You can find many of the individual songs here on the Skaldic Bard's channel, be sure to check him out! A collaboration between The Skaldic Bard and Farya Faraji. Music by Farya Faraji and The Skaldic Bard with traditional melodies from Greek, Scandinavian, Georgian, Belarusian and Ukrainian folk music. The artwork of the Varangian is by Joan Francesc Oliveras Pallerols, whose visual reconstructions of ancient peoples I highly recommend you check out: www.artstation.com/jfoliveras Old Norse and Old East Slavic lyrics by The Skaldic Bard, Koine Greek lyrics by Demetrios Paraschos, with additional texts from The Alexiad, Kutadgu Billig, the Divan of Khayyam, and the Roman des Franceis. Instrumentation by Dimitrios Dallas, Jiří Maršálek, Mohab Attalah, Illias de Sutter Ndavidlis, GSMusicStudio and the Hiimart Group. Vocals by The Skaldic Bard, Farya Faraji, July Vitraniuk, Dimitris Kap, and The Skaldic Bard's wife Lady Skald. This work is mainly based on the sounds of the depicted cultures' modern counterparts, using the instruments, melodic motifs and rythmic patterns of the traditional forms found in those cultures today, as follows: The Norse are represented using modern Scandinavian sounds: Norwegian-Faroese melodic motifs, Schottische dance melodies, as well as Swedish-Norwegian instrumentation such as the nyckelharpa, hardanger, harps, and traditional zithers of the region. The Eastern Romans are represented using modern Greek traditional and liturgical sonorities: Constantinopolitan, Thracian, Nisiotika, Pontian and Cretan folk sonorities, including Psaltic liturgical forms such as kalophony using Byzantine musical temperaments. The instruments consist of: oud, kanun, Dodecanese, Thracian, Constantinopolitan, Pontic and Cretan lyras, gaida, saz, tzouras, and the medieval organ, as well as toumberleki, davul and bendhir drums. Slavic passages are rooted in modern East Slavic folk motifs and instrumentation, primarily using guslis, bagpipes, the hurdy-gurdy, and flutes. July Vitraniuk provides the vocals using traditional vocal intonations of the region. The melodies associated with the Slavs come from the folk songs "Što j pa Moru," and "Yurya," both from Belarus. Georgian passages utilise modern Georgian traditional music, namely their specific kind of harmony, musical forms such as the Sachidao chant and Acharuli dances, the touloumi bagpipe, and the panduri. The Normans are represented using historical medieval French music, with bagpipes, hurdy-gurdys (with the anachronistic usage of chiens on the latter), lutes and gitterns. Their passage uses Organum fifth and fourth parrallel harmony as per the era. The Seljuks utilise a mixture of modern Turkish and Iranian music, with the usage of the ney, kopuz, and bağlama, drawing partially from Sufi musical forms as well as Anatolian folk dances. 00:00 Overture 02:58 My Astrid 06:27 Yearning 10:58 The Merry Vikings 15:02 To The World 22:42 Rivers of the Slavs 28:05 Miklagard 33:08 A Raven-Haired Maiden 36:26 The Emperor 42:24 Love's Blossoming 45:16 To Georgia 53:42 The War in Georgia 1:07:14 My New Faith 1:09:42 Zonaradiko of Wealth 1:14:30 The Choice 1:17:23 My Wedding 1:20:06 Against the Rus' 1:23:00 Battle in Lemnos 1:26:57 Fury of the Slavs 1:31:14 The Varangians Retaliate 1:37:08 Zonaradiko of Greed 1:41:10 The Passing of Basil II 1:44:26 Tides of Time 1:48:50 Love's Souring 1:51:58 Against the Normans 1:54:26 Battle in Montemaggiore 2:02:24 Farewell to Sigurdsson 2:05:06 A Life of War 2:13:54 Lament of Gold 2:16:02 Love's Death 2:18:14 Taksims of Time 2:22:10 In the Year 6579 2:24:14 Astrid's Lament 2:30:30 Elder's Wisdom 2:36:14 Against the Turks 2:39:49 The Last Prayer 2:43:06 Manzikert 2:53:20 The Last Stand 2:56:52 Death
Only made it to “The world” and already I love the use of the Roman “To Marble” theme. EDIT: I LOVE the reprise of the Boulgaroktonos theme! EDIT 2: I also LOVE the second reprisal of the Seljuk Theme as well as the reprisal of the Romanos Theme! EDIT 3: ARSLAN! HIKANATOI! EDIT 4: Dude, this symphony has everything. Mf Terirem is here too!?
Maybe something about William the Conqueror and his story, battle of Hastings and slaying his a friend-enemy Harold II (William give him a maille, helmet etc.)?
@@Eugene-tm8fm Might sound a little heretical, but I like to skim through Symphonies on first listen to pick out leitmotifs. It helps me enjoy the Symphony more on consecutive run throughs because I know what I’m getting into.
@@swirlyskyshock1155 Can't blame you, I'm the same with open world games. Every time a new Elder Scrolls comes out, I do one speedrun to get a feel of the game, and then I do my "actual" walkthrough once I know what to expect
Farya, dear friend, it has been a privilege to work on this with you. Your vision, talent and brilliance know no bounds. I am honoured to have added what I could to a musical masterpiece that only one man alive is capable of. Thank you everyone for listening and for your kind words of support, and Merry Christmas. Guð blessi yðr!
Basil's campaign in Georgia occurred in 1021, and the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, meaning that this symphony stretches over roughly fifty years. If we assume that this Varangian was a teen or a young adult when he joined the guard, then he would be in his 70s by the time of his death in battle. That's one hell of a warrior!
Damn! This is the reason why Farya rarely posted song regulary as usual. I told you guys he was cooking something unusual and suspicious in his kitchen!!
When he disappears in the shadows for a while, he's either composing music for the gods like this masterpiece he just made, or preparing a killer Epic Music episode because he's that goat
"God came to us as a poor carpenter", I like how he keeps his faith realizing how it actually had a message he didn't notice, and instead of seeing Isabella in his death "bed" he sees Astrid, implying Astrid was more just than Isabella.
There's also some hints that he actually never forgot Astrid, or at least not before the greed and lust. In Love's blossoming, he remembers her, and it might just be my own interpretation but everytime we hear that one girl singing (skaldic Lady or the other woman, i don't know) everything seems to calm down, as if thinking of Astrid calmed him before battle, like at the very begining of war in Georgia and other moments. This symphony is Perfect
@@t.l.ciottoli4319 Elder's Wisdom. The last part has the Varangian point out to the emperor that "God came to us as a poor carpenter", followed with him advising the emperor to be pure like Christ and let the emperor's goodness be evident to all.
I see alot of people saying they skip through Farya's symphonies to listen only to the loud battle parts, and having listened to this one in its entirety... guys, DO YOURSELVES A FAVOUR and listen to the whole thing, you have NO idea what you're missing out on by skipping to only a few parts. This isn't a song compilation, this is an epic sweeping opera with an actual story that Skald and Farya wrote. Even if it takes you a few days, do it, by the end you'll feel like you've watched an epic historical film about a Varangian's life and you'll be crying your eyes out during the ending. if anything the epic parts feel so much more grand and epic once you know their story/emotional context
Absolutely Agree. By far the greatest collab of previous songs Farya has done yet. And as a speaker of Slavic Languages myself, it was cool to be able to understand what was being said in Rivers of the Slavs and against the Rus.
Damn, the contrast between the zonaradiko of greed and Astrid's lament gave me a real "Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity" moment. This man is an artistic titan
''In those days i was the richest of men.'' ..... The whole story with Astrid is truly something of great beauty. This is the most wonderful symphony i ever heard, God bless you Farya & Skaldic/ Lady Bard.
>Caesar & Augustus: 0.5h each >Crusader: 1 hour >Justinian: 2 hours >Varangian: 3 hours At this rate we can expect a 24h symphony somewhere around late 2026, or a double event by mid 2025.
i just had a chat with Aristoxenos! He refuses to believe that barbarians from the north and Mesopotamia could compose such an epic masterpiece 😆 This is truly amazing by both you and @SkaldBard . Congratulations and thank you so much my friend
29:28: Imagine stepping into Hagia Sophia as a foreigner for the first time. Meeting the divine through the monumental. If the Varangians could hear the music of that moment, this is exactly what it would sound like. Absolutely epic.
"We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We know only that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty.” - emissaries of Vladimir I, Grand Prince of Kiev, describing the Hagia Sophia
They seemed like they were kinda bored to me... they etched into the balconies of the Hagia Sophia to pass the time 😂 pity they converted, their ancestral spirituality suited their northern nature far better than Christ. Conversion was a curse unto their descendents imop, a subversive alien element that has been their undoing for millenia or more now.
Given textual context and the bird singing with the voice of a man I doubt he plowed for crops. Nay, my wager is these burrows were the graves of his children.
This is one of the greatest Christmas gifts I could have ever received. 29:28 Literally the most majestic rendition of the "Kyrie eleison" motif I've heard, even surpasses the one from Nineveh 627, and I think I'm geeking out over Boulgaroktonos showing up as well
10:58 The Merry Vikings ACTUALLY sounds like nordic folk music! I'm so glad to hear some appreciation for the cheerful tunes so common up here in the north, thank you so much!
Thanks alot! I quite spent some time studying Norwegian and Swedish folk tunes when preparing the Scandinavian segments, glad to see it comes through here :)
@@faryafaraji if you still feel like diving into something specific, the ballad Sven Svane / Sven Vonved in danish, norwegian and swedish and Vestmanviiki in Finnish might be a fun deepdive, it's both a vengeance ballad (in its oldest scandi versions and in the finnish loan) and a riddle song (in later scandi folk music)
This is amazing! When I read the name of the chapter "Elder's Wisdom" I thought something like: "Hell yeah, some sort of Old wise man is gonna show the Varangian the error of his ways." I was really (pleasantly) surprised when this got twisted and the old Varangian was the Elder and gave advice to young Romanos. Also I find it great that Isabella has no voice lines, but Astrid has a lot. If my interpretations that Isabella is a Symbol of Greed and Wealth and Astrid of Love and Peace, it shows that Gold does not love you back, it doesn't share the warmth for you that you may feel for it. Gold does not care. Astrid/Love does care, it waits for you and wouldn't give up, even if all hope may be lost. Thank you, Farya, SkaldicBard and everyone else, who was envolved! This is a wonderful Christmas present
SPOILER BELOW: - - - - I think it's really fitting that, just like the Varangian we go into this sympony expecting an epic tale of badass glory, and come out of it realizing it is secretly (like another comment put it:) a moral lesson about counting your blessings and not giving into greed
What i love the most about this song is that it has a soul. Don't get me wrong, other pieces Farya made also have a soul, but in this one, you follow a man, his thoughts, his love and desires, his mistakes. You do not follow lyrics, you follow the story of someone
Exactly. It makes it just as captivating of a story as a good historically-based book or movie. I can relate to the Varangian even if he doesn't have a name of his own. I was so sad when bro died :/.
