Ave Maria (Ellens dritter Gesang)

Franz Schubert

Barbara Bonney, Geoffrey Parsons

1994

Top choice. 'Just beautifully sweet and full as well.' Bonney sings all three original German verses. A gorgeous version.

Kathleen Battle / Leonard Slatkin / Orchestra of St. Luke's

1986

From her Christmas album, with orchestra and harp. She 'just sounds beautifully angelic,' with her 'soft, fluttering soprano voice above the arpeggios.' Sings all three German verses.

Leontyne Price / Herbert von Karajan / Vienna Philharmonic

1961

Worth hearing for Karajan's 'seductive and gorgeous' lush string sound. Price 'sounds gorgeous and full and beautiful' when she comes in to sing her verse.

Luciano Pavarotti / Kurt Herbert Adler / National Philharmonic Orchestra

1976

'Just beautifully strong and passionate and heartfelt.' He 'just does it so naturally and and and passionately and then the voice just sores.' Sings one verse in Latin and one in Italian.

Elisabeth Schumann

mid-1930s Mono recording.

Beautiful just to hear that 'age-old style of German Lieder' with 'immaculate phrasing and her beautiful full tone that she just controls so well.' Her voice comes through the dim sound.