Felix Mendelssohn ： Songs Without Words Book4 By the Seashore in As-Dur MWV U 143 Op.53-1

This gentle piece in A-flat major is included in Book 4 of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words. Above a flowing accompaniment that suggests the movement of waves, the right-hand melody sings freely, evoking the quiet expanse of the seashore. The music maintains a continuous flow while shifting its character through melodic development and harmonic changes. Its highlights are the subtle undulation created by the accompaniment and the singing line that emerges above it. In performance, the accompaniment should remain light and even, while the melody’s breathing and climaxes are shaped with care. The pedal should be changed with each harmony to keep the sound clear, allowing a natural sense of forward motion within the calm atmosphere.