@@janstaniszewski536 i'm not a fan of movies in general but i love historically themed /as accurate as possible movies. Same, i relate to our varangian. The fact that he is nameless is even better to me, because some varangians basically lived the same life (without some details like becoming the captain of the guard) but fighting alongside Harald, drinking, being greedy and getting wiser with age has most probably happened to at least one varangian
@@serges.a.s1841 I only cried literally because Skald's wife's voice is so beautiful 🥰 And also during Astrid's Lament I think I shed some genuine tears of sadness. That girl surely did deserve better. As for the Varangian himself I really liked that dude even with his massive moral problems so to say. He was so unbelievably brave and and yet so human. Truly a great, multi-layered character. Only brought to life through music and melodical means.
@janstaniszewski536 that's how you build a great character, make him human ! Give him feelings, flaws and fears. The poor Astrid did deserve better, everything changed when he met Isabella. She kind of represents his greed and the way he fell in love with constantinople and its riches. I believe that near the end, when he got wiser, he thought of going back home. When everything got sourer. But he was used to this life and had an oath to fullfil. I cried different kind of tears, tears of sadness and what i call tears of hype (like during Miklagard, that rendition of kyrie eleison was absolutely beautiful ! Or during the war in Georgia, battle in montemagguiore and the last stand) i shed tears of sadness at the end of Astrid's laments, the death of Basil II, Farewell to Sigurdson and our varangian's death
Wow, the story behind this song is so engaging... A man who finds his life as a farmer a monotonous one, despite loving his wife Astrid intensely. One day, a ship of Varangians returns from Constantinople filled with riches and the man runs to the coast to see the men he admires so much arriving. The Varangians, happy, excited and filled with riches for their services, invite new recruits to sail down the river to Miklagardr, and the man finds himself in a dilemma:stay with his beloved wife in a monotonous life or follow his calling and intense desire of his heart, but far from his wife? He decides to leave for Miklagardr, and there lives surreal experiences for a common norse... Congratulations Farya Faraji, Skaldic Bard and everyone involved for this musical gem! Pop songs become noise compared to this!
Wow man. I was expecting a bunch of combat and glory like The Crusader and Justinian, and there was plenty of that, but I didn’t expect this shit to nearly bring me to tears. Hell this put me through every emotion imaginable. Frustration at the guardsman's greed and then terrible sadness for Astrid. Laughter at the Normans calling the Byzantine defense shitty. Awe at the war in Georgia, and amazement at the power of the Turks at Manzikert, (which that section is better than the actual Manzikert symphony). Just wow man.
'onestly, i was not aware you were allowed to swear in these symphonies. The normans seriously went: Your defences ain't worth shit bro, i wude feel sad for you if this werrent so hilarious
I'm here literally bawling my eyes out at this absolute masterpiece of a Greek Tregedy. Though I've always said since it's release, that "Justinian" is your Magnum Opus, I now believe you've outdone yourself, not only in bringing the sounds of the instruments and voices of the past in this Modern Song, but you've also succeeded at telling an incredibly compelling story, since once more (as you did with "The Jannissary") you decided to tell the story of an unrecorded, but plausible, and flawed man. I'm used to gasp and be surprised in your songs more closely inspired by actual historical figures, but this one has absolutely left me speechles. Bravo
I listened to the whole symphony from beginning to end and it was as if I lived the whole life of this Varangian. At "Astrid's Lament" I cried with her. This is an absolute masterpiece, Farya. Thank you very much.
Been listening to this almost nonstop for the past couple days, absolutely epic. One thing that intrigues me that I haven't seen anyone else comment on, that this is the second piece of yours I've listened to with a chapter titled "My New Faith". Both of these are stories of warriors, centuries apart, in the very same city, who adopt a new faith for twisted reasons. The Janissary, who is forced to convert to Islam, and the Varangian, who begins his worship of Christ not out of reverence but because he has been seduced by the wealth and opulence of Constantinople (both literally and as personified by Isabella), and believes Christ will give him wealth and power in exchange for his worship. And the tragedy is that by the time the Varangian realizes that it was all vanity, he's so far steeped in blood and gold that there's no way out, and all he can do is see his course through to the bitter end, all while counseling a young basileus not to make the same mistakes he did. And The Last Stand, is just perfect at depicting the final moments at Manzikert, as the Varangians make their final stand, the protagonist giving his commands and watching his men fight their last. When Astrid's leitmotif comes in for a moment in the battle, I can picture the grizzled captain of the guard, having done all he can to command his men up to that point, seeing more and more of his men fall while the younger, stronger warriors are tightly encircling the emperor in their final moments. Then his mind drifts for a split second as he accepts his fate, and he pictures Astrid's face again, which steels his resolve enough for him to take his last act of courage and make his death charge at Alp Arslan. The sheer image of the grey bearded Varangian captain making his suicidal charge to meet the sultan in single combat is just a perfect tragic end to the action, and his last words encapsulate the overall theme so well. Altogether perfect beginning to end. Bravo!
I'm really happy that the images you describe are exactly what I was imagining when composing this haha, good to hear, and thanks alot for the kind words!
Zonaradiko with Old Norse lyrics?? The Thracian-Norse crossover I didn't know I needed Welcome back Farya, the world missed you and your music! This symphony is such a wealth of musical traditions and our ears are blessed.
HOW MANY HOURS!? The Canadian Persian has cooked once more. This will be playing on repeat for the next 8 months. Edit: Aaand I've been reminded of Manzikert once more.
I was not lying by the way. TH-cam won't show me the statistics but I am pretty sure I have listened to the symphony at least once every two days. I may be more addicted to this symphony than I was to the Justinian and Augustus ones. I am absolutely addicted to the "Varangians retaliate" part and have caught myself humming the music during any physical work. I cannot decide which symphony should I consider second but this one is definitely the current Magnum Opus. Definitely waiting for both this and Crusader to be added to spotify, along with the rest of Justinian and the other shorter titles.
This is a truly mesmerizing composition about the life of a varangian as it well could've been, dreaming of the glory joining the Emperor in Constantinople, leaving behind his home and his loved one, battling on alongside the famous and infamous Harald "Hardrada" Sigurdsson in the East and West, finding a noble wife for his life in the service of the Emperor but not being quite true as the love he felt back home, finally dying after a lifetime of war in one of the most humiliating defeats of the Eastern Roman Empire, remembering the "smell of pines" and his beloved Astrid as he's making the final journey towards Heaven/Valhalla. Truly a masterpiece, shed a tear in the end. Well done to you Farya, the Skaldic Bard and all the people who worked on this symphony!
Yet, he blames not the God of Abraham for this decision. It feels as though he blames himself and his own greed. The words he said to Romanos Diogenes almost seems like he laments at the fact he has failed to be “Christlike”.
29:38 is absolutely fire. It truly describes the grandness of Constantinople. It left me speechless, just like how the greatness of Constantinople would have left a Viking speechless.
Absolute hits by my opinion: -Merry Vikings -The Emperor -To Georgia -The war in Georgia -Zonaradiko of Wealth -Zonaradiko of Greed -Passing of Basil II -A life of war -My Wedding -Manzikert
You know if you asked me a year ago, i enjoyed music but i was never really truly excited for it. Now, at 29:28, when the Byzantine Leitmotif returned triumphantly as the Varangians reach Constantinople, i had a reaction of pure joy, adrenaline, and excitement that Avengers: Endgame could only hope to elicit from me. Well done Farya, well done.
@@serges.a.s1841 Don't worry bruðr, I am a Romaboo too.(although for me it is more towards classical Roman Empire) Besides, I have kind of a personal attachment to Basil because he ruled in the same time as the first two rulers of Poland(my country). Also I love Basil's epitaph, it's just like: "Hey fellow, I was a great Emperor and defeated lots of peoples, please pray for me". Idk I just love that 🤣
I just finally finished the janissary in time for another "the life of" symphony. Oh, joy. And 3 hours? What a massive offering you've served up today, Farya!
This and the Janissary have got to be the best compositions Farya has made, I love the narrative aspects of them. I’m only halfway through this but I’m convinced that this is Farya’s (and the Skaldic Bard’s) magnum opus
Just realized that the Varangian is probably narrating the Overture section from heaven (or Valhalla)... makes the "friend and enemy" line make much more sense.
Obrigado pelo seu trabalho. Meu filho que me apresentou sua música, a qual ele passa o dia ouvindo. Ele inclusive traduziu toda a letra desta obra de arte para o português. Só não conseguiu colocar nos comentários porque excede o máximo permitido. Minha esposa sempre pergunta se você não faz apresentações ao vivo. Espero que faça um dia. E venha para o Brasil. Agradeço a Deus por você existir. Obrigado Farya.
I've subconsciously started to associate the melody from "The Merry Vikings" and the Zonaradiko sections with wealth and plundering. Just now I caught myself humming it absentmindedly while looting a wealthy village in Minecraft lol
@@sib113 I vaguely remember a very early farya video where it was first played on piano, but I think that’s since been taken down The earliest extant video where it’s featured is the fall of Constantinople symphony
Absolutely beautiful storytelling, I really like how you used the Imperial Acclamations to show the passage of time, and the growing feeling of decay and futility (the love, the military glory, and the gold all fading with time).
Your Incredible storytelling abilities combined with Skald's lyrical genius, have caused even a fidgety person like myself to stare at a Varangian png for 3 hours. This has genuinely been one of the best and most engaging movies I have ever seen or in this case listened to. I also found it so cool how the first introduction this character has to Rome is Under Basil II, making it believable that he would be so blinded by the wealth and splendor of the empire, then at the end tying it into your previous Manzikert symphony. It truly seems like everything you have learned from every previous symphony has culminated here, from the in-depth personal story telling of the Janissary, to the grand adventure and dynamic cast of characters of the Justinian symphony, and your individual battle symphonies like Manzikert and Nineveh. Seeing your channel from its early days to now is super Inspiring, thank you so much again for all the hard work you have put into these projects! also F's in chat for Astrid
@@faryafaraji Of course brother, you have no Idea how much this has motivated me to get back into the grid of my own creative projects, please keep doing what your doing! also on a side note do you take commissions for short film soundtracks?
