Alexander - Epic Symphony

You can buy this song and my other songs here: https://faryafaraji.bandcamp.com/albu... Music composed by Farya Faraji. This is a symphonic piece I made about Alexander the Great, one of the most fascinating figures in world history, a man who has fascinated me since childhood and still does. I wanted to describe not only the broad strokes of Alexander's life as a conqueror, but also to describe the man himself, the individual with hopes, fears and insecurities, a man with virtues and vices, genius and mental instabilities; someone who could be a great king to some and a tyrant to others, which is why I didn't call this Alexander the Great--only Alexander. 00:00 Overture 01:26 Youth 4:40 To Asia 09:10 Son of Ra 15:46 Gaugamela 22:14 King of Asia 28:46 India 34:00 The Return 35:10 Death 39:00 To Eternity Overture, Youth and To Asia: At the heart of the symphony lies a simple melody on a pan flute that begins the story. To me, the essence of Alexander's character is found in that simple, vulnerable pan flute, not in the screams of large orchestras. I believe that all his life, Alexander was just a boy on the inside, a boy who desperately wanted to flee from the shadow of his mother and of his home; always searching for a home, for rest, but never finding it. The first three movements use Ancient Greek instruments and recreate the sounds Alexander himself would have heard. The lyres and the diaulos are played gently at first, then more violently during "To Asia," showing the textural range of these ancient instruments. Son of Ra: This section pays homage to the 50's and 60's sound of sword and sandal epics in the style of Miklos Rosza's soundtracks. I wanted to express Alexander's hubris and megalomaniacal tendencies with this section, and I believe the 50's style of sword and sandal films reflect ideas of self-grandeur, as well as fitting the theme of Ancient Egypt, since it was musically represented with this style many times. The chanting in this section is in the Ancient Egyptian language Dwa er Nethrw Nebet Tchau Nets Henwt Wa'at Sindj 'N Ist Ba N S Djet F Ba N S Djet F Senedj 'N Ist Henwt Amenit Tawi em sboy Senedj 'N Ist Herert em minti Eraat Ra Hsout - Amen Amen mintu O people and gods who are in the highest It is she, the only lady Stand in awe of Isis! It is she who gives birth to the daylight Stand In awe of Isis! The lady of the west (the underworld) And [The lady of] the two lands together Stand In awe of Isis! For she is the great eye of Ra in all of the regions India: Classical Indian music instrumentation. The chanting is in Sanskrit, and is the first strophe of the Shiva Tandava Stotra, a Hindu hymn to Shiva. Shiva Tandava Stotra Jatatavigalajjala pravahapavitasthale Galeavalambya lambitam bhujangatungamalikam Damad damad damaddama ninadavadamarvayam Chakara chandtandavam tanotu nah shivah shivam With his neck consecrated by the flow of water that flows from his hair, And on his neck a snake, which is hung like a garland, And the Damaru drum that emits the sound “Damat Damat Damat Damat”, Lord Shiva did the auspicious dance of Tandava. May he give prosperity to all of us.

