The Ruins of Athens Opus 113, is a set of incidental music written in 1811 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...

. The music was written to accompany the play of the same name by August von Kotzebue

August von Kotzebue

August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue was a German dramatist.One of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival in 1817. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl Ludwig Sand, a militant member of the Burschenschaften...

, for the dedication of a new theatre at Pest

Pest (city)

Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...

.

A second overture was written in 1822 for the same play. It was composed especially for the reopening of Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

's Theater in der Josefstadt

Theater in der Josefstadt

The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna...

 in 1822. The second overture is known as the Consecration of the House Overture

Consecration of the House Overture

Consecration of the House , op.124, is a work by Ludwig van Beethoven composed in September 1822. It was commissioned by Carl Friedrich Hensler, the Director of Vienna’s new Theater in der Josefstadt, and was first performed at the theatre's opening on October 3, 1822. It was the first work...

.

Perhaps the best-known music from The Ruins of Athens is the Turkish March

Turkish March (Beethoven)

The Turkish March is a well-known classical march theme by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was written in the Turkish style popular in music of the time....

, 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 composition, Six variations on an original theme, Op. 76, uses the Turkish March as its theme.

It was reworked in 1924 by Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss

Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...

 and Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal ; , was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist.-Early life:...

.

Movements

1. Overture, Op. 113, (Andante con moto, G minor - Allegro, ma non troppo, G major)
2. Chorus: Tochter des mächtigen 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
   Dervish
   A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
   
    Chorus: Du hast in deines Ärmels Falten (Allegro, ma non troppo - G major)
   
5. Turkish March
   Turkish March (Beethoven)
   The Turkish March is a well-known classical march theme by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was written in the Turkish style popular in music of the time....
   
    (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: Schmückt die Altare (Assai moderato - E-flat major)
8. Recital: Mit reger Freude
9. Chorus: Wir tragen empfängliche Herzen im Busen (Allegretto ma non troppo - G major)
10. Aria and Chorus: Will unser Genius noch einen Wunsch gewähren? (Adagio - C major) Er ist's! Wir sind erhört! (Allegro con brio - C major)
11. Chorus: Heil unserm König! (Allegro con fuoco - A major)

Text

German	English
Ouvertüre
2. Chor Tochter des mächtigen Zeus! erwache! Sein Ruf ertönt! Geschwunden sind die Jahre der Rache! Er ist versöhnt!	Daughter of Mighty Zeus! Awake! Her name resounds! The years of wrath are past! We are reconciled!
3. Duett Ohne Verschulden Knechtschaft dulden, harte Noth! Alle Tage neue Plage um das bischen liebe Brot! Von den Zweigen winkt der Feigen süsse Frucht, Nicht dem Knechte der sie pflegte, Nur dem Herren, dem er flucht! Hingegeben wilden Horden, Tiefgebeugt in ihre Hand, ach! ach! ach! ach! Was ist aus dir geworden, Armes, armes Vaterland!	To suffer slavery, though guiltless, is misery! Every day new sorrow to get our scrap of bread! On its branch shines the fig tree’s sweet fruit, not for the slave that tended it but for the cursed master! The people oppressed, bent low by his hand, ah! ah! ah! ah! what has befallen you, my poor fatherland!
4. Chor der Derwische Du hast in deines Ärmels Falten Den Mond getragen, ihn gespalten. Kaaba! Mahomet! Du hast den strahlenden Borak bestiegen Zum siebenten Himmel aufzufliegen, Großer Prophet! Kaaba!	In the folds of your sleeves you have carried the moon and shattered it. Ka’abah! Muhammad! You mounted the radiant Borakand, flew up to seventh heaven, great Prophet! Ka’abah!
5. Marcia alla turca
6. Zwischenmusik
7. Marsch mit Chor Schmückt die Altäre!— Sie sind geschmückt. Streuet Weihrauch!— Er ist gestreut. Pflücket Rosen!— Sie sind gepflückt. Harret der Kommenden!— Wir harren der Kommenden. Seid bereit!— Wir sind bereit.	Bedeck the altars!— They are bedecked. Swing the censers.— They have been swung. Gather roses!— They have been gathered. Await the priestesses!— We await them. Stand ready!— We stand ready.
8. Rezitativ Mit reger Freude, die nie erkaltet, empfangt das holde Schwesterpaar, Denn wo mit hohem Ernst die Muse sittlich waltet, Da opfert auch der Weise gern auf ihrem Altar. Was, mit dem Schicksal kämpfend, Grosse Seelen litten, Das hat Melpomene uns warnend aufgestellt, Indess Thalia, wachend über die Sitten, Zu ernsten Lehren muntern Spott gesellt. Wohlthätig wirkt der Musen geistig Spiel, Der Sterblichen Veredlung ist ihr Ziel.	With lively and ardent joy welcome the two holy sisters, for where the Muse gravely presides we gladly sacrifice at her altar. What great souls have suffered, struggling with fate, Melpomene, as warning, sets before us; while Thalia, keeping watch upon our ways, instructs us by use of merry jests. The Muses’ sport works to our benefit, for mortals’ ennoblement is their goal.
9. Chor Wir tragen empfängliche Herzen im Busen, Wir geben uns willig der Täuschung hin! Drum weilet gern, ihr holden Musen, Bei einem Volke mit offenem Sinn.	We bear responsive hearts in our bosoms, we give ourselves gladly to illusion! Bide with us, ye holy Muses, with a people of open mind.
10. Arie (Hohepriester) und Chor Will unser Genius noch einen Wunsch gewähren, Durch eines Volkes fromme Bitten bewegt, O so erhebe zwischen diesen Altären Sich noch ein dritter, der sein Bildnis trägt! Er steh’ in seiner Kinder Mitte, Erblicke sich geliebt, geehrt! Er ist’s! Wir sind erhört. O Vater Zeus! Gewährt ist uns’re Bitte!	If our guiding spirit will grant our wish, stirred by the people’s pious desires, then raise up between these two altars yet a third, bearing His portrait! Let it stand before his children to be seen with love and honor! It is so! We have been heard. O Father Zeus! granted is our desire!
11. Chor Heil unserm König! Heil! Vernimm uns Gott! Dankend schwören wir auf’s Neue Alte ungarische Treue bis in den Tod!	Hail to our King! Hail! Hear us, God! In thanks we swear anew to old Hungarian royalty unto the death!

Use in popular culture

In Latin America

Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

 the Turkish March theme achieved notorious fame, after it was modified by Jean-Jacques Perrey

Jean-Jacques Perrey

Jean-Jacques Perrey is a French electronic music producer and was an early pioneer in the genre. He is best known within the sphere of popular music as a member of the influential electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his unusually light-hearted style of music.-Biography:Perrey was...

 and later used as the opening theme for the highly successful Mexican TV comedy El Chavo del Ocho.