Holy, where do I even start? An amazing story is being told here... it's truly fascinating to see such an exceptional and adventurous life be so masterfully portrayed in all its aspects. All the glories, tragedies (especially poor Astrid), battles, emotions, stories of riches, and moments of love have been captured so beautifully here. And not to mention all the appearances of those many different past songs and motifs of you two. Your Varangian theme, Boulgaroktonos, The Empire of the Romans / Kyrie Eleison theme, Sons of Mars (we fully expect Sons of Mars in even more languages now :P), Alp Arslan's theme from the Manzikert Symphony, the two Roman themes from the Manzikert Symphony, The Seljuks' theme, Hikanatoi, Skaldic Bard's Varangian theme, Skaldic Bard's Harald Hardrada theme, and probably so much more where I just haven't heard the individual songs yet... And in all these languages! You make all languages sound so beautiful, it's miraculous. This is, once more, a fantastic masterpiece by both of you, and listening to these 3 hours has been a true blast. Thank you for blessing our ears with this!
Speaking of motifs where I probably didn't hear the original song yet: I swear I recognize "Tides of Time", but I just can't tell from where... another symphony, or an individual song? Or am I imagining things?
Alright I’ve listened to the symphony in its entirety, this is without a doubt your magnum opus, I don’t even know where to begin with how fantastic this. I don’t know how you went from uploading spare music you made (if I remember correctly) to this absolute masterpiece but here we are. Don’t know how you’re gonna top this one but knowing you you’ll probably cook up a 6 hour symphony about the Spanish conquest of Mexico or the Epic of Gilgamesh or something in six months time. I now understand how people are able to sit around a fire for hours on end and listen to tales and epic poetry being recited. The homeless Canadian man and the 21st century Viking have cooked harder than they’ve ever cooked before
I'm truly honoured, thanks so much. It did start with me just uploading random music scribbles here as a personal Google Drive, but it's the support of viewers like you that got me here. Also, as much as I also believe this to be my best symphony to date, it's all thanks to the Skaldic Bard and his lyrical/linguistic genius. I can only manage largely instrumental stories that hint at character development on my own; but Skald elevated this to the level of an actual opera with his lyrical prowess. The man's a legend
2:21:08 this part is such a treat for anyone who knows the history of the Battle of Manzikert... the way he says "Romanos Diogenes" in a different intonation from the names of the other two emperors, and the ensuing melody are an ominous foreshadowing of the tragedy that would mark his reign.
Just imagine, The Priest decided to change the melody for the first time in his lifetime and it ended up predicting a horrendous folley. Or even worse, he’s suffering from gout and the pain caused him to change his tone.
@@vladimirs6042 "Romanos Diogenes" is nominative though. I think in this case the names of the emperors aren't necessarily in the same sentence as the Polychronion, though, otherwise they'd need to be in the accusative (I think. I don't know much Greek, especially not Medieval Greek). "O Lord God, give long life to our most pious Emperor." (Full stop, sentence over.) "Michael Kalaphates."
Edit: Okay, listened straight through at work, I adored the way the love story paralleled the seduction of the northman by the glory of Constantinople. I did not expect a greek tragedy with a moral lesson about not leaving the blessings you are given for riches and glory either, I was invested in the characters of oir farmer turned Varangian and Astrid to the end. Bravo and bravo again to Skaldic and Farya, you've shown once again why you guys are far and away my favorite musicians on youtube! This is a true Saga worthy of the name! Okay, I don't comment often and I haven't even listened yet, but I know already this will be amazing and I wanna do a bit to boost you for the algorithm. I loved Justinian and The Crusader, and they got me through many a rough retail work day and help me do a lot of my historical-fantasy writing. I've been with you and a huge fan of your music, Farya and Skaldic, since early in both of your channels' days and I've always loved both of your unique historic-themed work with the very languages of those you sing of. This topic in particular sings to my Anglo-saxon ancestry and Roman heart together. My prayers are with you both and the continued success of your channels.
I’ve probably listened to this symphony almost every day since release (it’s a great way to pass half of my shifts at work), and I swear, every time I do, I pick up on a new thing. Since I’m not having much success convincing any of my friends to watch a three-hour video, I’ll take to the comments here instead. I’ve taken particular interest in the Manzikert section. I only listened to your original Manzikert symphony after this one, and I love that even though the themes and general flow of the songs are similar the feel of the two is vastly different to me. Your original sounds more like a sweeping epic to me, like an eyewitness account of the battle, but this section here is so powerful because it is from the perspective of a participant (on what became the losing side, no less). This was the first time in the symphony when I genuinely felt a sense of dread for our Varangian. The Iberians, Rus and Normans never seem to pose a serious threat to him, and even though the latter managed to defeat the Guard in Italy there is always an air of confidence to him as he marches into battle. Against the Seljuks, that is gone, replaced with foreboding present in the music ever since his warning to Romanos IV not to seek glory for himself against such a formidable foe. He knows that this time he is marching to his death, and it saddens me that he is fully aware of this having done all he could to temper the ambitions of his young basileus. My knowledge of the history of the battle and its prelude only deepens my appreciation for your composition. Knowing that Romanos signed a deceptive peace treaty with Alp Arslan before amassing an army to challenge him, plus his refusal of a peace offer from Arslan before the battle tragically echo the warnings of the Varangian and cast a shadow over the events to come. I love that in “Against the Turks” at 2:38:32 we hear the flute part that only appears at 47:01 in “To Georgia,” but this time without accompanying drums. These are the first and last times he goes to war, and his perspective of each battle has shifted radically. I can imagine the battle playing out exactly as you scored it, with the first Seljuk theme depicting their sallying the Roman lines as they advance toward the camp. The “Hikanatoi” theme then shows the Romans’ initial success in capturing the camp, but it feels much less triumphant as the Varangian is still fully aware of his dire situation and continues to ask Jesus to save him. The transition into “Terirem” (which I learned is basically Orthodox improvisation to keep the chant going) is such an inspired choice for this, as some confusion ensued when the Romans were forced to evacuate the camp shortly afterwards. I love that it is only used once in this first iteration, just as if Romanos is giving orders just for the sake of giving orders and acknowledging his shallow accomplishment. (The decision to divide his forces in half before battle and seeing his Turkic mercenaries defect before the engagement could also be weighing heavily on his mind by this point.) The second iteration being exclusively “Terirem” only deepens the sense of panic; Romanos’ fateful order to fall back was misunderstood by his right wing, and his treacherous general Andronikos Doukas then retreated with his reserve troops. The ensuing section of “The Lion Roars” then perfectly represents Arslan’s pouncing on the opportunity presented before him and routing the Roman army in short order. Knowing that Arslan was not even all that magnanimous in victory even despite its great scale is even more tragic for Romanos. All that was asked was four cities on the frontier and a large tribute, which he attempted to make after being released from captivity. (For context, I do not blame Romanos for the loss of the Empire’s territory in Anatolia, nor do I believe it warrants ranking him among the worst Eastern Roman emperors. Arslan and his successor only advanced after receiving the news of Romanos’ death at the hands of the Doukids, and their candidate Michael VII did far more damage to the Empire than his predecessor by debasing the currency and entertaining civil war.) The outcome of Manzikert, however, must be laid at the feet of Diogenes. Even though he was betrayed (the reason I do not attribute full blame to him) I cannot help but wonder if the whole disaster could have been avoided had he taken just one of the numerous chances afforded to him for peace that were not so humiliating. And so, our Varangian dies on the field of battle after nobly defending the man who led him to slaughter. He acknowledged the vanity of leaving Astrid for Isabella, his relentless pursuit of wealth and the deaths of his brothers in arms, and he knows that his own death now leaves the emperor to fall into enemy hands. I hope for his sake that his end came swiftly so as not to hear Romanos being taken captive. Had he lingered and survived the battle, he would have seen the Empire (to which he devoted his life and axe for nearly 50 years and had seen at its medieval zenith under his original patron Basil II) bifurcated and diminished by internal strife. Farya and Skald, you have composed a masterful symphony and it has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of music. I love this take on historical fiction and the great lengths you take to represent other cultures faithfully in your work. Well done, and many thanks for this release! Signed, someone who cares way too much.
Well I know what im gonna be doing all day tommorow. I'll be frank, I was having a decent day before this dropped, but this will now be one of my great personal memories. When Manzikert dropped, I was walking down the street alone at night, and began sprinting down it from joy. When Thermopylae dropped I immediately called all my friends to tell them how damn happy I was. When Justinian dropped, I screamed like a 16 yo girl loudly enough to alert someone in the next room over. Seeing this, I was merely left solemnly speechless. Not to brag, but i have an uncanny ability to predict what toure going to upload next. Just before you upload a new banger, I get the urge to listen to similar works. Yesterday, I got the unexplainable urge to listen to Manzikert and The Varangians. And today, you turn all of us, the hundreds of thousands of your admirers, into 16 yo fangirls at a beatles concert in the 1960s! Glory to you, Farya, the greatest of our time!
The Viking, who at the beginning of his journey swore allegiance to his beloved Astrid, sailed east in thirst for wealth and glory. He found what he was looking for. But he forgot about the promise he had made. He rejected his gods and found another girl. And only at the point of death did he remember Astrid and realize that in those distant days he had already been the richest of men. It is unbearably sad.
I don't think he remembered Astrid only before his death. Sometimes, we can hear a woman's voice singing (the exact same thing than in "death"). It can be interpreted as Astrid crying and calling him, but like to think of it as both this and him thinking of her
Yes exactly. The symphony clearly tells that he kept thinking of her even though he left her for Isabella. It is also very great motive how he ditched the gods to whom he'd sworn to return to Astrid, but his love for her didn't truly die out. This beautifully shows how strong it was. Even stronger than gods.
