Felix Mendelssohn
Songs Without Words

About Felix Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words

Mendelssohn first referred to a “lied ohne worte” in a letter to his sister Fanny Mendelssohn in 1928. But when the first set was published in London it was given the title Original Melodies for the Pianoforte. Eventually, the name that stuck to these works was the one Mendelssohn had thought of in the first place, and five more sets of Songs Without Words followed in his lifetime (the last two were published posthumously).
They became immensely popular, not least because of the fact that many of the pieces were within the grasp of the amateur musician. Fanny Hensel noted that wherever she played Lieder ohne Worte a pair of young ladies would regularly fall into a faint. Mendelssohn himself has very eloquently summed up the idea behind these works: “People usually complain that music is so ambiguous; that they are doubtful as to what they should think when they hear it, whereas everyone understands words.
For me, it is just the reverse… [Words] seem to me so ambiguous, so indefinite, so open to misunderstanding in comparison with real music which fills one’s soul with a thousand better things than words.”

ID:40
Preview TitleKey Year Level
Andante con moto Op. 19 No. 1  in E Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAB Andante con moto Op. 19 No. 113 E Major 1834 6
Andante espressivo (Regrets) Op. 19 No. 2  in A Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAC Andante espressivo (Regrets) Op. 19 No. 230 A Minor 1834 6
Molto allegro e vivace (Hunting Song) Op. 19 No. 3  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAD Molto allegro e vivace (Hunting Song) Op. 19 No. 329 A Major 1834 7
Moderato (Confidence) Op. 19 No. 4  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAE Moderato (Confidence) Op. 19 No. 429 A Major 1834 6
Piano agitato (Restlessness) Op. 19 No. 5  in F-sharp Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAF Piano agitato (Restlessness) Op. 19 No. 520 F-sharp Minor 1834 8
Andante sostenuto (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 19 No. 6  in G Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAG Andante sostenuto (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 19 No. 624 G Minor 1834 6
Andante espressivo (Contemplation) Op. 30 No. 1  in E-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAH Andante espressivo (Contemplation) Op. 30 No. 111 E-flat Major 1834 7
Allegro di molto (Unrest) Op. 30 No. 2  in B-flat Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAI Allegro di molto (Unrest) Op. 30 No. 234 B-flat Minor 1834 7
Adagio non troppo (Consolation) Op. 30 No. 3  in E Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAJ Adagio non troppo (Consolation) Op. 30 No. 313 E Major 1834 6
Agitato e con fuoco (The Wanderer) Op. 30 No. 4  in B-flat Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAK Agitato e con fuoco (The Wanderer) Op. 30 No. 434 B-flat Minor 1834 8
Andante grazioso (The Brook) Op. 30 No. 5  in D Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAL Andante grazioso (The Brook) Op. 30 No. 57 D Major 1834 8
Allegretto tranquillo (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 30 No. 6  in F-sharp Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAM Allegretto tranquillo (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 30 No. 620 F-sharp Minor 1834 6
Con moto (The Evening Star) Op. 38 No. 1  in E-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAN Con moto (The Evening Star) Op. 38 No. 111 E-flat Major 1837 8
Allegro non troppo (Lost Happiness) Op. 38 No. 2  in C Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAO Allegro non troppo (Lost Happiness) Op. 38 No. 22 C Minor 1837 8
Presto e molto vivace (The Poet's Harp) Op. 38 No. 3  in E Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAP Presto e molto vivace (The Poet's Harp) Op. 38 No. 313 E Major 1837 8
Andante (Hope) Op. 38 No. 4  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAQ Andante (Hope) Op. 38 No. 429 A Major 1837 7
Agitato (Passion) Op. 38 No. 5  in A Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAR Agitato (Passion) Op. 38 No. 530 A Minor 1837 8
Andante con moto (Duet) Op. 38 No. 6  in A-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAS Andante con moto (Duet) Op. 38 No. 627 A-flat Major 1837 8
Andante con moto (On the Seashore) Op. 53 No. 1  in A-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAT Andante con moto (On the Seashore) Op. 53 No. 127 A-flat Major 1841 7
Allegro non troppo (The fleecy Clouds) Op. 53 No. 2  in E-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAU Allegro non troppo (The fleecy Clouds) Op. 53 No. 211 E-flat Major 1841 6
Presto agitato (Agitation) Op. 53 No. 3  in G Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAV Presto agitato (Agitation) Op. 53 No. 324 G Minor 1841 6
Adagio (Sadness of Soul) Op. 53 No. 4  in F Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAW Adagio (Sadness of Soul) Op. 53 No. 417 F Major 1841 6
Allegro con fuoco (Folksong) Op. 53 No. 5  in A Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAX Allegro con fuoco (Folksong) Op. 53 No. 530 A Minor 1841 6
