Ludwig van Beethoven Turkish March, from The Ruins of Athens (piano solo version)

The Turkish March (Marcia alla turca) is a wellknown classical march theme by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was written in the Turkish style popular in music of the time. The theme was first used in Beethoven s 6 Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 76, of 1809. In 1811 Beethoven wrote an overture and incidental music to a play by August von Kotzebue called The Ruins of Athens (Op. 113), which premiered in Pest in 1812. The Turkish March appears as item No. 4 of the incidental music. Many music lovers associate the theme with The Ruins of Athens, although that was not its original appearance. The march is in B flat major, tempo vivace and 2, 4 time. Its dynamic scheme is highly suggestive of a procession passing by, starting out pianissimo, poco a poco rising to a fortissimo climax and then receding back to pianissimo by the coda. Anton Rubinstein arranged a popular piano version of the march in B flat major, tempo Allegretto. This version is the one featured in this video. (W