Every time I think that Farya Faraji can't do better, he does. A true masterpiece, even better than Justinian's symphony when I thought it was the best that could be done. Farya Faraji and The Skaldic Bard have once again shown that they are capable of amaze us and make us travel with their music. I don't have the words to express how much this music touched me. There are so many emotions that emerge from this story that we follow through the music. The notes manage to reflect the emotions much better than images would. This whole symphony is such a mix of style, different cultures, recognizable musical motifs and subtle historical references, it is a real pleasure to follow from start to finish. A big thank you to Farya Faraji, The Skaldic Bard and all those who collaborated to create this masterpiece.
Holy cow This hit hard This genuinely moved me in a way that nothing else you've made, not even Justinian, has. Farya, somehow you've exceeded even Justinian in all its glory with this. Can't wait to see what's next- and the Skaldic Bard collab was GLORIOUS too. I loved hearing all the familiar themes, and new ones too!
I like how in My New Faith at the end sound steadily overwhelms the Varangian and fully blinds with his own desire of wealth and renown, for later in Elder's Wisdom to see himself in the Emperor. Love your work.
and the moment i almost fell asleep farya snaped me back to reality with a notification of a new amazing piece of music. Seems the sleeping time s just been delayed. Been waiting for something just as grand as Justinian and Crusader but seems that i ve got even more. Thanks, Farya! Also Last Stand is a cool choice for one of final pieces
Without even going into the musical artistry, the composition, the attention to detail, the rich instrumentation, the use of leimotifs from within this symphony and from the rest of your work. The story itself, painted like this, could easily be a movie!
@@kekw1667 Komi sigr eða bani Verðum vér ei hugvani Betra er at mey siti í sorgum En lifi í náðum með orgum x2 Brøðr erum Norðrsjóvar Einskonar eiðs, blóðs ok trúar Fyrir sakir Miklagarðs Lifa ok deyja Værengjar! x2
I listened to it all and ive got to say. This is the most beautifil story ive ever heard. Genuinely felt like i was sucked into the whole narrative. The tale of astrid serves as a beautiful flipside to this heroic man. I genuinely felt that this was a real true story with this man who is 3xtremely imperfect morally, yet still serves as a beautiful protagonist. I felt sympathy, hapinness and anger for the same man. Which is beautiful. For your next project i would love a story of Mahmud of Ghazni, or Qutbuddin Aibak, ive recently been reading medevial texts about these people and the narrative potential is immense. You can even make the narrator or writer the protagonist!
I love this symphony. It's a blend of musical traditions stretching from Scandinavia all the way to Iran, and especially Iran as you really nailed the santur. The choice of the Varangian had to make between marrying Isabella, staying in Byzantium to serve the emperor and returning to his beloved Astrid who he will never see again is bound to hit plenty of emotional nerves
Farya, this is incredible!! The storytelling, the leitmotifs, everything!! This collaboration is more than an epic symphony, it is a literal experience - I was two different people before and after listening, it's nuts. Please, never stop making stories like this!!
My first language is Swedish and I actually understand some of the old norse lyrics. Lines like Älskan min, mitt hjärta är ditt (modern spelling) are almost the exakt same in modern Swedish. Though there is a noticable difference in the spelling. In modern swedish älskan min has changed to min älskade but still. I didn't expect to understand as much of it as I did. Oh and fantastic work as always BTW.
To be honest, as a french, it is the same for me when i listened to The crusader, or other pieces in old french or even old english, some things are so close to the modern spelling, it brings a weird feeling, but i'm here for it
33:08 this is the piece I first heard from The Skaldic Bard. Hearing it again, with a different arrangement and as part of a bigger piece, totally hits different, and I love it!!!
This is breathtaking! One of your best symphonies for sure! So many good moments, new and old leitmotifs (usage of the Scandinavian female song to end the symphony reminded me of the "Gladiator" movie). And great thanks (Дякую and Спасибо!) for the Old East Slavic parts of the symphony! Kyivan Rus is somewhat unrepresented even in Byzantine-related historical media.
The whole capturing of Isabella's story shows that in art, even something as horrible as betrayal and cheating can be portrayed as beautiful, sentimental, possibly even... charming?
Our protagonist does not see his deeds as bad at the time, thus the music is joyful. Only with time does he start realising that Isabella was just a passing affair whereas he trully did love Astrid. With time he begins to realise that temporary things such as wealth, renown or lust are not enough and they never were worth losing the trully important things, that being true, unconditional love. The news of Astrid trully breaks him though and he realises that all would've been better had he been more like Christ was, that being trully good and full of love. He can't really change himself anymore though, all he can do is pass on his wisdom to the person asking him how to get both the things our Vareg already obtained, that is great wealth and renown. I am not sure whether he does not try to come back becouse Astrid is already dead or due to his unyielding loyalty to the Basileus but, either way, he gets what he trully wanted in the beginning, that being renown and an honorable death as a rich and respected man. It is in his latter judgement a lesser end compared to living a poor yet peaceful life with Astrid.
@deci2723 Great analysis man. It's amazing how much can we draw from just a piece of music. After all, "It is better that the maiden should mourn than live peacefully with a coward", as the Northmen sing in the symphony. I think the answer to your question is probably willing to stay loyal to the Emperor. After all, if the Vareg betrayed him, it would not be much better than what he did to Astrid. But I believe that it also contributes to that unexpected, truly great drama that Skald and Farya managed to conjure. We are given no simple answers as for the story itself. Look again at Isabella for example. Her meeting with the Northman looks quite like it could just (in theory) be a friendship, then suddenly he falls in love with her and they get married. You could say that this is purely the Varangian's fault and it would be mostly true, but looking from his perspective it is only normal that seeing a beautiful and richly looking lady in the magnificent Miklagardr would result in falling in love. Secondly, they get wedded, so it means they both feel this for each other. I think that the reason why the Northman didn't stay loyal to Astrid is just a simple move of heart that prevailed over his sense of honor, nothing more.
2:58 my astrid 53:42 The war in Georgia 2:56:52 death These are my favourites Also the singing voice at 3:00 is one of the most amazing sounding things I’ve ever heard
A COMPILATION OF SOME MORE OF MY THOUGHTS I think its really really powerful that the Roman leitmotif, specifically the eastern roman Pater Imon version, though so grand and powerful here and elsewhere, is still in its essence not a revelatory proclamation of strength, but a cry for mercy from God above, a lesson the Varangian could have learned early if he had paid attention to his own symphony. The Romans have great wealth, but they live in fear and reverence of God, who did not give, but merely alowed them to have their wealth, and could take it at any time, deluvering judgement. For only on Earth do Emperors rule. I've heard people compare The Varangian to The Janissary, which makes sense as they're both tragic and biographical tales of the lives of different warriors based in Tsarigrad, but I always find the story of the Janissary to be even more tragic. A deprived life, a life of war with no love but the love of God and ones comrades, and the knowledge that it was not a life chosen, but a life forced on a child taken from his home. One who knew of riches and glory in war, but not of the joys of a wife, children, and a family. By contrast, the Varangian lived a full, though ultimately unhappy life, led by his own decisions. I always cry at the ending of the Janissary, even more than at Astrids lament and the death of the Varangian. The Varangian in the last moments remembers the True love of an innocent girl who loved him for who he was, and whom he doomed to a life of longing, but in his last moments, the Janissary remembers the repressed childhood memory of his Christian mother, of all that he could have had in his life but was taken from him, of tender familial love. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. The Varangian chose a life of riches and blood over a life of Love, but the Janissary had no choice in the matter, making hia final realisation of the truth, that Love is supreme, even more heartbreaking, as he never even had a chance. I will admit though, at astrids lament, I was outside when first listening to it and had to take a break and sit down as not to embarass myself by crying in public lol. Superb stuff farya. Unrelatedly, in this symphony i understood the main lyrics of the Seljuks, the "morghi didam" etc. in a completely different light. Usually, it's a comment on the continuity of their civilization with that of ancient Iran, as well as a reminder that nothing lasts forever. But here, it is a harbinger of doom. "I saw a bird perched upon the gates of Rome In the presence of Caesars skull To the skull he said: "alas, alas, alas Thy drums are hushed, thy 'larums have rung truce" It's no longer: "Nothing lasts forever" Now it's: "Youre fucking finished" Chills down my spine every time.
This is one of your best pieces yet, Farya. The story of the Varangian's life and the finale where he remembers his love of Astrid was touching. I felt like I was watching a movie when it was only sound, maybe a film producer should consider this...
When The Crusader came out, I knew it is not enough. It was very good but... I knew the time will come, when you two will do something special. And this is exactly it. The quality of music, vocals, the story it brings... It's just unbelievably good. I'd have never imagined that the next collab would be THAT awesome. Man, hearing your two's best Varangian/Byzantine pieces next to each other with an actual story behind them is just otherworldly experience. Thank you, Faraya and Skald, for this christmas present.
This feels like a movie, through each track I can feel different emotions and stories. As someone who is half Rum (Pontian) and half German I can't help but imagine myself as a child of Roman from Anatolia and a Varangian. Makes this whole Symphony more personal. I do wonder why there aren't any good historical stories like that.
SamarveerSingh-j2j Akritas did sleep with Maximou (that's what she's called in the version i've read) and afterwards he apologized to his wife. In the russian version, though, he refuses
I never anticipated such a mesmerizing, otherworldly experience in witnessing the grand Varangian saga; it truly stands as your magnum opus, surpassing even the majestic heights of the Justinian Symphony.
I'm still listening, but when I heard the Varangian Guard Ballad from Skallad I got the largest grin, then when I heard parts of Boulgarktonos, I felt another grin come across my face. Also, the addition of parts of Reforms from your Justinian symphony was a beautiful call back. So far, it's a beautiful symphony and tops the Justinian one in my opinion.
May God bless you Farya! You are truly amazing! And Skaldic Bard as well! Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication to create such masterpieces which give us strenght to carry on and make life feel worth living! There still is hope for humanity! ❤
Lyrics at 49:45,in pontic greek, from a Pontiac acritic folk song: (Edit: I've changed the acute accents to be closer to how Farya pronounces them, and I've also made the transcription more narrow. I hope that doesn't cause too much confusion.) Άκριτας οντές ελάμνεν σην παραποτάμεαν την ώραν πεντέ αυλάκα Και το πούλιν κελαηδήσεν σαν ανθρώπι' λαλίαν Άκριτα μου ντο καθέσθε ντο στεκείς και πέρμενεις; Το ενοίκο σ' εχαλάσαν και την κάλη σ' έπεραν Τ'όλον κάλιον τ' αλόγον σ' στρώνε και καβάλκευνε Transcription(I.P.A values): Ákritas odés elámnen sin parapotámean Tin óran pedé avláka Ce to púlin celaiðísen san anθrópi lalían Ákrita mu do kaθésθe do stecis ce pérmenis To eníko sexalásan ce tin káli séperan Tólon kálion talóɣon s stróne ce kaválcevne
Probably one of my favorite bits in the symphony, thank you so much for the transliteration, now I can memorize and learn it❤️ my gratitude from America🇺🇸
You can find many of the individual songs here on the Skaldic Bard's channel, be sure to check him out!
