Noctave
The piece
In 1853 Charles Gounod laid a melody of his own over the first prelude of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, without changing its harmony: he added just one bar to the prelude. First written for violin and piano under the title Méditation, the melody was given the Latin words of the Ave Maria a few years later. This is the version Gounod himself transcribed for piano alone, published in Paris by Heugel: the song is heard twice, the second time in octaves.
The whole point is to make the melody sing above a soft, even accompaniment. Both hands share the notes of the prelude: the edition marks with a D (right hand) or a G (left hand) the ones that change hands, and Noctave shows them to you in colour. In the second part, the right hand holds the song in octaves while also taking a few notes of the prelude: keep your wrist supple and your thumb light. Start with hands separately and slowly, then put them together at 66 beats per minute.