AVE MARIA Schubert

It is a lied composed by Franz Schubert in 1825. It is one of his most popular works and it is known as Ave Maria, although there are some misconceptions as to its origin.
The piece is often referred to as Schubert's Ave Maria, but was originally composed as a settlement of a popular song from an epic poem by Walter Scott the Lady of the Lake (The Lady of the Lake), in a German translation by Adam Storck (1780-1822), and therefore form part of Liederzyklus vom fräulein vom See Schubert. In the poem by Scott, the character of Ellen Douglas, the "Lady of the Lake" (Loch Katrine in the Highlands of Scotland), has gone with his father to hide in the nearby 'cave of the Goblin"to avoid revenge of the King to his host, Roderick Dhu, the head of the Alpin Clan, who had sheltered them since the King exiled them. She sings a prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary (Ave Maria), invoking his assistance. Roderick Dhu, who is at the top of the mountain leading to the clan war, does not hear his song.
It is said that the piece was performed for the first time in the castle of the Countess Sophie Weissenwolff in the small Austrian town Steyregg and that she was dedicated to her, which led her to be known as "the Lady of the Lake"
The opening words and the chorus of the song on Ellen, namely, "Ave María", could lead to the idea of adapting the melody of Schubert as a settlement for the full text of the traditional Catholic Prayer Ave Maria. The Latin version of Ave Maria has now so frequent use with the melody of Schubert that has given rise to the misconception that originally wrote the melody as a settlement for the Ave Maria.