A collaboration between The Skaldic Bard and Farya Faraji. Music by Farya Faraji and The Skaldic Bard with traditional melodies from Greek, Scandinavian, Georgian, Belarusian and Ukrainian folk music. The artwork of the Varangian is by Joan Francesc Oliveras Pallerols, whose visual reconstructions of ancient peoples I highly recommend you check out: www.artstation.com/jfoliveras
Old Norse and Old East Slavic lyrics by The Skaldic Bard, Koine Greek lyrics by Demetrios Paraschos, with additional texts from The Alexiad, Kutadgu Billig, the Divan of Khayyam, and the Roman des Franceis.
Instrumentation by Dimitrios Dallas, Jiří Maršálek, Mohab Attalah, Illias de Sutter Ndavidlis, GSMusicStudio and the Hiimart Group.
Vocals by The Skaldic Bard, Farya Faraji, July Vitraniuk, Dimitris Kap, and The Skaldic Bard's wife Lady Skald.
This work is mainly based on the sounds of the depicted cultures' modern counterparts, using the instruments, melodic motifs and rythmic patterns of the traditional forms found in those cultures today, as follows:
The Norse are represented using modern Scandinavian sounds: Norwegian-Faroese melodic motifs, Schottische dance melodies, as well as Swedish-Norwegian instrumentation such as the nyckelharpa, hardanger, harps, and traditional zithers of the region.
The Eastern Romans are represented using modern Greek traditional and liturgical sonorities: Constantinopolitan, Thracian, Nisiotika, Pontian and Cretan folk sonorities, including Psaltic liturgical forms such as kalophony using Byzantine musical temperaments. The instruments consist of: oud, kanun, Dodecanese, Thracian, Constantinopolitan, Pontic and Cretan lyras, gaida, saz, tzouras, and the medieval organ, as well as toumberleki, davul and bendhir drums.
Slavic passages are rooted in modern East Slavic folk motifs and instrumentation, primarily using guslis, bagpipes, the hurdy-gurdy, and flutes. July Vitraniuk provides the vocals using traditional vocal intonations of the region. The melodies associated with the Slavs come from the folk songs "Što j pa Moru," and "Yurya," both from Belarus.
Georgian passages utilise modern Georgian traditional music, namely their specific kind of harmony, musical forms such as the Sachidao chant and Acharuli dances, the touloumi bagpipe, and the panduri.
The Normans are represented using historical medieval French music, with bagpipes, hurdy-gurdys (with the anachronistic usage of chiens on the latter), lutes and gitterns. Their passage uses Organum fifth and fourth parrallel harmony as per the era.
The Seljuks utilise a mixture of modern Turkish and Iranian music, with the usage of the ney, kopuz, and bağlama, drawing partially from Sufi musical forms as well as Anatolian folk dances.
00:00 Overture
02:58 My Astrid
06:27 Yearning
10:58 The Merry Vikings
15:02 To The World
22:42 Rivers of the Slavs
28:05 Miklagard
33:08 A Raven-Haired Maiden
36:26 The Emperor
42:24 Love's Blossoming
45:16 To Georgia
53:42 The War in Georgia
1:07:14 My New Faith
1:09:42 Zonaradiko of Wealth
1:14:30 The Choice
1:17:23 My Wedding
1:20:06 Against the Rus'
1:23:00 Battle in Lemnos
1:26:57 Fury of the Slavs
1:31:14 The Varangians Retaliate
1:37:08 Zonaradiko of Greed
1:41:10 The Passing of Basil II
1:44:26 Tides of Time
1:48:50 Love's Souring
1:51:58 Against the Normans
1:54:26 Battle in Montemaggiore
2:02:24 Farewell to Sigurdsson
2:05:06 A Life of War
2:13:54 Lament of Gold
2:16:02 Love's Death
2:18:14 Taksims of Time
2:22:10 In the Year 6579
2:24:14 Astrid's Lament
2:30:30 Elder's Wisdom
2:36:14 Against the Turks
2:39:49 The Last Prayer
2:43:06 Manzikert
2:53:20 The Last Stand
2:56:52 Death
Only made it to “The world” and already I love the use of the Roman “To Marble” theme.
EDIT: I LOVE the reprise of the Boulgaroktonos theme!
EDIT 2: I also LOVE the second reprisal of the Seljuk Theme as well as the reprisal of the Romanos Theme!
EDIT 3: ARSLAN! HIKANATOI!
EDIT 4: Dude, this symphony has everything. Mf Terirem is here too!?
Maybe something about William the Conqueror and his story, battle of Hastings and slaying his a friend-enemy Harold II (William give him a maille, helmet etc.)?
@@swirlyskyshock1155 how have you listened to the whole song already it’s only been an hour and a half ☠️
@@Eugene-tm8fm Might sound a little heretical, but I like to skim through Symphonies on first listen to pick out leitmotifs. It helps me enjoy the Symphony more on consecutive run throughs because I know what I’m getting into.
@@swirlyskyshock1155 Can't blame you, I'm the same with open world games. Every time a new Elder Scrolls comes out, I do one speedrun to get a feel of the game, and then I do my "actual" walkthrough once I know what to expect
Farya, dear friend, it has been a privilege to work on this with you.
Your vision, talent and brilliance know no bounds. I am honoured to have added what I could to a musical masterpiece that only one man alive is capable of.
Thank you everyone for listening and for your kind words of support, and Merry Christmas. Guð blessi yðr!
Merry Christmas, Selamat hari Natal!
Merry christmas mate, your work is truly brilliant.
@SkaldBard Merry Christmas to you and thank you for this worthwhile gift!!
Thank you for this great song sir!
Merry Christmas
Babe wake up! Iranian man contributed to world cultural heritage again!
Feel the scent, Persian man and British man have cooked once more!!!
Persian poet Ferdowsi: best arts are from iranians and that's it❤
Channel iraniye؟
@@Shahinskyy اره دیگه، فریا فرجی
همکاری بین المللیه دیگه
با Skaldic Bard ایرلندی و چن نفر دیگه
@ باعث افتخاره واقعا،اصالت میباره از این کانال👍
Basil's campaign in Georgia occurred in 1021, and the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, meaning that this symphony stretches over roughly fifty years. If we assume that this Varangian was a teen or a young adult when he joined the guard, then he would be in his 70s by the time of his death in battle. That's one hell of a warrior!
he could have joined at 15. Back then, there was no such age distinction as there is now.
Damn! This is the reason why Farya rarely posted song regulary as usual. I told you guys he was cooking something unusual and suspicious in his kitchen!!
@@luthfilofianda3999 I’d say let him cook, but Farya and Skald had fries and a drink with this order!
I wanted a symphony about the Varangians and Basil II and it seems like we got both.
Was thinking he would drop us the Reconquista Symphony or the Fall of Granada but no....he dropped us a three hour Varangian banger
@@justinianthegreat1444 I really hope the symphony about the conquest of the New World, the fall of Tenochtitlan or Cuzco in a future
When he disappears in the shadows for a while, he's either composing music for the gods like this masterpiece he just made, or preparing a killer Epic Music episode because he's that goat
"God came to us as a poor carpenter", I like how he keeps his faith realizing how it actually had a message he didn't notice, and instead of seeing Isabella in his death "bed" he sees Astrid, implying Astrid was more just than Isabella.
There's also some hints that he actually never forgot Astrid, or at least not before the greed and lust. In Love's blossoming, he remembers her, and it might just be my own interpretation but everytime we hear that one girl singing (skaldic Lady or the other woman, i don't know) everything seems to calm down, as if thinking of Astrid calmed him before battle, like at the very begining of war in Georgia and other moments. This symphony is Perfect
sorry, which song are u referring to?
@@t.l.ciottoli4319 Elder's Wisdom. The last part has the Varangian point out to the emperor that "God came to us as a poor carpenter", followed with him advising the emperor to be pure like Christ and let the emperor's goodness be evident to all.
I see alot of people saying they skip through Farya's symphonies to listen only to the loud battle parts, and having listened to this one in its entirety... guys, DO YOURSELVES A FAVOUR and listen to the whole thing, you have NO idea what you're missing out on by skipping to only a few parts. This isn't a song compilation, this is an epic sweeping opera with an actual story that Skald and Farya wrote. Even if it takes you a few days, do it, by the end you'll feel like you've watched an epic historical film about a Varangian's life and you'll be crying your eyes out during the ending. if anything the epic parts feel so much more grand and epic once you know their story/emotional context
Can confirm, this legitimately felt like a movie
Indeed,even the more chill parts are brilliant.
As hard as it is for some (including me) to sit down, relax and pay attention, by the end it truly is worth it
Indeed! A symphony is driven by the elegance of its lows and the intensity of its highs. Farya always delivers magic for both!
Absolutely Agree. By far the greatest collab of previous songs Farya has done yet.
And as a speaker of Slavic Languages myself, it was cool to be able to understand what was being said in Rivers of the Slavs and against the Rus.
Damn, the contrast between the zonaradiko of greed and Astrid's lament gave me a real "Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity" moment. This man is an artistic titan
''In those days i was the richest of men.''
.....
The whole story with Astrid is truly something of great beauty. This is the most wonderful symphony i ever heard, God bless you Farya & Skaldic/ Lady Bard.
Yess exactly, Skald's wife was the third great voice of this epic story, let us give this lady honour she deserves
3 hours of not just Farya Faraji but the Skaldic Bard too??!!! I’ve wanted this for so long… I can truly die a happy man now
Bro just casually drops another 3 hr collab symphony. Truly a Christmas miracle
" *Halfdan Carved These Runes* "
Kilroy was here.
