Lieder ohne Worte

Historical context

Mendelssohn’s Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 19b, emerged as a significant novelty for piano-forte players. As “the book” notes, these compositions inaugurated a new style full of interest, gradually setting aside variations and sonatas which had become “meaningless and tedious.” The first set of these “Songs without Words” for the piano was composed during his residence in Düsseldorf. Within this collection, the “Gondellied,” Op. 19, no. 6, was composed in Venice in 1830, according to “the book, 1830.”

Another piece from Opus 19, the beautiful “Travel Song,” “Bring the Heart’s Truest Greeting,” was composed by Mendelssohn at Rome and is ascribed to his artistic interest in the eminent pianist Delphine von Schauroth, as “the book” states. Regarding the authorship of the collection, Julius Rietz and “the book” clarify that a widely-spread report suggesting Mendelssohn’s sister, Fanny Hensel, composed the entire first book of “Songs without Words” (Op. 19) is exaggerated; Mendelssohn only included six of her songs with words in his first four books of songs.

Drawn from Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix, 1809-1847; Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Paul, 1812-1874; Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Karl, 1838-1897; Rietz, Julius, 1812-1877, Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy from 1833 to 1847 (1863); Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix, 1809-1847; Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Paul, 1812-1874; Wallace, Grace (Stein), Don, lady, d 1878; Marguerittes, Julie (Granville), comtesse de, 1814-1866, Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy from Italy and Switzerland ([186-?]); Lampadius, Wilhelm Adolf, 1812-1892; Gage, William Leonard, ed., 1832-1889, tr, Life of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1865) — public domain, archive.org.