Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)

Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) by Charles Gounod (based on music of J. S. Bach) arranged for Any Saxophone Solo and Piano. This arrangement is in the key of C major, as was the 1853 original version. Tempo is around 78 bpm. The solo part is an exercise in expressive legato playing. Some rubato may be added in the last few bars of the music. The Bach/Gounod Ave Maria is a popular and much-recorded setting of the Latin prayer Ave Maria. It was first published in 1853 as "Meditation sur le Premier Prelude de Piano de S. Bach". Gounod improvised an original melody that he paired with a slightly changed version of a familiar Bach Prelude (Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier). The 1853 publication is an instrumental piece. There was no text. Gounod reworked the piece in 1859, finally settling on the Latin prayer "Ave Maria" as lyrics. The new version proved to be an irresistible force. It attracted a phenomenal level of acclaim, becoming immensely popular, even improving Gounod's faltering reputation with the contemporary public. It is a standard at holiday time, weddings, quinceaneras, church services, and other solemn occasions.