Original work:
Charles Gounod (1818–93), Méditation sur le 1er Prélude de piano de S. Bach.
This work for piano, violin and organ, which superimposed a cantabile melody
on the first prelude from J. S. Bach’s Das
Wohltemperirte Clavier, appeared in 1853, with a version for piano solo shortly after. In 1859 it was published for the first time as
Ave Maria, the words by Paul
Bernard, a copy of which Gounod inscribed to
Bizet in that year (F-Pn
Vm7 61056(3)A).
Transcription:Bizet must have made the transcription between 1859 and 1865, when it
was published by Heugel. Bizet’s arrangement, fifty
bars long, is grand and extravagant. He also made a simplified version for
piano solo in Le Pianiste-Chanteur, no. 43, and a
transcription for piano duet under the title
Méditation.
Autograph score:not known
Printed scores:
1
pl. no.:
H. 4474
pages:
title page, 2 blanks, music p. 2-7, blank
date:
1865
ann.:
Le Ménestrel, 19-11-1865; Bibliographie de la France,
16-12-1865