The library · Teaching books

Mendelssohn: Songs without Words (Lieder ohne Worte), Books 1–8

Forty-eight piano pieces in eight books of six, each a song for the piano: a melody over an accompaniment, as a singer would have over a pianist. Mendelssohn published six books between 1832 and 1845; the last two came out after his death. Only a few of the titles are Mendelssohn's own (the three Venetian Boat Songs, the Duetto and the Folk Song); most of the names they are known by, such as Spring Song and Spinning Song, were given later by publishers.

The library has 8 of the book's 48 numbers, levels 3 to 7. Not in the library: Nos. 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13–22, 24–44, and 46–48.

The numbers here are the ones most complete editions print, running through the eight books: Op. 19 is Nos. 1–6, Op. 30 Nos. 7–12, Op. 38 Nos. 13–18, Op. 53 Nos. 19–24, Op. 62 Nos. 25–30, Op. 67 Nos. 31–36, Op. 85 Nos. 37–42 and Op. 102 Nos. 43–48. Each piece's own opus and number are in its title.

Pieces

8

Levels

3 to 7

Key signatures

3 flats to 4 sharps

Length

27 to 87 bars

In the book's order

Each with its number and level, and easier versions made from the score itself, so you can start below a piece's level and work up to it as written.

• Song Without Words in E, Op. 19 No. 1
  4 sharps, 4/4, 62 bars
  No. 1 of 48; level 5
• Song Without Words in A, Op. 19 No. 4
  3 sharps, 4/4, 30 bars
  No. 4 of 48; level 4
• Song Without Words in F sharp minor, Op. 19 No. 5
  3 sharps, 6/4, 87 bars
  No. 5 of 48; level 4
• Song Without Words in E flat, Op. 30 No. 1
  3 flats, 4/4, 68 bars
  No. 7 of 48; level 5
• Song Without Words in E, Op. 30 No. 3
  4 sharps, 4/4, 27 bars
  No. 9 of 48; level 4
• Song Without Words in F sharp minor, Op. 30 No. 6
  3 sharps, 6/8, 78 bars
  No. 12 of 48; level 4
• Song Without Words in A minor, Op. 53 No. 5
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 84 bars
  No. 23 of 48; level 3
• Song Without Words in C, Op. 102 No. 3
  no sharps or flats, 6/8, 65 bars
  No. 45 of 48; level 7

An order to learn them in

The same pieces from the easiest, by the level fitted to each score; within a level, in the book's order. Teachers skip about in these books, and so can you.

1. Level 3 Song Without Words in A minor, Op. 53 No. 5
2. Level 4 Song Without Words in E, Op. 30 No. 3 · Song Without Words in A, Op. 19 No. 4 · Song Without Words in F sharp minor, Op. 30 No. 6 · Song Without Words in F sharp minor, Op. 19 No. 5
3. Level 5 Song Without Words in E, Op. 19 No. 1 · Song Without Words in E flat, Op. 30 No. 1
4. Level 7 Song Without Words in C, Op. 102 No. 3

Other teaching books

Every book five or more library pieces are from.

• Köhler's Very Easiest Exercise Pieces, Op. 190 24
• Beyer's Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Op. 101 14
• Gurlitt's The First Lessons, Op. 117 34 of 34
• Duvernoy's École primaire, Op. 176 16 of 25
• Mozart's first pieces, K. 1a–1f 6 of 6
• Streabbog's Twelve Melodious Studies, Op. 63 12 of 12
• Le Couppey's L'Alphabet, Op. 17 25 of 25
• Burgmüller's 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 25 of 25
• Anna Magdalena Bach's Notebook (1725) 20 of 20
• Gretchaninov's Glass Beads, Op. 123 12 of 12
• Bartók's For Children (original edition) 20 of 42
• Gretchaninov's Children's Album, Op. 98 15 of 15
• Tchaikovsky's Album for the Young, Op. 39 24 of 24
• Lemoine's Études enfantines, Op. 37 29 of 50
• Clementi's Six Sonatinas, Op. 36 6 of 6
• Czerny's 160 Eight-Measure Exercises, Op. 821 19 of 160
• Czerny's School of Velocity, Op. 299 6 of 40
• Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 21 of 43
• Grieg's Lyric Pieces 12 of 66
• Schirmer's Sonatina Album 11 of 30
• Bach's Two-Part Inventions 15 of 15
• Bach's Six Little Preludes, BWV 933–938 6 of 6
• Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15 8 of 13
• Mendelssohn's Songs without Words 8 of 48
• Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 8 of 24