Felix Mendelssohn created works with his "Songs Without Words" that are far better known than his vocal pieces. In these artful miniatures, his extraordinary feel for fitting piano accompaniments is particularly evident. Where Beethoven often sought the right balance between voice and instrument, Mendelssohn achieved this balance seemingly effortlessly.
His compositional gift was so pronounced that many of his 106 surviving songs were composed almost without difficulty. Nevertheless, his talent repeatedly presented him with challenges. Unlike Schumann, who transformed poems through his music, Mendelssohn created heartfelt musical responses to texts that moved him.
Contemporaries saw him as a Romantic who infused classical ideals into the Romantic musical world. Parallels to Mozart can be seen, especially in the instrumental realm. However, while Mozart lived the emotions in his music, Mendelssohn observed them more. His songs were generally considered pieces for domestic music-making and were not on the same level as sonatas or quartets.
Mendelssohn composed his first songs as early as 1827, which were published in the cycle Op. 8. For the texts, he drew on renowned poets such as Ludwig Hölty and Paul Fleming, and masterfully reflected their content in a captivating musical way.
Among the outstanding contributions to this cycle are the songs by Fanny Mendelssohn. She drew strong inspiration from her family and close relationships. Her settings of poems by Heinrich Heine and other poets, in particular, demonstrate great sensitivity and musical finesse.
Fanny Mendelssohn, as well as composers such as Hugo Wolf and Robert Schumann, set poems by Heinrich Heine to music, including the popular "Wenn ich in deine Augen sehe" (When I look into your eyes). Fanny Mendelssohn's compositions stand out due to her exceptional musical talent.
Poems from Schumann's "Dichterliebe" (Poet's Love) were also set to music by various composers, including Fanny Mendelssohn. Her feel for text and melody is evident in her sensitive musical settings, which are quite comparable in their effect to those of other composers.