The Ruins of Athens

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The Ruins of Athens (Die Ruinen von Athen), Opus 113, is a set of incidental music written in 1811 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The music was written to accompany the play of the same name by August von Kotzebue, for the dedication of a new theatre at Pest.

A second overture was written in 1822 for the same play. It was composed especially for the reopening of Vienna's Theater in der Josefstadt in 1822. The second overture is known as the Consecration of the House Overture.

Perhaps the best-known music from Die Ruinen von Athen (The Ruins of Athens, in English) is the Turkish March, a theme that many who are not even avid classical music listeners are familiar with. The overture and the Turkish March are often performed separately, and the other pieces of this set are not often heard. Another of Beethoven's composition, Six variations on an original theme, Op. 76, uses the Turkish March as its theme.

It was reworked in 1924 by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

Contents

[edit] Movements

  1. Overture, Op. 113, (Andante con moto, G minor - Allegro, ma non troppo, G major)
  2. Chorus: Tochter des machtigen Zeus (Andante poco sostenuto, E-flat major)
  3. Duet (a Greek and a Greek girl): Ohne Verschulden Knechtschaft dulden (Andante con moto - Poco piu mosso, G minor)
  4. Dervish Chorus: Du hast in deines Aermels Felten (Allegro, ma non troppo - G major)
  5. Marcia alla turca / Turkish march (Vivace - B-flat major)
  6. Music from the back of the stage (Allegro assai ma non troppo - C major)
  7. March with chorus, Op. 114: Schmuckt die Altare (Assai moderato - E-flat major)
    • a. Recital: Mit reger Freude
    • b. Chorus: Wir tragen empfangliche Herzen im Busen (Allegretto ma non troppo - G major)
    • c. Aria: Will unser Genius noch einen Wunsch gewahren? (Adagio - C major)
    • d. Aria: Er ist's! Wir sind erhort! (Allegro con brio - C major)
  9. Chorus: Heil unserm Konig! (Allegro con fuoco - A major)

[edit] Use in popular culture

In Latin America this theme achieved notorious fame, after it was modified and used as the opening theme for the highly successful Mexican TV comedy El Chavo del Ocho.

[edit] References

[edit] External links