>Caesar & Augustus: 0.5h each
>Crusader: 1 hour
>Justinian: 2 hours
>Varangian: 3 hours
At this rate we can expect a 24h symphony somewhere around late 2026, or a double event by mid 2025.
you forgot Thermopylae, .75 hr
Waiting for the 6 week long Mahabharata symphony in 2036
We are waiting the 4 weeks Sympohony WWIII
@@AstraphUriel I'm waiting New World Conquest 6 hours.
Still waiting for the 3 month long Sengoku Jidai symphony
i just had a chat with Aristoxenos! He refuses to believe that barbarians from the north and Mesopotamia could compose such an epic masterpiece 😆 This is truly amazing by both you and @SkaldBard . Congratulations and thank you so much my friend
29:28: Imagine stepping into Hagia Sophia as a foreigner for the first time. Meeting the divine through the monumental. If the Varangians could hear the music of that moment, this is exactly what it would sound like. Absolutely epic.
"We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We know only that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations. For we cannot forget that beauty.”
- emissaries of Vladimir I, Grand Prince of Kiev, describing the Hagia Sophia
They seemed like they were kinda bored to me... they etched into the balconies of the Hagia Sophia to pass the time 😂 pity they converted, their ancestral spirituality suited their northern nature far better than Christ. Conversion was a curse unto their descendents imop, a subversive alien element that has been their undoing for millenia or more now.
Legends say Akritas is still plowing on the river bank, with the efficiency of 5 burrows per hour
Akritas has dug approximately 1680 burrows since this symphony was released
Given textual context and the bird singing with the voice of a man I doubt he plowed for crops. Nay, my wager is these burrows were the graves of his children.
@@theosopher.01 with the amount he's been digging you'd think he'd learn to start using some protection
I respect your dedication @@SrJomba
This is one of the greatest Christmas gifts I could have ever received.
29:28 Literally the most majestic rendition of the "Kyrie eleison" motif I've heard, even surpasses the one from Nineveh 627, and I think I'm geeking out over Boulgaroktonos showing up as well
AND THE LAST STAND FROM MANZIKERT SYMPHONY MAKES A COMEBACK HOLYY
"Kom heill, Bani" over and over was metal bro
10:58 The Merry Vikings ACTUALLY sounds like nordic folk music! I'm so glad to hear some appreciation for the cheerful tunes so common up here in the north, thank you so much!
Thanks alot! I quite spent some time studying Norwegian and Swedish folk tunes when preparing the Scandinavian segments, glad to see it comes through here :)
@@faryafaraji if you still feel like diving into something specific, the ballad Sven Svane / Sven Vonved in danish, norwegian and swedish and Vestmanviiki in Finnish might be a fun deepdive, it's both a vengeance ballad (in its oldest scandi versions and in the finnish loan) and a riddle song (in later scandi folk music)
This is amazing! When I read the name of the chapter "Elder's Wisdom" I thought something like: "Hell yeah, some sort of Old wise man is gonna show the Varangian the error of his ways." I was really (pleasantly) surprised when this got twisted and the old Varangian was the Elder and gave advice to young Romanos.
Also I find it great that Isabella has no voice lines, but Astrid has a lot. If my interpretations that Isabella is a Symbol of Greed and Wealth and Astrid of Love and Peace, it shows that Gold does not love you back, it doesn't share the warmth for you that you may feel for it. Gold does not care. Astrid/Love does care, it waits for you and wouldn't give up, even if all hope may be lost. Thank you, Farya, SkaldicBard and everyone else, who was envolved! This is a wonderful Christmas present
Spot on my friend
@@faryafaraji WOO! Thank you for responding! And thank you so much for humanizing history through your music!
so you're saying that love is...
...never gonna give you up?
@YeetyboisEmpire You know the rules.....
@@johannesullmann8457 And so do I
SPOILER BELOW:
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I think it's really fitting that, just like the Varangian we go into this sympony expecting an epic tale of badass glory, and come out of it realizing it is secretly (like another comment put it:) a moral lesson about counting your blessings and not giving into greed
I like to think this is how stories might have been shared around the campfires of old before stories and history were committed to writing
What i love the most about this song is that it has a soul. Don't get me wrong, other pieces Farya made also have a soul, but in this one, you follow a man, his thoughts, his love and desires, his mistakes. You do not follow lyrics, you follow the story of someone
Exactly. It makes it just as captivating of a story as a good historically-based book or movie. I can relate to the Varangian even if he doesn't have a name of his own. I was so sad when bro died :/.
@@janstaniszewski536 i'm not a fan of movies in general but i love historically themed /as accurate as possible movies. Same, i relate to our varangian. The fact that he is nameless is even better to me, because some varangians basically lived the same life (without some details like becoming the captain of the guard) but fighting alongside Harald, drinking, being greedy and getting wiser with age has most probably happened to at least one varangian
@@janstaniszewski536 even from a Christian perspective i relate to our varangian. I cried quite a lot while listening to this saga
@@serges.a.s1841 I only cried literally because Skald's wife's voice is so beautiful 🥰 And also during Astrid's Lament I think I shed some genuine tears of sadness. That girl surely did deserve better. As for the Varangian himself I really liked that dude even with his massive moral problems so to say. He was so unbelievably brave and and yet so human. Truly a great, multi-layered character. Only brought to life through music and melodical means.
@janstaniszewski536 that's how you build a great character, make him human ! Give him feelings, flaws and fears. The poor Astrid did deserve better, everything changed when he met Isabella. She kind of represents his greed and the way he fell in love with constantinople and its riches. I believe that near the end, when he got wiser, he thought of going back home. When everything got sourer. But he was used to this life and had an oath to fullfil. I cried different kind of tears, tears of sadness and what i call tears of hype (like during Miklagard, that rendition of kyrie eleison was absolutely beautiful ! Or during the war in Georgia, battle in montemagguiore and the last stand) i shed tears of sadness at the end of Astrid's laments, the death of Basil II, Farewell to Sigurdson and our varangian's death
Wow, the story behind this song is so engaging... A man who finds his life as a farmer a monotonous one, despite loving his wife Astrid intensely. One day, a ship of Varangians returns from Constantinople filled with riches and the man runs to the coast to see the men he admires so much arriving. The Varangians, happy, excited and filled with riches for their services, invite new recruits to sail down the river to Miklagardr, and the man finds himself in a dilemma:stay with his beloved wife in a monotonous life or follow his calling and intense desire of his heart, but far from his wife? He decides to leave for Miklagardr, and there lives surreal experiences for a common norse...
Congratulations Farya Faraji, Skaldic Bard and everyone involved for this musical gem! Pop songs become noise compared to this!
Wow man. I was expecting a bunch of combat and glory like The Crusader and Justinian, and there was plenty of that, but I didn’t expect this shit to nearly bring me to tears. Hell this put me through every emotion imaginable. Frustration at the guardsman's greed and then terrible sadness for Astrid. Laughter at the Normans calling the Byzantine defense shitty. Awe at the war in Georgia, and amazement at the power of the Turks at Manzikert, (which that section is better than the actual Manzikert symphony). Just wow man.
'onestly, i was not aware you were allowed to swear in these symphonies. The normans seriously went: Your defences ain't worth shit bro, i wude feel sad for you if this werrent so hilarious
when i heard the seljuk theme pop i genuinely got goosebumps, incredible work
I'm here literally bawling my eyes out at this absolute masterpiece of a Greek Tregedy. Though I've always said since it's release, that "Justinian" is your Magnum Opus, I now believe you've outdone yourself, not only in bringing the sounds of the instruments and voices of the past in this Modern Song, but you've also succeeded at telling an incredibly compelling story, since once more (as you did with "The Jannissary") you decided to tell the story of an unrecorded, but plausible, and flawed man.
I'm used to gasp and be surprised in your songs more closely inspired by actual historical figures, but this one has absolutely left me speechles. Bravo
I listened to the whole symphony from beginning to end and it was as if I lived the whole life of this Varangian. At "Astrid's Lament" I cried with her. This is an absolute masterpiece, Farya. Thank you very much.
A script far better than most netflix productions, what can I say.
It literally plays like a movie
Been listening to this almost nonstop for the past couple days, absolutely epic. One thing that intrigues me that I haven't seen anyone else comment on, that this is the second piece of yours I've listened to with a chapter titled "My New Faith". Both of these are stories of warriors, centuries apart, in the very same city, who adopt a new faith for twisted reasons. The Janissary, who is forced to convert to Islam, and the Varangian, who begins his worship of Christ not out of reverence but because he has been seduced by the wealth and opulence of Constantinople (both literally and as personified by Isabella), and believes Christ will give him wealth and power in exchange for his worship. And the tragedy is that by the time the Varangian realizes that it was all vanity, he's so far steeped in blood and gold that there's no way out, and all he can do is see his course through to the bitter end, all while counseling a young basileus not to make the same mistakes he did.
And The Last Stand, is just perfect at depicting the final moments at Manzikert, as the Varangians make their final stand, the protagonist giving his commands and watching his men fight their last. When Astrid's leitmotif comes in for a moment in the battle, I can picture the grizzled captain of the guard, having done all he can to command his men up to that point, seeing more and more of his men fall while the younger, stronger warriors are tightly encircling the emperor in their final moments. Then his mind drifts for a split second as he accepts his fate, and he pictures Astrid's face again, which steels his resolve enough for him to take his last act of courage and make his death charge at Alp Arslan. The sheer image of the grey bearded Varangian captain making his suicidal charge to meet the sultan in single combat is just a perfect tragic end to the action, and his last words encapsulate the overall theme so well.
Altogether perfect beginning to end. Bravo!
I'm really happy that the images you describe are exactly what I was imagining when composing this haha, good to hear, and thanks alot for the kind words!
The Pontic Akritic song during the "To Georgia" section is absolutely glorious. Can't get enough of it.
By any chance do you know where to get the greek lyrics from?
@@darthnymruk9766 I posted the lyrics in Farya’s Pinned Comment.
The song itself is called “When Akritas Plowed”.
@@swirlyskyshock1155 Thanks!
3 HOURS
I am shocked. This is the entire history of the Varangian Guard in an endless melody
Amazing!
"Ho I wish the varangian theme from Farya was more popular, it's a great piece"
Farya *hold my nyckelharpa*
It's christmas ! Thank you so much Farya.
Zonaradiko with Old Norse lyrics?? The Thracian-Norse crossover I didn't know I needed
Welcome back Farya, the world missed you and your music!
This symphony is such a wealth of musical traditions and our ears are blessed.
HOW MANY HOURS!?
