Sheet Music: Ave Maria

TitleAve Maria
Ellens Gesang. III. Hymne an die Jungfrau
Opus numberOp. 52, No. 6
ComposerFranz Schubert (1797–1828)
InstrumentationFlute and Piano
KeyB-flat major
RangeF4–F5
Time signature4/4
Tempo24 BPM
Performance time7:10
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (86 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (6 MB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (6 MB)
Date added2009-04-23
Last updated2009-05-13
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 9.5 (very popular)
Categories
Lieder, Romantic, Wedding music

Performances

  • Lisa — Solo flute.

See here for instructions on how to submit your own recording!

Thursday 23 April 2009

Tune of the Day: Ave Maria

Franz Schubert's “Ellens dritter Gesang”

Still as popular as ever for wedding services, this piece is often referred to as Schubert's Ave Maria, but it was originally composed as a setting of a song from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake. In Scott's poem the character Ellen Douglas, the “Lady of the Lake” has gone with her father to hide in the “Goblin's cave” nearby to avoid drawing the vengeance of the King on their host, the Clan-Alpine chieftain Roderick Dhu, who has been affording them shelter since the King had exiled them. She sings a prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary, calling upon her for help. Ellen is overheard by Roderick Dhu who is higher on the mountain, raising the clan for war.

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 Ave Maria. The Latin version of the Ave Maria 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.