PHARAOHS by DA-WEI

An electronic instrumental work made of “musical portraits”, with its concept based on the interpretation of the characteristics of selected famous pharaohs of the Ancient Egypt, trying to capture their essence in music.
In this album the music is quite abstract, obscure, mystic, focused on sonic details and, I would say, rather uneasy, in line with my style (see also the previous album “Supernova”). It requires patience, attention to the sounds and an active interpretation by the listener’s side, in the attempt to create an environment around him/her.
Ten tracks, corresponding to ten renowned Ancient Egypt pharaohs, spanning over a 2700 years period, from the mysterious pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd dynasty (well known for his step pyramid in Saqqara) until Cleopatra, regarded as the last pharaoh of Egypt, queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Please listen with headphones !

1. DJOSER
He has been pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty (Ancient Kingdon). His famous Step Pyramid, where he was buried, is the oldest surviving major limestone building in ancient Egypt, still well preserved at present day at the site of Saqqara. Originally it was 62 mt high.
His reign is situated approximately between 2686 and 2649 B.C., following the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt into a single kingdom.
Djoser drove during his reign many military expeditions to the Peninsula of Sinai, during which the local inhabitants were subdued, thus expanding Egypt’s territory.

2. SNEFRU
First pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, (approximately 2613 to 2589 B.C.), he was able to introduce some notable innovations in the design and building of the pyramids. Also known under the hellenized name of Soris (Σῶρις).
One of his sons was Cheops, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Snefru is considered to have built three pyramids, bringing further evolution to the architecture. The Bent (or Romboidal) Pyramid in Dahshur area is probably the most famous one, due to its unusual shape showing a change of the angle of inclination. It is probable that the pyramid initially was not designed to be built this way, but was modified during construction due to instability issues.

3. CHEOPS
The pharaoh Cheops lived in the 26th century B.C. and ruled Egypt for about 30 years (4th Dynasty). He commissioned the impressive Great Pyramid of Giza (al-Jizah), regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
While he conducted relatively few military activities, he organized several expeditions to the South and to the North-East, to trade precious stones, copper and cedar wood, essential to build funerary boats.
He planned the construction of the Great Pyramid as his tomb, ordering to be built on the high end of the rocky Giza plateau, far from the previous pyramids, to make it clearly visible; it had an original height of 148 mt and presented a shiny casing of white limestone. Inside the pyramid there is a complex network of corridors and chambers, including the so-called Grand Gallery, leading to the King’s Chamber. However, the king’s remains have never been found.
A possible section of Cheops’ funerary complex is the famous Great Sphinx of Giza, although today its commission by the pharaoh Cheops is highly disputed.

4. CHEPHREN
Son of Cheops, he was the fourth pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty (died around 2532 B.C), during the earlier half of the Old Kingdom period (2700–2200 B.C).
Chephren’s huge pyramid, built on the Giza plateau, is surpassed only by his father’s. It is the only pyramid out of the three that still shows a portion of its original white cladding at the top. According to some opinions, the Great Sphinx of Giza was built for him and may have been carved out as a guardian of his pyramid, as well as a symbol of royal power.
During his life, he had numerous wives and at least 12 sons and 3-4 daughters.

5. MENKAURE
Pharaoh Menkaure is also well known under his hellenized name of Mykerinos (Μυκερῖνος) and reigned as king of the 4th Dynasty between 2550 and 2503 B.C. It is common opinion that he was son and successor of Chephren.
His pyramid, located on the Giza plateau, is the smallest (103 mt) of the three main ones of Cheops and Chephren. The burial chamber inside the pyramid, containing a basalt sarcophagus, was excavated in 1837.

6. HATSHEPSUT
Hatshepsut was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, daughter of Thutmose I, ruling first as regent, then as queen in the period 1479-1458 B.C. She was the second confirmed female pharaoh after Neferyuobek in the 12th Dynasty.
Often depicted as male pharaoh, she ruled Egypt through a period of prosperity and peace, overseeing important constructions such as temples in the pre-existing complex of Karnak and a beautiful columnated mortuary temple in Deir-el-Bahari, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the site of Thebes (today Luxor).
Together with the legacy of the three pyramids of Giza, this temple is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the ancient Egyptian architecture.

7. AKHENATEN
Tenth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty (ruled Egypt between 1353 and 1334 B.C.), he was called Amenhotep IV in first five years of his reign.
As pharaoh, he is well known for having abandoned the traditional polytheist religion, introducing monotheism under the form of worship around Aton, a solar deity, and changing his name to Akhenaten. However, after his death, ancient polytheistic practices were restored and his monuments and androgynous statues destroyed or hidden, not counting the exclusion of his name from the list of pharaohs complied by later kings.
He also moved the capital city from Thebes to a new site, Amarna, built as center of worship for Aton, and had the famous and handsome Nefertiti as royal wife.
Regarded as pacifist, he often neglected foreign policy although he was concerned about the expansion of the Hittites kingdom, pushing from North-East. His original tomb in Amarna, is now visible at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

8. TUTANKHAMUN
Tutankhamun, son of Akhenaten, ruled Ancient Egypt approximately 1332 – 1323 B.C. during the late 18th Dynasty. Worshipped during his reign as a deity, he ordered the restoration of the traditional polytheistic religions, shifting from the previous monotheistic one, established by his heretic father. He also moved the capital back to Memphis.
Tutankhamun, as young king, began the construction of his tomb in the Valley of Kings, but died suddenly at the age of 18, leaving the structure unfinished. He is famous mainly for the excavation of his tomb (1922) by a team led by Howard Carter, sponsored by George Herbert, better known as Lord Carnarvon.
Although it had been robbed in ancient times, the tomb was found in near-intact conditions and retained much of its original contents, including the pharaoh’s mummy preserved in a solid gold coffin, thousands of beautiful artifacts and his renowned golden face mask, visible at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

9. RAMESSES II THE GREAT
Regarded as one of the most powerful and celebrated pharaohs, he reigned in the New Kingdom period from 1303 to 1213 B.C., dying at the unusual age of 90 or 91, and was buried in the Valley of Kings.
He is considered one of most successful warrior pharaohs, conducting about fifteen military campaigns, all resulting in victories, including the famous Battle of Qadesh against the Hittites. He also focused on building temples, monuments and new cities, including the new capital called Pi-Ramesses.
Among his largest construction projects, the most notable are the impressive temple complex of Abu Simbel, in Aswan area, and the Ramesseum, near Thebes (Luxor).

10. CLEOPATRA
She was Egyptian or Greek? This is the most common question about her.
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator has been queen of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt (70-30 B.C.). She is considered by the historians the last pharaoh of Egypt.
Cleopatra was caught in both Caesar’s civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and the so-called Liberators’ civil war between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (to avenge Caesar’s murder) and the ones of Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, the latter defeated in the Battle of Philippi (42 B.C.)
According to the popular belief, Cleopatra committed suicide by allowing an Egyptian cobra (asp) to bite her, but in the opinion of most Roman historians, she poisoned herself using a toxic substance. After her death, Egypt became officially a province of the Roman Empire, putting an end, after over 3000 years, to what is regarded today as the “Civilization of the Ancient Egypt”.

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