The Canadian Persian has cooked once more. This will be playing on repeat for the next 8 months.
Edit: Aaand I've been reminded of Manzikert once more.
Yyyyyyep one for the books!
Manzikert 😢😶🌫️🫠😭😑
Feels.
They hurt.
Dammit.
I was not lying by the way. TH-cam won't show me the statistics but I am pretty sure I have listened to the symphony at least once every two days. I may be more addicted to this symphony than I was to the Justinian and Augustus ones. I am absolutely addicted to the "Varangians retaliate" part and have caught myself humming the music during any physical work.
I cannot decide which symphony should I consider second but this one is definitely the current Magnum Opus. Definitely waiting for both this and Crusader to be added to spotify, along with the rest of Justinian and the other shorter titles.
I like this recurring motif of Astrid's (?) singing voice coming back in discrete and distant way during the journeys.
Same i absolutely love it, i like to interpret it as our varangian remembering her
This is a truly mesmerizing composition about the life of a varangian as it well could've been, dreaming of the glory joining the Emperor in Constantinople, leaving behind his home and his loved one, battling on alongside the famous and infamous Harald "Hardrada" Sigurdsson in the East and West, finding a noble wife for his life in the service of the Emperor but not being quite true as the love he felt back home, finally dying after a lifetime of war in one of the most humiliating defeats of the Eastern Roman Empire, remembering the "smell of pines" and his beloved Astrid as he's making the final journey towards Heaven/Valhalla. Truly a masterpiece, shed a tear in the end. Well done to you Farya, the Skaldic Bard and all the people who worked on this symphony!
I can't believe it, my baby is falling asleep to this. He immediately stops crying and starts being calm when I turn this on. THANK YOUUUUUUU
Bros gonna grow up to be a varangian trust
@thaddeusgigachaddeus2954 I agree
Based babe.
OMG yes, I just realized it works!
Nice touch that he swears by the Norse Gods to return to Astrid, but when he converts he denounces them so he never does.
Love your work btw
and only does so out of greed, and faces the consequences of his choices later in life, poetic indeed
Yet, he blames not the God of Abraham for this decision. It feels as though he blames himself and his own greed.
The words he said to Romanos Diogenes almost seems like he laments at the fact he has failed to be “Christlike”.
@@swirlyskyshock1155 And by Admiting to his own mistakes and regreting them, funny enough makes him more chirstian like.
29:38 is absolutely fire. It truly describes the grandness of Constantinople. It left me speechless, just like how the greatness of Constantinople would have left a Viking speechless.
Absolute hits by my opinion:
-Merry Vikings
-The Emperor
-To Georgia
-The war in Georgia
-Zonaradiko of Wealth
-Zonaradiko of Greed
-Passing of Basil II
-A life of war
-My Wedding
-Manzikert
war in georgia fav
You are sleeping on In the Year 6579, Elder's Wisdom and Against the Turks
And The Last Stand Obiously!
astrids lament is too underrated imo
To Georgia, Mother of God, Digenis Akritas back.
You know if you asked me a year ago, i enjoyed music but i was never really truly excited for it.
Now, at 29:28, when the Byzantine Leitmotif returned triumphantly as the Varangians reach Constantinople, i had a reaction of pure joy, adrenaline, and excitement that Avengers: Endgame could only hope to elicit from me.
Well done Farya, well done.
So true... I was overjoyed like a fanboy... I guess I am one now 😅
"Basil, Bane of Bulgars fights like a Berserk" is probably the most bad-ass line I've heard in all of those symphonies.
Basil the Based
@serges.a.s1841 Indeed friend. Based. No other ruler had such a gigachad nickname.
@@janstaniszewski536 hell yeah. I love that guy, he is my favorite emperor ever. (it is biased as i'm a byzantine fanboy)
@@serges.a.s1841 And he treated the Varangian bois as his sons 💪
@@serges.a.s1841 Don't worry bruðr, I am a Romaboo too.(although for me it is more towards classical Roman Empire) Besides, I have kind of a personal attachment to Basil because he ruled in the same time as the first two rulers of Poland(my country). Also I love Basil's epitaph, it's just like: "Hey fellow, I was a great Emperor and defeated lots of peoples, please pray for me". Idk I just love that 🤣
can we get an F in the chat for astrid though? Her husband left to greece and then immedietly decided to cheat on her with a greek woman
F, she deserved better
F, Astrid, daughter of a farmer
F
F
F. Her fate is heartbreaking.
Aaah yes a 3 hour music masterpiece. Well done!!! Greetings from Greece 🇬🇷
Respect to greek bros from Lebanon yall are the best!
I just finally finished the janissary in time for another "the life of" symphony. Oh, joy. And 3 hours? What a massive offering you've served up today, Farya!
This and the Janissary have got to be the best compositions Farya has made, I love the narrative aspects of them. I’m only halfway through this but I’m convinced that this is Farya’s (and the Skaldic Bard’s) magnum opus
The ending with Astrid's last vocals and outro with the lyre playing the Varangian theme for the last time was 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
Just realized that the Varangian is probably narrating the Overture section from heaven (or Valhalla)... makes the "friend and enemy" line make much more sense.
Obrigado pelo seu trabalho. Meu filho que me apresentou sua música, a qual ele passa o dia ouvindo. Ele inclusive traduziu toda a letra desta obra de arte para o português. Só não conseguiu colocar nos comentários porque excede o máximo permitido. Minha esposa sempre pergunta se você não faz apresentações ao vivo. Espero que faça um dia. E venha para o Brasil. Agradeço a Deus por você existir. Obrigado Farya.
Thank you so much for the kind words and the support
I've subconsciously started to associate the melody from "The Merry Vikings" and the Zonaradiko sections with wealth and plundering. Just now I caught myself humming it absentmindedly while looting a wealthy village in Minecraft lol
Damn, you got exactly what the leitmotif is. And now it's a meta leitmotif transcending into Minecraft lol
@faryafaraji one of the reasons i love these kind of videos of yours is that they are full of leitmotifs
Those first words of the Lord’s Prayer over the Rome leitmotif will never fail to make me shiver
what video is the origin of the rome leitmotif i want to find it
@@sib113 I vaguely remember a very early farya video where it was first played on piano, but I think that’s since been taken down
The earliest extant video where it’s featured is the fall of Constantinople symphony
Absolutely beautiful storytelling, I really like how you used the Imperial Acclamations to show the passage of time, and the growing feeling of decay and futility (the love, the military glory, and the gold all fading with time).
Farya, Skald? This is the kinda shit that turns random teenagers into history majors.
Sometimes their work could be frightening
Beguiling small children into glory of their past
Well it is all fun and games until it all crashing down
This is the kinda shit that makes me want to become a film major to make a movie of this
Your Incredible storytelling abilities combined with Skald's lyrical genius, have caused even a fidgety person like myself to stare at a Varangian png for 3 hours. This has genuinely been one of the best and most engaging movies I have ever seen or in this case listened to. I also found it so cool how the first introduction this character has to Rome is Under Basil II, making it believable that he would be so blinded by the wealth and splendor of the empire, then at the end tying it into your previous Manzikert symphony. It truly seems like everything you have learned from every previous symphony has culminated here, from the in-depth personal story telling of the Janissary, to the grand adventure and dynamic cast of characters of the Justinian symphony, and your individual battle symphonies like Manzikert and Nineveh. Seeing your channel from its early days to now is super Inspiring, thank you so much again for all the hard work you have put into these projects!
also F's in chat for Astrid
Thanks my friend, I really appreciate the kind words
@@faryafaraji Of course brother, you have no Idea how much this has motivated me to get back into the grid of my own creative projects, please keep doing what your doing! also on a side note do you take commissions for short film soundtracks?
F
I felt an incredible sadness when I heard Astrid's Lament. Everytime I heard what sounded like the beginning of My Astrid I just felt incredibly bad
Holy, where do I even start?
An amazing story is being told here... it's truly fascinating to see such an exceptional and adventurous life be so masterfully portrayed in all its aspects. All the glories, tragedies (especially poor Astrid), battles, emotions, stories of riches, and moments of love have been captured so beautifully here.
And not to mention all the appearances of those many different past songs and motifs of you two. Your Varangian theme, Boulgaroktonos, The Empire of the Romans / Kyrie Eleison theme, Sons of Mars (we fully expect Sons of Mars in even more languages now :P), Alp Arslan's theme from the Manzikert Symphony, the two Roman themes from the Manzikert Symphony, The Seljuks' theme, Hikanatoi, Skaldic Bard's Varangian theme, Skaldic Bard's Harald Hardrada theme, and probably so much more where I just haven't heard the individual songs yet...
And in all these languages! You make all languages sound so beautiful, it's miraculous.
This is, once more, a fantastic masterpiece by both of you, and listening to these 3 hours has been a true blast. Thank you for blessing our ears with this!
Speaking of motifs where I probably didn't hear the original song yet:
I swear I recognize "Tides of Time", but I just can't tell from where... another symphony, or an individual song? Or am I imagining things?
@@ComradeKevin.2002 It is from Polychronion.
Alright I’ve listened to the symphony in its entirety, this is without a doubt your magnum opus, I don’t even know where to begin with how fantastic this. I don’t know how you went from uploading spare music you made (if I remember correctly) to this absolute masterpiece but here we are. Don’t know how you’re gonna top this one but knowing you you’ll probably cook up a 6 hour symphony about the Spanish conquest of Mexico or the Epic of Gilgamesh or something in six months time. I now understand how people are able to sit around a fire for hours on end and listen to tales and epic poetry being recited. The homeless Canadian man and the 21st century Viking have cooked harder than they’ve ever cooked before
I'm truly honoured, thanks so much. It did start with me just uploading random music scribbles here as a personal Google Drive, but it's the support of viewers like you that got me here.
Also, as much as I also believe this to be my best symphony to date, it's all thanks to the Skaldic Bard and his lyrical/linguistic genius. I can only manage largely instrumental stories that hint at character development on my own; but Skald elevated this to the level of an actual opera with his lyrical prowess. The man's a legend
@@faryafarajiIt is still hard for me to compare between the Justinian symphony or The Varangians Saga that which one is the best.
2:21:08 this part is such a treat for anyone who knows the history of the Battle of Manzikert... the way he says "Romanos Diogenes" in a different intonation from the names of the other two emperors, and the ensuing melody are an ominous foreshadowing of the tragedy that would mark his reign.
