Mendelssohn's creation and cultivation of Songs Without Words had both a positive and a negative impact on his reputation as a composer, a truth that reflects the polarized ideas about music in the second quarter of the 19th century. Mostly published during the 1830s and 1840s, two sets (Op. 85 and 102) appeared after the composer's death, in 1850 and 1868 respectively. These works were seen as both fulfilling and disregarding the diverse musical and aesthetic demands of the age. Sympathetic critics approached the Songs Without Words as "characteristic" or "poetic" music capable of transporting the listener to another realm and, as such, providing a welcome departure from the musically and emotionally vacuous products of modern virtuosity.