Schubert's Ave Maria sheet music

Ellens dritter Gesang – such is the original title of Schubert’s piece commonly known as Ave Maria. Intrinsically, there are many other works named so, which isn’t any surprising: Ave Maria or Hail Mary is a well-known Catholic prayer, and almost any composer who had ever touched upon sacred music composed an aria of the same name. Among them are the most famous nowadays dynast of Bachs – Johann Sebastian, – virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt, and other salient composers, such as Giuseppe Verdi, Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Saëns and others.

Back to Franz Schubert, today is the day of exceptionally good news for everyone reading this: sheet music of Schubert’s Ave Maria in high quality is now available here: Ave Maria, D.839, Op.52. Nice addition to the score are a yearly license for an unlimited number of performances and a backing track – whether you are a pianist or a singer, you can play along orchestral arrangement. Below is one of the finest renditions of the piece, enjoy:

Neckens Polska, Op.11 by J.E. Röntgen

When we were young, I think each of us at least once had caught himself thinking: “Why go to school? What’s the point?” Indeed, why – Julius Engelbert Röntgen didn’t and we remember him as a fine pianist and admirable Romantic composer nevertheless.

Leipzig native, Röntgen had been studying not only music but other disciplines as well privately before he sprung into fame. His legacy includes piano, violin, cello, and other concerts as well as a lot of symphonic, chamber, vocal, and piano works.

Toward the end of his life Röntgen started composing more unconventional works, abandoning the tonality, but most of them can be referred to as examples of exceptionally good absolute music. Here is one of his pieces for solo piano, Neckens Polska, Op.11. Enjoy!

Suite in A Major for Violin Solo – Von Westhoff

Due to its unique, rich in harmonics, timbre, violin takes especial place in the classical repertoire – it is one of the main solo instruments, together with piano. If we were to mention jazz, saxophone also takes its place on pedestal, but even so, there are only a few instruments which are as versatile as to come to the fore on stage. Now it sounds as a common truth and pretty much it is, but long time ago there were not many people to give violin its due.

Not that there is something unusual in this – it is pretty much how the world works. For example, quite a vast amount of modern music is written on a computer, but before Max Matthews programmed a few sound-generating applications in the 60s, no one associated a PC with anything melodious. If it weren’t for some individuals, history might have taken a different path – some things we take as granted weren’t so until someone pointed out at what context they can be used in.

Name of Johann Paul von Westhoff might not be universally recognized, however it was no one other than him who wrote earliest pieces for solo violinю If it weren’t for Von Westhoff's efforts, we perhaps wouldn’t hear this beautiful instrument in the concert halls this often. Additionally, he was a pioneer in writing a multi-movement violin suite. Download a piece by this distinguished German composer here: Suite in A Major for Violin Solo.

Fauré – Ave Maria, Op.67 No.2

Composing almost in all music genres of his time, Gabriel Fauré is known to have written quite a big amount of chamber, piano, orchestral, vocal and choral music. Talking about the latter, it is especially demanded among listeners, as Fauré, a long time choirmaster, had certainly obtained better understanding of how to compose for voice during all the time spent in various Catholic churches. Curiously, he didn’t linger long at any of them, having even faced distrust for his religious views at the Church of Saint-Sauveur. Still Fauré’s impermanence doesn’t mean shortage of choice as concerns his sacred oeuvre. Here is Ave Maria (A Flat Major), Op.67 No.2. Enjoy!

Andante Cantabile from First String Quartet, Op.17

First String Quartet is not Tchaikovsky’s first work – to be exact, it is his 17th opus, – but it is a significant piece in terms of bringing him a worldwide fame, one of the first praised by critics from abroad (Germany and France foremost). Anyone who has heard a piece won’t have to think much about what caused panegyrics from persons like Hans von Bülow and Camille Benoit – sonically it is impeccable: gift of outstanding melodist was clearly expressed even in earlier works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with String Quartet No.1 being no exception. A special mention deserves harmony and overall mood: First String Quartet is among those pieces that can bring you in tears with their sophisticated beauty. Here is the second movement of a piece, arranged for piano by Karl Klindworth: Andante Cantabile from String Quartet, Op.11.

Le Tasse by Benjamin Godard

Certainly, not every composer’s oeuvre counts hundreds of works. In some cases, it is good: everybody works in their own unique way and differently perceives rhythm of life, depending on where they live. A composer in a village would less likely write in a hurry – pastoral idyll doesn’t encourage such an attitude. A composer in a megalopolis, otherwise, would… Well, wait, it was a wrong example: composing in a megalopolis is just impossible.

Without respect to what I'm saying, even in such a big city French violinist and composer Benjamin Godard was able to write a huge amount of works – perhaps because no cars’ klaxons disturbed him (in his lifetime – 1849-1895 – automobiles weren’t invented). Godard’s works are known to be unequal in terms of noteworthiness, however I handpicked one of these you should certainly like. Download one of his most distinctive works here: Le Tasse. Danse des Bohémiens (Arrangement for Piano), Op.39.

Etudes for Guitar, Op.60 – Matteo Carcassi

Electric guitar is immensely popular these days, and average guitarist with more chance is aware about virtuosi of the twentieth century than those who played this instrument in its more unplugged version, way before electricity was discovered. This is the situation, and I, without being too presumptuous, don’t think it is possible to change everything with a wave of the hand. However, I still write about all musicians and composers who, to my mind, deserve a little more recognition.

Matteo Carcassi was a Romantic composer and guitarist from Italy. What I like about him most, except his music, is that he provided shelter for a family of mice. It is so touching that I would repeat his princely gesture myself, but circumstances don’t let me do it: due to being solid-body, my guitar is less of a gnawer’s harborage than Carcassi’s was. As for his music, it’s a rare combination of true virtuosity and unadulterated lyricism. Here is his Etudes for Guitar, Op.60 Nos.8-9, enjoy.

Alban Berg's Violin Concerto

Contemporary classical music has always been a bone of contention for classical music lovers. What’s not to love? Well, technically it is classical, however as it breaks with centuries-old tradition, many turn away from it. No matter what, the devil is not so black as he is painted: one just needs to start with less fine-spun pieces to get used to contemporary music – this will make adaptation less painful and soon it will be possible to enjoy the 20th century repertoire.

To my view, works of Alban Berg may be a good start: this Austrian composer is known for altering the face of music together with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern. Unlike them, he didn’t shy away from Romanticism hence his music – adroit interlacement of tradition and hankering to open up new horizons of expression, – is more accessible without losing its novelty. Here is Berg’s Violin Concerto 'To the Memory of an Angel' – enjoy.