As Wagner called him a "first-rate landscape painter," Mendelssohn demonstrated his talent in composing descriptive scenes and 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 make the melodic lines 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 suitable for casual home playing were composed, and the Lieder ohne Worte is one such collection.

The Lieder ohne Worte consists 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 Lieder ohne Worte 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 titles might limit musical imagination.

Book 6

None of these six pieces were given titles by Mendelssohn himself.

• E-flat major "Meditation" / Op. 67, No. 1 (1843)
  An elegant, singing melody flows over an arpeggiated accompaniment.
• F-sharp minor "Lost Illusions" / Op. 67, No. 2 (1845)
• B-flat major "Pilgrim's Song" / Op. 67, No. 3 (1845)
  A piece characterized by its syncopated sixteenth-note rhythm. A descending third motif in the soprano dominates the entire piece. There is no great climax, and the piece is generally tranquil.
• C major "Spinning Song" / Op. 67, No. 4 (1845)
  The most famous and beloved piece among the six. Although this title was not given by Mendelssohn himself, he acknowledged the name. A figuration reminiscent of a spinning wheel, like in 'Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel,' flows throughout the piece. It will be important to let the melodic line resonate while maintaining a smooth flow in the accompaniment figuration.
• B minor "Shepherd's Lament" / Op. 67, No. 5 (1844)
• E major "Lullaby" / Op. 67, No. 6 (1845)
  Throughout the piece, the four-measure motif from the beginning of the main melody is repeated.