"Ave Maria", written by Charles Gounod over a melody by Johann Sebastian Bach, can surely be regarded as one of the most famous pieces in classical music. The composition is based on the Prelude Nr. 1 from Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier". In 1852, Gounod created a improvisation exercise and named it "Méditation sur le premier prélude de Bach". Seven years later, it was combined with lyrics of the prayer Ave Maria and is now mostly known under this title.