Ave Maria (Vavilov)

"Ave Maria" is a much-recorded aria, composed by Vladimir Vavilov around 1970 and often misattributed to Renaissance composer Giulio Caccini. Vavilov himself published and recorded it in 1970 on the Melodiya label with the ascription "Anonymous". It is believed that organist Mark Shakhin, one of the performers on the "Melodiya" LP, first ascribed the work to Caccini after Vavilov's death, and gave the "newly-discovered scores" to other musicians. The organist Oleg Yanchenko then made an arrangement of the aria for a recording by Irina Arkhipova in 1987, after which the piece came to be famous worldwide.

Selected list of recorded versions

 * 1970 – Vladimir Vavilov (vocal Nadezhda Vainer), Melodiya label
 * 1980s- Alexander Akimov, arranged for horn solo with mallet accompaniment, Soviet TV
 * 1987 – Irina Arkhipova, arranged by Oleg Yanchenko
 * 1994 – Inessa Galante, arranged for organ, on the live album Musica Sacra, Campion label
 * 1994 – Ilga Tiknuse, on the album The Organ of Riga Dome vol.3
 * 1995 – Inessa Galante, arranged by Georgs Brīnums on the album Debut, Campion label
 * 1997 – Lesley Garrett, arranged by Nick Ingman, on the album A Soprano Inspired
 * 1998 – Charlotte Church, arranged by Nick Ingman, on the album Voice of an Angel
 * 1998 – Julian Lloyd Webber on the album Cello Moods
 * 1999 – Andrea Bocelli, on the album Sacred Arias
 * 2001 – Sumi Jo, arranged by Steven Mercurio, on the album Prayers
 * 2003 – Minako Honda, on the album Ave Maria
 * 2005 – Hayley Westenra, arranged by Steven Mercurio, on the album Odyssey
 * 2008 – Kokia, on the album The Voice
 * 2008 – Libera, on the album New Dawn
 * 2011 – Patricia Janeckova, on the album Patricia Janeckova
 * 2014 – Jackie Evancho, on the album Awakening
 * 2014 – Elīna Garanča, on the album Meditation
 * 2015 – Tarja Turunen, on the album Ave Maria – En Plein Air
 * 2015 – Amira Willighagen, on the album Merry Christmas
 * 2021 - Marina Rebeka, on the album "Credo"

Use in films and trailers

 * Donnie Darko (2001)
 * Stairway to Heaven (2003 TV series)
 * Trollywood (2004)
 * Our Lady of the Assassins (2000, American release trailer)