This is the piano accompaniment track for Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria. Written in G Major, it has a vocal range of D4-B5, making it suitable for sopranos. Originally published in 1853 as "Méditation sur le 1er prélude de piano de S. Bach," Gounod improvised the melody over Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier while his father in law transcribed it. This recording was made with Pavarotti’s performance in mind, with plenty of time for breathing at the end of phrases and holding climactic notes. Performed by Wendy Hellmann.