The Ruins of Athens (Die Ruinen von Athen), Opus 113, is a set of incidental music pieces 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.
Contents
A second overture was written in 1822 for the same play. It was composed specifically for the reopening of Vienna's Theater in der Josefstadt in 1822. The second overture is now known as The Consecration of the House.
Perhaps the best-known music from The Ruins of Athens is the Turkish March, a theme that even many who are not 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 compositions, Six variations on an original theme, Op. 76, uses the Turkish March as its theme.
The music for The Ruins of Athens was reworked in 1924 by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.
Movements
- Overture, Op. 113, (Andante con moto, G minor - Allegro, ma non troppo, G major)
- Chorus: Tochter des mächtigen Zeus (Andante poco sostenuto, E-flat major)
- Duet (a Greek and a Greek girl): Ohne Verschulden Knechtschaft dulden (Andante con moto - Poco piu mosso, G minor)
- Dervish Chorus: Du hast in deines Ärmels Falten (Allegro, ma non troppo - E minor)
- Turkish March (Vivace - B-flat major)
- Music from the back of the stage (Allegro assai ma non troppo - C major)
- March with chorus, Op. 114: Schmückt die Altare (Assai moderato - E-flat major)
- Recital: Mit reger Freude
- Chorus: Wir tragen empfängliche Herzen im Busen (Allegretto ma non troppo - G major)
- Aria and Chorus: Will unser Genius noch einen Wunsch gewähren? (Adagio - C major) Er ist's! Wir sind erhört! (Allegro con brio - C major)
- Chorus: Heil unserm König! (Allegro con fuoco - A major)
Arrangements
In 1852 Franz Liszt composed a Fantasie über Motive aus Beethovens Ruinen von Athen (Fantasia on [motives from Beethoven's] Ruins of Athens, S.122), for piano and orchestra.
Use in popular culture
In Latin America the Turkish March theme achieved notorious fame, after it was modified by Jean-Jacques Perrey and later used as the opening theme for the highly successful Mexican TV comedy El Chavo del Ocho.
In several videos documenting footage of the Warhammer 40k video games, the song has had a popular reaction and become a recurring theme among the fans.
The March is often found as a demonstration tune on electronic keyboards and musical toys, possibly because of its strong percussive sound.
The Duet and the Dervish Chorus were the background music for several scenes in an Australian film version of Timon of Athens.