Ellens dritter Gesang

Ellens dritter Gesang (Ellens Gesang III, D839, Op 52 no 6, 1825), Ellen's third song in English, was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Opus 52, a setting of seven songs from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake, loosely translated into German.

It has become one of Schubert's most popular works under the title of Ave Maria, in arrangements with various lyrics which commonly differ from the original context of the poem.

"The Lady of the Lake" and the "Ave Maria"

The piece was composed as a setting of a song from Walter Scott's popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake,p. 114, Spaeth (2005) Sigmund. Whitefish, Montana Stories Behind the World's Great Music Kessinger Publishing in a German translation by Adam Storck (1780-1822),Das Fräulein vom See: Ein Gedicht in sechs Gesängen von Walter Scott. Aus dem Englischen, und mit einer historischen Einleitung und Anmerkungen von D. Adam Storck, Professor in Bremen. Essen, bei G. D. Bädeker, 1819 and thus forms part of Schubert's Liederzyklus vom Fräulein vom See.

In Scott's poem the character Ellen Douglas, the "Lady" of "the Lake" (Loch Katrine in the Scottish Highlands) has gone with her exiled father to stay in the "Goblin's cave" as he has declined to join their previous host, Roderick Dhu, in rebellion against King James. Roderick Dhu, the chieftain of Clan Alpine, sets off up...
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