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

In the form of these “Songs Without Words,” Mendelssohn expressed even inner landscapes and emotional portrayals. As instrumental pieces with song-like melodies, it is important to bring out the melodic line 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 Songs Without Words collection is one such example.

The Songs Without Words collection consists of eight books, each containing six pieces. Only up to Book 6 was published during Mendelssohn's 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 name Songs Without Words was adopted 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 might limit musical imagination.

Volume 7

Among these six pieces, none were titled by Mendelssohn himself, nor did he acknowledge any titles attributed by others. Therefore, all of the following six pieces were titled by third parties at the time of their publication.

• 1. F major, 'Reverie' / Op. 85-1 (1850)
  Play the arpeggiated broken chords softly and smoothly.
• 2. A minor, 'Farewell' / Op. 85-2 (1834)
  The soprano and bass begin at an interval of a tenth, creating a hollow sound. The piece shows more dynamic variation in the latter half. Play with careful coordination between the melody and the bass line.
• 3. E-flat major, 'Frenzy' / Op. 85-3 (1850)
• 4. D major, 'Elegy' / Op. 85-4 (1845)
  The accompaniment, consisting of broken chord figures, is placed in the alto voice. The bass provides harmonic support and also serves as a counter-melody to the soprano.
• 5. A major, 'Return' / Op. 85-5 (1845)
• 6. B-flat major, 'Traveler's Song' / Op. 85-6 (1841)