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

In the form of these "songs without words," or "Lieder ohne Worte," Mendelssohn expressed even inner landscapes and emotional depictions. As instrumental pieces with song-like melodies, it is important to clearly bring out the melodic lines 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 that could be easily played at home were composed, and the Songs Without Words is one such collection.

The Songs Without Words consist of eight books, each containing six pieces, totaling 48 pieces. Only up to Book 6 was published during his lifetime. Book 7 was published in 1851, and Book 8 in 1867. When Mendelssohn published Book 1 in 1832, he titled it Melodies for the Piano. The collection came to be known as Songs Without Words only after the publication of Book 2 in 1835.

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

Book 3

• 1. E-flat major, "Evening Star" / Op. 38, No. 1 (1837)
• 2. C minor, "Lost Happiness" / Op. 38, No. 2 (1837)
• The harmonic notes between the bass and the melody are ornamented with an afterbeat rhythm.
• 3. E major, "The Poet's Harp" / Op. 38, No. 3 (1837)
• 4. A major, "Hope" / Op. 38, No. 4 (1837)
• 5. A minor, "Passion" / Op. 38, No. 5 (1837)
• Similar to No. 2, the piece is structured using an afterbeat rhythm with syncopation. Rather than passion, it evokes a sense of impatience or anxiety.
• 6. A-flat major, "Duet" / Op. 38, No. 6 (1836)
• This is the only piece among the six that was named by Mendelssohn himself. Although the tempo is rather slow, the movement is not leisurely. It is noted that "both voices must always be clearly brought out," so it is important to clearly highlight the two main melodies while playing the accompanying voices evenly. It is a technically demanding piece.