Songs Without Words () is a series of short lyrical piano pieces by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn, written between 1829 and 1845.

Composition and reception

The eight volumes of Songs Without Words, each consisting of six "songs" (Lieder), were written at various points throughout Mendelssohn's life, and were 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 "Song 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)."

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 songs:

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 Lieder, some of them never recorded before.

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.

The eight volumes

The titles attributed to some of the Songs below were given by Mendelssohn himself. Other fanciful titles were given to certain of the pieces by later publishers but have no authority and do not reflect any intention of the composer.

Book 1, Op. 19b (1829–1830)

• No. 1 Andante con moto in E major
• No. 2 Andante espressivo in A minor
• No. 3 Molto allegro e vivace in A major
• No. 4 Moderato in A major
• No. 5 Poco agitato in F-sharp minor
• No. 6 Andante sostenuto in G minor ("Venezianisches Gondellied" [Venetian Boat Song] )

Book 2, Op. 30 (1833–1834)

• No. 1 Andante espressivo in E-flat major
• No. 2 Allegro di molto in B-flat minor
• No. 3 Adagio non troppo in E major
• No. 4 Agitato e con fuoco in B minor
• No. 5 Andante grazioso in D major
• No. 6 Allegretto tranquillo in F-sharp minor ("Venezianisches Gondellied" [Venetian Boat Song] )

Book 2 was dedicated to Elisa von Woringen.

Song number 2 was written for his sister Fanny to celebrate the birth of her son in 1830.

Book 3, Op. 38 (1836–1837)

• No. 1 Con moto in E-flat major
• No. 2 Allegro non troppo in C minor
• No. 3 Presto e molto vivace in E major
• No. 4 Andante in A major
• No. 5 Agitato in A minor
• No. 6 Andante con moto in A-flat major ("Duetto")

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 (1839–1841)

Irving Berlin's ragtime take on op. 62, no. 6

• No. 1 Andante con moto in A-flat major
• No. 2 Allegro non troppo in E-flat major
• No. 3 Presto agitato in G minor
• No. 4 Adagio in F major
• No. 5 Allegro con fuoco in A minor ("Volkslied" [Folksong] )
• No. 6 Molto Allegro vivace in A major

Book 4 was dedicated to Sophia Horsley.

Book 5, Op. 62 (1842–1844)

• No. 1 Andante espressivo in G major, in 4/4 time. As with many of the Songs without Words, this is in ternary form with a coda. The left hand accompanies the melody throughout with a rhythm of one quaver followed by six semiquavers.
• No. 2 Allegro con fuoco in B-flat major
• No. 3 Andante maestoso in E minor ("Trauermarsch" [Funeral march] )
• No. 4 Allegro con anima in G major
• No. 5 Andante con moto in A minor ("Venezianisches Gondellied" [Venetian Boat Song] )
• No. 6 Allegretto grazioso in A major ("Frühlingslied" [Spring Song] )

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 (1843–1845)

• No. 1 Andante in E-flat major
• No. 2 Allegro leggiero in F-sharp minor
• No. 3 Andante tranquillo in B-flat major
• No. 4 Presto in C major ("Spinnerlied" [Spinner's Song])
• No. 5 Moderato in B minor
• No. 6 Allegro non troppo in E major

The "Spinnerlied" (Spinner's Song), 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 (1834–1845)

• No. 1 Andante espressivo in F major
• No. 2 Allegro agitato in A minor
• No. 3 Presto in E-flat major
• No. 4 Andante sostenuto in D major
• No. 5 Allegretto in A major
• No. 6 Allegretto con moto in B-flat major

This book, and Book 8, were published posthumously.

Book 8, Op. 102 (1842–1845)

• No. 1 Andante un poco agitato in E minor
• No. 2 Adagio in D major
• No. 3 Presto in C major
• No. 4 Un poco agitato, ma andante in G minor
• No. 5 Allegro vivace in A major
• No. 6 Andante in C major

Related works

A piece in D major for cello and piano, written by Mendelssohn around 1845, was published for the first time after his death. It was designated opus 109 and entitled "Song Without Words". It is not related to any of the piano pieces. Cellist Carlos Prieto called the piece "an exquisite composition, worthy of the finest pieces Mendelssohn ever composed for this genre."

A piece for piano in E minor by Mendelssohn was published after his death under Op. 117, entitled "Albumblatt" (Album Leaf); a further piece for piano by Mendelssohn was published after his death, without opus number, listed as WoO 10, titled "Gondellied" (Gondola Song). Some historians believe these to have been intended for another set of Songs Without Words.

Arrangements

Mendelssohn made piano duet arrangements of a number of the songs, namely those that became Book V and the first song of Book VI, which he presented to Queen Victoria in 1844. Mendelssohn was also aware of arrangements of some of the earlier Lieder for piano duet by Carl Czerny. Many others have made various arrangements of individual songs, including for orchestra, chamber ensemble, or solo instrument with piano accompaniment. One such example is the arrangement of 22 of the songs by Mendelssohn's student, the German violist Friedrich Hermann (1828–1907), for violin and piano.

In 1834, Franz Liszt wrote his Grosses Konzertstück über Mendelssohns Lieder ohne Worte (Grand Concert Piece on Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words) for 2 pianos. This was based on songs 1–3 of Book I, Op. 19b. Liszt and a student, Mlle. Vial, started to play it in Paris on 9 April 1835 but Liszt became ill during the performance. Ferruccio Busoni planned to play it in London with Egon Petri, but died before the plan could be realised. It was finally first performed in full by Richard and John Contiguglia at the 1984 Holland Liszt Festival in Utrecht.

Incidentally, there are also examples of recordings of transcriptions, for solo instrument and piano accompaniment, of Mendelssohn lieder written for the voice, which have been entitled "Songs Without Words", for instance by Mischa Maisky. No such arrangements were however made, or so titled, by Mendelssohn himself.

Notes

1. ^ Andrew Porter, Liner notes from Walter Gieseking recording, Angel 35428
2. ^ Mendelssohn, (1864): letter to Marc-André Souchay of 15 October 1842 (pp. 271–272)
3. ^ Some of these have now been published in the Urtext edition of Könemann Music (ISBN 3833113413)
4. ^ see Todd (2003), 648.
5. ^ Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954, Vol. V, p. 703, Felix Mendelssohn: Catalogue of Works
6. ^ Stratton, Stephen Samuel (1910). Mendelssohn. J.M. Dent
7. ^ Prieto, Carlos, Álvaro Mutis (translated by Elena C. Murray) (2011). The Adventures of a Cello: Revised Edition, with a New Epilogue. University of Texas Press, ISBN 9780292723931
8. ^ Albumblatt, op. 117: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
9. ^ Gondellied, WoO 10: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
10. ^ Todd (2003), 474
11. ^ Todd, (2003), 355
12. ^ Strings Magazine on Hermann, Naxos catalogue for a recording of the arrangements
13. ^ Liszt Society Newsletter No. 70, June 1999
14. ^ Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954, Vol. V, p. 286, Franz Liszt: Catalogue of Works
15. ^ Richard and John Contiguglia, Duo-Pianists

References

• Felix Mendelssohn, Letters, Philadelphia, 1864
• R. Larry Todd, Mendelssohn: A Life in Music, Oxford, 2003.