Persian manuscript painting: Kavus on the flying throne.

Kay Kāvus (Persian: كيكاوس‎; Avestan: Kauui Usan); sometimes Kai-Káús or Kai-Kaus^[1][2], is a mythological shah of Iran and a character in the Shāhnāmeh. He is the son of Kay Qobād and the father of prince Seyāvash. Kāvus rules Iran for one hundred and fifty years during which he is frequently though increasingly grudgingly aided by the famous hero Rostam. He is succeeded by his grandson Kai Khosrow.

The flying throne[link]

The Flying Throne of Kay Kāvus was a legendary eagle-propelled craft built by Kay Kāvus, used for flying the king all the way to China.^[3][4]

According to the Shāhnāmeh, Kāvus had a flying craft made consisting of a throne to the corners of which were attached four long poles pointing upward. It was made of wood and gold and he attached specially trained eagles. Pieces of meat were attached at the top of each pole and the ravenous eagles were chained to the feet. As the eagles tried to reach the meat they caused the throne to fly. The craft flew the king all the way to China, where the eagles grew tired and the craft came down. Rostam eventually had to rescue the king who, miraculously, survived the crash.

References[link]

See also[link]

Perses (son of Andromeda and Perseus)

External links[link]

• Stories of Kay Kāvus and his Flying Throne
• Unmuseum on the Flying Throne of Kay Kāvus

This Iran-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a fictional character is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

Behzad Ranjbaran (born 1955, Tehran) is a leading Persian composer.

Ranjbaran was born and raised in Iran. He entered the Tehran Conservatory at the age of 9. Ranjbaran continued his study of composition at Indiana University. He obtained a DMA from the Juilliard School.

Ranjbaran's music is strongly rooted in the Neo-Romantic movement of the late 20th Century, as well as showing the influence of Iranian and other non-Western music. He has written compositions for, among others, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, and Yo-Yo Ma, as well a piano concerto for Jean-Yves Thibaudet.^[1]

Many of his works are inspired by Persian culture and literature. Persian Trilogy, a large orchestral cycle completed in 2000, was inspired by the Shahnameh of the 11th Century Persian poet Ferdowsi. He has been on the faculty of the Juilliard School since 1991.^[2]

Selected works[link]

Orchestral

• Elegy for string orchestra (1985)
• Persian Trilogy

1. Seemorgh (1991)
2. The Blood of Seyavash (1994)
3. Seven Passages (2000)

• Symphony No. 1 (1992)
• Awakening for string orchestra (2005)
• Saratoga (2005)
• Mithra (2010)

Concertante

• Concerto for violin and orchestra (1994)
• Concerto for cello and orchestra (1998)
• Elegy for cello and orchestra (1998)
• Moto Perpetuo for violin and string orchestra (2001)
• Elegy for cello (or clarinet) and string orchestra (2004)
• Concerto for piano and orchestra (2008)
• Concerto for violin, viola and orchestra (2009)

Chamber music

• Six Caprices for 2 violins (1988)
• String Quartet No. 1 (1988)
• Dance of Life for violin and double bass (1990)
• Caprice No. 1 for violin solo (1995)
• Moto Perpetuo for violin and piano (1998)
• Ballade for double bass solo (1999)
• Elegy for cello and piano (2000)
• Moto Perpetuo for flute and piano (2004)
• Piano Quintet (2005)
• Shiraz for violin, cello and piano (2006)
• Isfahan for clarinet, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2007)
• Fountains of Fin for flute, violin and cello (2008)

Piano works

• Nocturne (A Night in a Persian Garden) (2002)

Vocal

• Songs of Eternity for soprano and orchestra (1998)
• Thomas Jefferson for narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
• Three Songs for soprano and piano

Choral

• Open Secret for mixed chorus and chamber ensemble (1999)
• We Are One for mixed chorus (2008)

Awards[link]

^{[citation needed]}

• Rudolf Nissim Award
• Charles Ives Award

Students[link]

• James Lavino

See also[link]

• Persian Symphonic Music
• Music of Iran
• List of Iranian musicians

References[link]

External links[link]

• Behzad Ranjbaran official website

Fereydoun Rahnema (1939–1975) was an Iranian film director and poet. He is most known for his short film on Persepolis "Siyavosh dar Takht-e Jamshid". Although none of his films saw a theatrical release, they were highly influential within the Iranian New Wave movement. He also served as the director of Iran Zamin from 1966 to 1975.^[1]

Rahnema studied film in Paris, France. He began work on "Siyavosh dar Takht-e Jamshid" with funding from the Telefilm Company of National Iranian Radio & Television.^[1] Shot on location in the ruins of Persepolis, the film is based on Ferdowsi's poetic epic Shahnameh.^[2] It tells the story of Crown Prince Siyâvash who leaves his homeland in order to avoid dishonoring his father Shah Kay Kāvus. He marries the daughter of the local king Afrasiab, but is betrayed and murdered. The film is notable for its then-uncommon temporal experimentation with footage of tourists trekking through the ruins of Persepolis interspersed with the older setting.^[3]

Filmography[link]

• 1960 "Takht-e Jamshid" (Persepolis)
• 1965 "Siyavosh dar Takht-e Jamshid" (Siyavosh at Persepolis)
• 1973 Pesar-e Iran az Madarash Bi ettela' Ast (Iran's Son is Unaware of His Mother)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Fereydoun Rahnema on IMDB