Fantasy on the Ruins of Athens, S.122 (1852), by Franz Liszt
Image: Ippolito Caffi, The Partenon (1863)
Performers: Michel Béroff, Kurt Masur and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

The incidental music for the Ruins of Athens was written along with the one for King Stephen in 1811 by Beethoven for the opening of a theatre in Hungary, that opened the year later.
Liszt, was born in a little village in Hungary the same year of the compositions of these pieces, he had met Beethoven and he had made a wonderful impression on him, so much so that according to him the event was his greatest pride.

Liszt must have felt a deep connection, both to the composer, and his composition, and after so much thought he composed this piece 30 years later (more or less) from when he had met the great composer (Beethoven).

He composed it in 1852 and he made the frist performance of the piece, in his native Hungary on the 1st of June 1853, but it was printed only in 1865 and dedicated to the russian composer, director Nikolay Rubinstein, brother of the more prolific composer and director too, Anton Rubinstein. We don't know if the piece was succesful, but he surely needs more recognition among Liszt vast catalogue.

Good listening by MikoNatt! (Back again)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_aCz9zAkH4