" This work was intended to show that recent composers had relied too much on program music.
The composer said that the nocturnes of John Field were the biggest influence on this work. One part of it, intended to depict the labor of spinning, got a new nickname based on the very busy background instruments and is more often called the "Bees' Wedding." The few titles given to individual pieces in this cycle by its composer include "Duetto" and "Auf einer Gondel." This work was intended to show that recent composers had relied too much on program music. For 10 points, name this series of piano solos, numbering forty-eight in all over eight books, and composed by Felix Mendelssohn, who did not supply lyrics.
The composer said that the nocturnes of John Field were the biggest influence on this work.
{Songs without Words} or {Lieder ohne Worte} or {Romances sans paroles}