I Am Cyrus - Epic Iranian Music

Music by Farya Faraji, vocals by Farya Faraji and Kelareh Kabiri. Please note that this isn’t reconstructed music from the Achaemenid era, only modern music with an ancient theme. Cyrus was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian Empire in Iranian history that took over the previous Median Empire. He is widely regarded by modern Iranians to be the father of Iran, and was one of the most revered kings in Antiquity, admired by Alexander and Caesar, and seen even into the Renaissance as the model for what a king should be. The lyrics are in Old Persian and Akkadian, the first being from what is called the CMa inscription found on Palace P of Pasargadae. From what I understand, these words may not actually date back to Cyrus’ era and would have been retroactively written after the era of Darius I. The second are from the Cyrus Cylinder, a document describing Cyrus’ taking power over the Babylonian Empire, and how he restored the temples, cults and sacred images. Due to this, the document is often proclaimed to be the first declaration of Human Rights in history, and while this is an exaggeration given that the concept of human rights did not exist back then, and the text embodies nowhere near the values promulgated by modern human rights (the actual text—there are false translations commonly circulated around the Internet); the Achaemenid policy of cultural and religious tolerance nevertheless remains something they were renowned for, and some current regimes 2500 years later lack behind them in this regard. This video is posted on the 29th October given that it is the national day of Cyrus in Iran, although not his actual birthday as it is unkown. Lyrics in Old Persian: Adam kuruš xšâya, Thiya haxâmanišiya, Kûruš, xšâyathiya, Vazraka, haxâmanišiya Wašna Auramazdaha, Adam xšayathiya amyi, Auramazda, xšhahiam, Mana frabara thatyi. I am Cyrus, King, an Achaemenian, Cyrus the great King, an Achaemenian By the grace of Ahura Mazda, I am King Lyrics in Akkadian: a-na-ku mKu-ra-aŠ Šar kiŠ-Š at Šarru rabu Šarru dan-nu Š ar Babili Šar mât Š ú-me-ri ú Ak-ka-di Šar kib-ra-a-ti ir-bit-tim mar mKa-am-bu-zi-ia Šarru rabu Šar alu An-Š á-an mar mari mKu-ra-aŠ Šarru rabu Šar alu An-Š á-an ŠA.BAL.BAL m Š i-iŠ-pi-iŠ Š arru rabu Šar alu An-Š a-an I am Cyrus, king of the world, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, Son of Cambyses, the great king, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, king of the city of Anshan; great-grandson of Teispes, the great king, king of the city of Anshan.

Thermopylae 480 BC - Epic Symphony

Music & vocals by Farya Faraji. Please note that this isn’t reconstructed historical music, it’s modern music that uses aspects of Ancient Greek music and modern Iranian music. Notes on some of the chapters: “The Spartans - Leonidas” uses the Enharmonic modes of Ancient Greek music, which was defined by usage of microtonal intervals. The orchestration and arrangement heard here is largely historically compatible, and may give an accurate enough insight into the sounds of Ancient Greek music. The instruments heard for the Greeks are a frame drum, Ancient Greek lyres, and a basic rural flute; as well as the aulos and bagpipes. Modern Greek instruments like the bouzouki also join in later in the symphony. The flute melody is in the first tetrachord of the Lydian Chromatic mode, another of the three variants of Ancient Greek modality: Enharmonic, Chromatic and Diatonic. The Iranian themes utilise the vast modal repertoire of Iranian music, called the dastgāh system today, which is related to the broader maqam system also used in modern Greece. The Achaemenids’ leitmotif and Xerxes’ leitmotifs are based on medieval variants of the Segāh mode that I found in the works of Safi-ad-Din and early Safavid-era music theorists. The Iranian instrumentation consists of a modern orchestra played in a typical Middle-Eastern fashion, a tar, setar, tanbour, qanun, oud, ney flute, santour, and daf and tombak drums. The lyrics to the chapter “the Empire” are Achaemenid-era writings written down in the Behistun inscriptions. The lyrics heard in Leonidas Gathers the 7000 are an Ancient Greek paean written by Aeschylus, for his play “The Persians.” The pronunciation I used for the Ancient Greek lyrics is Modern Greek, not reconstructed historical pronunciation. 00:00 Overture - Earth and Water 00:34 The Spartans - Leonidas 04:24 The Empire - Xerxes 07:29 To Greece 09:52 Leonidas Gathers the 7000 13:30 Thermopylae 15:06 The First Battle 17:02 Immortals Deployed 19:20 The First Night - Leonidas’ Dreams 21:14 The Second Day 25:14 Celebration and Feasting 26:48 Ephialtes’ Treachery 28:02 Leonidas’ Choice 29:50 The Shadows over Xerxes 33:14 Last Stand 37:24 The Empire Triumphs 37:52 Lament for Leonidas 41:30 A Memory Honoured