Iannis Xenakis’ Persepolis stood as witness to one of the most important events in modern human history, the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Its existence is owed to an invitation to participate in the 1971 Shiraz Arts Festival, which was overseen by Empress Farah Pahlavi. Like the Festival, and the extravagant celebratory party held the same year, Xenakis’ symbolic paean to Persian history was polarizing. Many loved it, others detested it. Overwhelming but also subtle and precise in its non-harmonic shifts in texture and density, listeners and critics simply did not know what to make of it. This book tells the story of Xenakis’ early history and involvement in the Resistance against the Axis occupation of Greece during the Second World War, escape and re-settlement in Paris, work as an architect with Le Corbusier, and distinct views on world history and politics that all led to his 1972 electro-acoustic album Persepolis.
Acknowledgments Dramatis personae Preface Introduction: 'Signal' 1. The Voice of the Resistance 2. Paris, 1947 3. The Voice of the Avant-garde 4. The Voice of Cyrus 5. Shiraz, 1967–69 6. Paris, 1971 7. Persepolis, 1971 8. The Voice of Khomeini 9. Afterlife Endnotes Index
Aram Yardumian is Assistant Professor at Bryn Athyn College, USA, specializing in the nexus connecting the Caucasus, Middle East, and South Asia. He has conducted fieldwork and research at multiple sites in these regions and has travelled worldwide. His publications include surveys of molecular genetics and ancient history, as well as intellectual history and critical reviews of arts and culture.
