 Mendelssohn 's Songs Without Words ( Lieder ohne Worte ) , eight cycles each containing six lyric pieces ( two published posthumously ) , remain his most famous solo piano compositions . They became standard parlour recital items even during the composer 's lifetime , and their overwhelming popularity has itself caused many critics to underrate their musical value . Other composers who were inspired to produce similar pieces of their own , included Charles @-@ Valentin Alkan ( his five sets of Chants , each ending with a <unk> ) , Anton Rubinstein , Ignaz Moscheles , and Edvard Grieg . 
