celebrate the birth of her son in 1830.Book 3, Op. 38 (1836–37)
#Con moto (E major) #Allegro non troppo (C minor) #Presto e molto vivace (E major) #Andante (A major) #Agitato (A minor) #Andante con moto: ''Duetto'' ("Duet") (A major) Song number 6 was given the title ''Duetto'' by Mendelssohn, since two melodies were written to represent two singers. It was composed in Frankfurt in June 1836, soon after he had met his future wife. Book 3 was dedicated to Rosa von Woringen.Book 4, Op. 53 (1839–41)
#Andante con moto (A major) #Allegro non troppo (E major) #Presto agitato (G minor) #Adagio (F major) #Allegro con fuoco: ("Folksong") (A minor) #Molto allegro vivace (A major) Book 4 was dedicated to Sophia Horsley.Book 5, Op. 62 (1842–44)
# Andante espressivo (G major) #Allegro con fuoco (B major) #Andante maestoso: (" Funeral march") (E minor) #Allegro con anima (G major) #Andante con moto: ("Venetian Boat Song") (A minor) #Allegretto grazioso: ("Spring Song") (A major) Song No. 6 "Spring Song" was also sometimes known in England as " Camberwell Green", being the place in London where Mendelssohn composed it while staying with the Benneckes, relatives of his wife. Book 5 was dedicated to Clara Schumann.Book 6, Op. 67 (1843–45)
#Andante (E major) #Allegro leggiero (F minor) #Andante tranquillo (B major) #Presto: ("Spinner's Song") (C major) #Moderato (B minor) #Allegro non troppo (E major) The has also been given the nickname the "Bee's Wedding" since the busy accompaniment to the melody resembles the buzzing of bees. Book 6 was dedicated to Sophie Rosen.Book 7, Op. 85 (1843–45)
#Andante espressivo (F major) #Allegro agitato (A minor) #Presto (E major) #Andante sostenuto (D major) #Allegretto (A major) #Allegretto con moto (B major) This book, and Book 8, were published posthumously.Book 8, Op. 102 (1842–45)
#Andante un poco agitato (E minor) #Adagio (D major) #Presto (C major) #Un poco agitato, ma andante (G minor) #Allegro vivace (A major) #Andante (C major)Related works
A piece in D major forArrangements
Mendelssohn made piano duet arrangements of a number of the songs, namely those that became Book 5 and the first song of Book 6, which he presented toBy other composers
Fanny Mendelssohn's early collections of piano works opp. 2,6, and 8 are titled ''Lieder für das Pianoforte (Songs for the piano)''. Other composers who were inspired to produce similar sets of pieces of their own included Charles-Valentin Alkan (the five sets of ''Chants'', each ending with a barcarolle), Anton Rubinstein, Ignaz Moscheles and Edvard Grieg (his 66 '' Lyric Pieces''). Two ''Songs Without Words'' (Op. 10) for piano were also written by Mykola Lysenko. Both Alkan and Rubinstein frequently included items from Mendelssohn's ''Songs'' in their recitals. Ferruccio Busoni, who considered Mendelssohn "a master of undisputed greatness", turned to the ''Songs Without Words'' in the last year of his life for a projected series of recitals in London.Notes
References
* Felix Mendelssohn, ''Letters'', Philadelphia, 1864 * R. Larry Todd, ''Mendelssohn: A Life in Music'', Oxford, 2003.External links
*', Book 1, Op. 19b – Book 2, Op. 30 – Book 3, Op. 38 – Book 4, Op. 53 – Book 5, Op. 62 – Book 6, Op. 67 – Book 7, Op. 85 – Book 8, Op. 102: Free scores at the