The Percussions de Strasbourg, September 1969. Chiraz-Persepolis Art Festival, Iran. The programme included: “First Construction in metal » by John Cage and « Ionisation » by Edgar Varèse. The festival was also here to see the birth of Iannis Xenakis’ piece « Persephassa » on September 9th, 1969.
Iannis Xenakis’ « Persephassa » was created at this occasion. There are only a few archives left of this piece, for its ring-like disposition around the audience made it difficult for people to record it or take pictures of it. When it was created in Persepolis, each percussionist was settled on the stump of a column of the Palace of Darius. The distance between them could go as far as 164 feet (50 metres).