Ave Maria, Charles Gounod/Johann Sebastian Bach. High Voice

Charles Gounod: Ave Maria (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Editor: Gérard Condé

 World-famous piece of music, composed in 1859 on Bach's C major Prelude
 Editions in other registers in addition to the edition for the original register High voice, HN 1012
 Edition for low voice with reference to an optional octave transposition to optimize the piano sound
 Henle Urtext Editions
 Genre Description Classical

Gounod had no qualms about arranging well-known works by earlier masters after his own fashion. Thus in 1852 he added a melody with its own operatic climax to the famous arpeggios of the C-major Prelude BWV 846 from Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier. He first published instrumental versions of it under the title Méditation, then tried fitting various texts to the melody until in 1859 he arrived at the definitive vocal version using the text of the Ave Maria. Already by the 1890s it was claimed that [we] have heard this sweet melody innumerable times from the best lady singers, and its popularity has continued to the present day. Reason enough, then, for Henle Verlag to publish an Urtext edition of this worldwide hit, based on the sources and with appropriate critical commentary.

High Voice and Piano
HN 1012
ISMN 979-0-2018-1012-6
Original key for high voice

Medium Voice and Piano
HN 1639 
ISMN 979-0-2018-1639-5

Low Voice and Piano
HN 1640 
ISMN 979-0-2018-1640-1