Molto allegro, vivace (The Flight) Op. 53 No. 6  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAY Molto allegro, vivace (The Flight) Op. 53 No. 629 A Major 1841 7
Andante espressivo (May Breezes) Op. 62 No. 1  in G Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music AAZ Andante espressivo (May Breezes) Op. 62 No. 123 G Major 1844 6
Allegro con fuoco (The Departure) Op. 62 No. 2  in B-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABA Allegro con fuoco (The Departure) Op. 62 No. 233 B-flat Major 1844 6
Andante maestoso (Funeral March) Op. 62 No. 3  in E Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABB Andante maestoso (Funeral March) Op. 62 No. 314 E Minor 1844 6
Allegro con anima (Morning Song) Op. 62 No. 4  in G Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABC Allegro con anima (Morning Song) Op. 62 No. 423 G Major 1844 6
Andante con moto (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 62 No. 5  in A Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABD Andante con moto (Venetian Boat Song) Op. 62 No. 530 A Minor 1844 7
Allegretto grazioso (Spring Song) Op. 62 No. 6  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABE Allegretto grazioso (Spring Song) Op. 62 No. 629 A Major 1844 7
Andante (Meditation) Op. 67 No. 1  in E-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABF Andante (Meditation) Op. 67 No. 111 E-flat Major 1845 7
Allegro leggiero (Lost Illusions) Op. 67 No. 2  in F-sharp Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABG Allegro leggiero (Lost Illusions) Op. 67 No. 220 F-sharp Minor 1845 7
Andante tranquillo (Song of the Pilgrim) Op. 67 No. 3  in B-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABH Andante tranquillo (Song of the Pilgrim) Op. 67 No. 333 B-flat Major 1845 6
Presto (Spinning Song) Op. 67 No. 4  in C Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABI Presto (Spinning Song) Op. 67 No. 41 C Major 1845 8
Moderato (The Shepherd's Complaint) Op. 67 No. 5  in B Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABJ Moderato (The Shepherd's Complaint) Op. 67 No. 536 B Minor 1845 8
Allegretto non troppo (Lullaby) Op. 67 No. 6  in E Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABK Allegretto non troppo (Lullaby) Op. 67 No. 613 E Major 1845 6
Andante espressivo (Reverie) Op. 85 No. 1  in F Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABL Andante espressivo (Reverie) Op. 85 No. 117 F Major 1845 6
Allegro agitato (The Adieu) Op. 85 No. 2  in A Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABM Allegro agitato (The Adieu) Op. 85 No. 230 A Minor 1845 6
Presto (Delirium) Op. 85 No. 3  in E Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABN Presto (Delirium) Op. 85 No. 313 E Major 1845 7
Andante sostenuto (Elegie) Op. 85 No. 4  in D Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABO Andante sostenuto (Elegie) Op. 85 No. 47 D Major 1845 7
Allegretto (The Return) Op. 85 No. 5  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABP Allegretto (The Return) Op. 85 No. 529 A Major 1845 6
Allegretto con moto (Song of the Traveller) Op. 85 No. 6  in B-flat Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABQ Allegretto con moto (Song of the Traveller) Op. 85 No. 633 B-flat Major 1845 7
Andante, un poco agitato (Homeless) Op. 102 No. 1  in E Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABR Andante, un poco agitato (Homeless) Op. 102 No. 114 E Minor 1845 7
Adagio (Retrospection) Op. 102 No. 2  in E Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABS Adagio (Retrospection) Op. 102 No. 214 E Minor 1845 7
Presto (Tarantella) Op. 102 No. 3  in C Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABT Presto (Tarantella) Op. 102 No. 31 C Major 1845 7
Un poco agitato, ma andante (The Sighing Wind) Op. 102 No. 4  in G Minor by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABU Un poco agitato, ma andante (The Sighing Wind) Op. 102 No. 424 G Minor 1845 7
Allegro vivace (The Joyous Peasant) Op. 102 No. 5  in A Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABV Allegro vivace (The Joyous Peasant) Op. 102 No. 529 A Major 1845 7
Andante (Faith) Op. 102 No. 6  in C Major by Mendelssohn piano sheet music ABW Andante (Faith) Op. 102 No. 61 C Major 1845 6

Forum posts about the Songs Without Words by Felix Mendelssohn

Tips for practicing Mendelssohn's Op.19 No.1 (Songs Without Words) by samdm93
Recently picked up a lovely edition of the complete [i]Songs Without Words[/i] by Mendelssohn. I immediately fell in love with the first one...

Mendelssohn----Songs Without Words by kitty on the keys
I dont see Mendelssohn mentioned very much. The songs without Words are delightful pieces, anybody working on them; favorite recordings, fav...

Re: Love Piece by moi_not_toi
WOOT WOOT!!! Glad you've got a gurl that likes music. Way to go. ;D Try some Mendelssohn. On Wings of Song is really good, but I haven&...

Mendelssohn's neglected masterpieces? by pianoloverus
I find SOME of Mendelssohns's Songs without Words incredibly beautiful and moving despite their often very simple harmony. I have become esp...