Iannis Xenakis's Persepolis

Iannis Xenakis’ Persepolis stood as witness, and was in a certain way the soundtrack, to one of the most important events in modern human history, the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Its existence is owed to the direct solicitation of the Shah Reza Pahlavi, who wanted a western-leaning future for Iran and saw Xenakis’ work as resonant with his vision. Like the extravagant celebratory arts event at which Persepolis was premiered in 1971, the highly symbolic music itself 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; his escape and re-settlement in Paris; and his motivations and vision for Persepolis.