The gifted German composer Mendelssohn was a child prodigy who composed and performed from an early age. Apart from being an accomplished pianist, he also played the violin and viola, and he played the viola in an early performance of his famous string Octet in E flat major, composed when he was just sixteen. His most famous works for solo piano are his many Songs without Words, from which this piece is drawn. These were miniature salon pieces characterized by expressive melodic writing and rich romantic harmonies.