Iannis Xenakis – Persepolis (1971)

’Xenakis’ piece was not meant to be played by a traditional musical ensemble, arranging a multimedia spectacle staged in the dark of night all over the archeological site of the ancient city of Persepolis, using two lasers and ninety-two spotlights that projected patterns that evoked the Zoroastrian symbolism of light associated to eternal life. Fifty-nine loudspeakers projected, in turn, eight channels of sound throughout the audience, who, in the distance, could see bonfires burning and parades of children carrying torches over the hills, forming even more patterns, the most important of which was a message ‘written’ in Persian: “We bear the light of the earth”. Ahura Mazda, the main deity of Zoroastrianism, is a wholly benevolent god, the author of all beauty and vitality, a god that wants humanity to participate with him in furthering creation towards perfection. This invitation comes with no strings attached – no punishment, no reward except that of a better world. Those who followed this call saw th