Ellens dritter Gesang ("Ellen's Third Song", D. 839, Op. 52, No. 6, 1825),
was composed by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Op. 52, a setting of seven
songs from Walter Scott's 1810 popular narrative poem The Lady of the Lake,
loosely translated into German.
It is one of Schubert's most popular works. Beyond the song as originally
composed by Schubert, it is often performed and recorded by many singers under
the title "Ave Maria" (the Latin name of the prayer Hail Mary, and also
the opening words and refrain of Ellen's song, a song which is itself a prayer
to the Virgin Mary), in musically simplified arrangements and with various
lyrics that commonly differ from the original context of the poem.
It was arranged in three versions for piano by Franz Liszt.
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