King Stephan
The music for the König Stephan festival ( op. 117) is an occasional work by Ludwig van Beethoven . The work was performed as a prelude to the festival The Ruins of Athens (op. 113) for the opening of the new theater in Pest (now part of Budapest ). In 1808 the construction of a theater in the Hungarian city began. The builder was Franz Joseph Karl , the Archduke of Austria , who wanted to honor Hungary's loyalty to the Austrian monarchy in this way. Originally October 4, 1811, the emperor's name day, was planned as the day of the inauguration, but this date could not be kept. The premiere took place on February 9, 1812. The text comes from August von Kotzebue and refers to the founding of the Hungarian Empire by its first King Stephan I. The eponymous hero was played by an actor whose speeches were set to music by Beethoven as melodrama . As an independent concert piece, the overture is only occasionally heard in orchestral concerts.
construction
The work consists of the following parts:
- Overture (Andante con moto - Presto, E flat major)
- Male choir: resting from his deeds (Andante maestoso e con moto, C major)
- Male choir: walking on dark in dark groves (Allegro con brio - C minor)
- Victory March: (Fiery and proud - G major)
- Women's choir: Where innocence scattered flowers (Andante con moto all'Ongarese - A major)
- Melodrama (Stephan): You have your fatherland
- Choir: A New Shining Sun (Vivace - F major)
- Melodrama (Stephan): You noble Hungarians! (Maestoso con moto - D major)
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- a. Spiritual March (Moderato - B flat major)
- b. Melodrama with choir: Heil our kings! (Allegro vivace e con brio - B flat major)
- Final choir: Heil! Hail our grandchildren (Presto - D major)
Web links
- Beethoven, "King Stephan" : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- König Stephan at Allmusic (English)