TWO AVE MARIAS FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO: BACH/GOUNOD AND SCHUBERT
LKM MUSIC SOFTCOVER

SERIES: LKM MUSIC
PUBLISHER: LAUREN KEISER MUSIC PUBLISHING
FORMAT: SOFTCOVER
ARRANGER: ENDRE GRANAT

DESCRIPTION:
-THIS ONE OF A KIND ALBUM PAIRS TWO OF THE MOST PERFORMED AVE MARIA`S FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO, METICULOUSLY EDITED BY JASCHA HEIFETZ` PROTEGE, ENDRE GRANAT. THE FIRST OF THESE IS SCHUBERT`S MELODY, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY COMPOSED AS A SETTING OF A SONG FROM WALTER SCOTT`S POPULAR NARRATIVE POEM THE LADY OF THE LAKE, TITLED, “ELLEN`S THIRD SONG” (ELLENS DRITTER GESANG). THE OPENING WORDS AND REFRAIN OF ELLEN`S SONG, NAMELY “AVE MARIA” (LATIN FOR “HAIL MARY”), MAY HAVE LED TO THE IDEA OF ADAPTING SCHUBERT`S MELODY AS A SETTING FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE TRADITIONAL ROMAN CATHOLIC PRAYER. THE LATIN VERSION OF THE SONG IS NOW SO FREQUENTLY USED WITH SCHUBERT`S MELODY THAT IT HAS LED TO THE MISCONCEPTION THAT HE ORIGINALLY WROTE THE MELODY AS A SETTING FOR THE “AVE MARIA.” THE SECOND AVE MARIA IN THIS COLLECTION WAS CREATED WHEN GOUNOD FAMOUSLY IMPROVISED THE MELODY OVER THE BACKGROUND OF J.S. BACH`S PRELUDE NO. 1 IN C MAJOR, BWV 846, FROM THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER. GOUNOD`S BEATIFUL IMPROVISATION WAS TRANSCRIBED BY HIS FUTURE FATHER-IN-LAW PIERRE-JOSEPH-GUILLAUME ZIMMERMANN, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE BACH KEYBOARD ACCOMPANIMENT IN 1835 UNDER THE TITLE “MÉDITATION SUR LE PREMIER PRÉLUDE DE PIANO DE S. BACH.” ALONGSIDE SCHUBERT`S VERSION, THE BACH/GOUNOD AVE MARIA HAS BECOME A FIXTURE AT FUNERALS, WEDDING MASSES, AND QUINCEAÑERAS. BOTH WORKS HAVE BEEN RECORDED HUNDREDS OF TIMES DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.