As Wagner called him a "first-rate landscape painter," Mendelssohn demonstrated his talent in depicting scenes and composing programmatic music.

In the form of these "songs without words," or Lieder ohne Worte, Mendelssohn expressed even inner landscapes and emotional portrayals. As these are instrumental pieces with song-like melodies, it is important to make the melodic line stand out clearly and perform them lyrically.

During the period when Mendelssohn was active, the piano became widely popular as a cultural pursuit, especially among bourgeois families. Consequently, many pieces were composed that could be played easily at home, and the Lieder ohne Worte is one such collection.

The Lieder ohne Worte consists of eight collections, each containing six pieces. Only up to the sixth collection was published during Mendelssohn's lifetime. The seventh collection was published in 1851, and the eighth in 1867. When Mendelssohn published the first collection in 1832, he titled it Melodies for the Piano; it was only after the publication of the second collection in 1835 that the title Lieder ohne Worte came into use.

Many pieces have titles, but only a few were given by the composer himself. Indeed, Mendelssohn seems to have disliked the idea that adding titles would limit musical imagination.

Volume 5

Volume 5 of the Lieder ohne Worte is dedicated to Clara Schumann, the wife of his friend Robert Schumann and a distinguished female pianist. The musical content of this volume is also substantial.

• 1. G major, 'May Breezes' / Op. 62, No. 1 (1844)
  In the accompaniment figure, the second beat consists of a repetition of the same two notes.
• 2. B-flat major, 'Departure' / Op. 62, No. 2 (1843)
• 3. E minor, 'Funeral March' / Op. 62, No. 3 (1843)
  Begins with a traditional European funeral rhythm. The march proceeds solemnly and heavily, gradually fading into the distance.
• 4. G major, 'Morning Song' / Op. 62, No. 4 (1844)
• 5. A minor, 'Venetian Gondola Song No. 3' / Op. 62, No. 5 (1844)
• 6. A major, 'Spring Song' / Op. 62, No. 6 (1842)
  This is the most widely known 'Spring Song.' It has been arranged not only for piano but also for violin and many other solo instruments. The challenge lies in how well one can align the figures indicated by small notes with the melody. It demands delicate technique and sensibility.