Just imagine, The Priest decided to change the melody for the first time in his lifetime and it ended up predicting a horrendous folley.
Or even worse, he’s suffering from gout and the pain caused him to change his tone.
Wait, as for the grammar, shouldn't the three names mentioned in "Taksims of Time" also be accusative?
@@vladimirs6042 "Romanos Diogenes" is nominative though. I think in this case the names of the emperors aren't necessarily in the same sentence as the Polychronion, though, otherwise they'd need to be in the accusative (I think. I don't know much Greek, especially not Medieval Greek).
"O Lord God, give long life to our most pious Emperor." (Full stop, sentence over.)
"Michael Kalaphates."
"Today, swords and spears will sing, today the Ibers will cry" Such an epic line for Basil the Based.
Another epic production. The Persian wonderkid never seizes to amaze.
Miklagard 🇬🇷❤️🇳🇴🇩🇰🇸🇪🇮🇸🇫🇮
Edit: Okay, listened straight through at work, I adored the way the love story paralleled the seduction of the northman by the glory of Constantinople. I did not expect a greek tragedy with a moral lesson about not leaving the blessings you are given for riches and glory either, I was invested in the characters of oir farmer turned Varangian and Astrid to the end. Bravo and bravo again to Skaldic and Farya, you've shown once again why you guys are far and away my favorite musicians on youtube! This is a true Saga worthy of the name!
Okay, I don't comment often and I haven't even listened yet, but I know already this will be amazing and I wanna do a bit to boost you for the algorithm. I loved Justinian and The Crusader, and they got me through many a rough retail work day and help me do a lot of my historical-fantasy writing. I've been with you and a huge fan of your music, Farya and Skaldic, since early in both of your channels' days and I've always loved both of your unique historic-themed work with the very languages of those you sing of.
This topic in particular sings to my Anglo-saxon ancestry and Roman heart together.
My prayers are with you both and the continued success of your channels.
Farya, you and the Skaldic Bard go together like a Varangian and his axe
I’ve probably listened to this symphony almost every day since release (it’s a great way to pass half of my shifts at work), and I swear, every time I do, I pick up on a new thing. Since I’m not having much success convincing any of my friends to watch a three-hour video, I’ll take to the comments here instead.
I’ve taken particular interest in the Manzikert section. I only listened to your original Manzikert symphony after this one, and I love that even though the themes and general flow of the songs are similar the feel of the two is vastly different to me. Your original sounds more like a sweeping epic to me, like an eyewitness account of the battle, but this section here is so powerful because it is from the perspective of a participant (on what became the losing side, no less). This was the first time in the symphony when I genuinely felt a sense of dread for our Varangian. The Iberians, Rus and Normans never seem to pose a serious threat to him, and even though the latter managed to defeat the Guard in Italy there is always an air of confidence to him as he marches into battle. Against the Seljuks, that is gone, replaced with foreboding present in the music ever since his warning to Romanos IV not to seek glory for himself against such a formidable foe. He knows that this time he is marching to his death, and it saddens me that he is fully aware of this having done all he could to temper the ambitions of his young basileus.
My knowledge of the history of the battle and its prelude only deepens my appreciation for your composition. Knowing that Romanos signed a deceptive peace treaty with Alp Arslan before amassing an army to challenge him, plus his refusal of a peace offer from Arslan before the battle tragically echo the warnings of the Varangian and cast a shadow over the events to come. I love that in “Against the Turks” at 2:38:32 we hear the flute part that only appears at 47:01 in “To Georgia,” but this time without accompanying drums. These are the first and last times he goes to war, and his perspective of each battle has shifted radically. I can imagine the battle playing out exactly as you scored it, with the first Seljuk theme depicting their sallying the Roman lines as they advance toward the camp. The “Hikanatoi” theme then shows the Romans’ initial success in capturing the camp, but it feels much less triumphant as the Varangian is still fully aware of his dire situation and continues to ask Jesus to save him. The transition into “Terirem” (which I learned is basically Orthodox improvisation to keep the chant going) is such an inspired choice for this, as some confusion ensued when the Romans were forced to evacuate the camp shortly afterwards. I love that it is only used once in this first iteration, just as if Romanos is giving orders just for the sake of giving orders and acknowledging his shallow accomplishment. (The decision to divide his forces in half before battle and seeing his Turkic mercenaries defect before the engagement could also be weighing heavily on his mind by this point.) The second iteration being exclusively “Terirem” only deepens the sense of panic; Romanos’ fateful order to fall back was misunderstood by his right wing, and his treacherous general Andronikos Doukas then retreated with his reserve troops. The ensuing section of “The Lion Roars” then perfectly represents Arslan’s pouncing on the opportunity presented before him and routing the Roman army in short order.
Knowing that Arslan was not even all that magnanimous in victory even despite its great scale is even more tragic for Romanos. All that was asked was four cities on the frontier and a large tribute, which he attempted to make after being released from captivity. (For context, I do not blame Romanos for the loss of the Empire’s territory in Anatolia, nor do I believe it warrants ranking him among the worst Eastern Roman emperors. Arslan and his successor only advanced after receiving the news of Romanos’ death at the hands of the Doukids, and their candidate Michael VII did far more damage to the Empire than his predecessor by debasing the currency and entertaining civil war.) The outcome of Manzikert, however, must be laid at the feet of Diogenes. Even though he was betrayed (the reason I do not attribute full blame to him) I cannot help but wonder if the whole disaster could have been avoided had he taken just one of the numerous chances afforded to him for peace that were not so humiliating. And so, our Varangian dies on the field of battle after nobly defending the man who led him to slaughter. He acknowledged the vanity of leaving Astrid for Isabella, his relentless pursuit of wealth and the deaths of his brothers in arms, and he knows that his own death now leaves the emperor to fall into enemy hands. I hope for his sake that his end came swiftly so as not to hear Romanos being taken captive. Had he lingered and survived the battle, he would have seen the Empire (to which he devoted his life and axe for nearly 50 years and had seen at its medieval zenith under his original patron Basil II) bifurcated and diminished by internal strife.
Farya and Skald, you have composed a masterful symphony and it has quickly become one of my favorite pieces of music. I love this take on historical fiction and the great lengths you take to represent other cultures faithfully in your work. Well done, and many thanks for this release! Signed, someone who cares way too much.
My man, this is the best Christmas gift you could have given us. God bless you
Well I know what im gonna be doing all day tommorow.
I'll be frank, I was having a decent day before this dropped, but this will now be one of my great personal memories.
When Manzikert dropped, I was walking down the street alone at night, and began sprinting down it from joy.
When Thermopylae dropped I immediately called all my friends to tell them how damn happy I was.
When Justinian dropped, I screamed like a 16 yo girl loudly enough to alert someone in the next room over.
Seeing this, I was merely left solemnly speechless.
Not to brag, but i have an uncanny ability to predict what toure going to upload next.
Just before you upload a new banger, I get the urge to listen to similar works.
Yesterday, I got the unexplainable urge to listen to Manzikert and The Varangians.
And today, you turn all of us, the hundreds of thousands of your admirers, into 16 yo fangirls at a beatles concert in the 1960s!
Glory to you, Farya, the greatest of our time!
The Viking, who at the beginning of his journey swore allegiance to his beloved Astrid, sailed east in thirst for wealth and glory. He found what he was looking for. But he forgot about the promise he had made. He rejected his gods and found another girl. And only at the point of death did he remember Astrid and realize that in those distant days he had already been the richest of men. It is unbearably sad.
I don't think he remembered Astrid only before his death. Sometimes, we can hear a woman's voice singing (the exact same thing than in "death"). It can be interpreted as Astrid crying and calling him, but like to think of it as both this and him thinking of her
Like also in the river of the slavs
Yes exactly. The symphony clearly tells that he kept thinking of her even though he left her for Isabella. It is also very great motive how he ditched the gods to whom he'd sworn to return to Astrid, but his love for her didn't truly die out. This beautifully shows how strong it was. Even stronger than gods.
Every time I think that Farya Faraji can't do better, he does.
A true masterpiece, even better than Justinian's symphony when I thought it was the best that could be done.
Farya Faraji and The Skaldic Bard have once again shown that they are capable of amaze us and make us travel with their music.
I don't have the words to express how much this music touched me. There are so many emotions that emerge from this story that we follow through the music. The notes manage to reflect the emotions much better than images would.
This whole symphony is such a mix of style, different cultures, recognizable musical motifs and subtle historical references, it is a real pleasure to follow from start to finish.
A big thank you to Farya Faraji, The Skaldic Bard and all those who collaborated to create this masterpiece.
As a Dane, I'm so incredibly happy that you have made so much old Nordic music. Thank you so much.
When Farya Faraji and Skaldic Bard collaborate you know what to expect: a timeless masterpiece. Come on, keep going like this...
Holy cow
This hit hard
This genuinely moved me in a way that nothing else you've made, not even Justinian, has.
Farya, somehow you've exceeded even Justinian in all its glory with this. Can't wait to see what's next- and the Skaldic Bard collab was GLORIOUS too. I loved hearing all the familiar themes, and new ones too!
"I have surpased thee, Farya" - Farya Faraji to himself after uploading that thing (probably).
I like how in My New Faith at the end sound steadily overwhelms the Varangian and fully blinds with his own desire of wealth and renown, for later in Elder's Wisdom to see himself in the Emperor. Love your work.
and the moment i almost fell asleep farya snaped me back to reality with a notification of a new amazing piece of music. Seems the sleeping time s just been delayed. Been waiting for something just as grand as Justinian and Crusader but seems that i ve got even more. Thanks, Farya! Also Last Stand is a cool choice for one of final pieces
Yeah I often repeat the same titles across my symphonies; my way of making a point about the universality of human experience and whatnot haha
@@faryafarajiand a collaboration of two of the best in the the field, dream come true
I fell asleep and Farya posted this masterpiece
Without even going into the musical artistry, the composition, the attention to detail, the rich instrumentation, the use of leimotifs from within this symphony and from the rest of your work.
The story itself, painted like this, could easily be a movie!
2:09:33 FARYA REALLY PUT SONS OF MARS (or is it Sons of Tyr?) AND THOUGHT WE WOULDNT NOTICE!
ABSOLUTELY AWESOME
Ehehehe, thought I'd sneak in a few surprised in here
hey wait, what are the lyrics since they're not stated anywhere @@faryafaraji
@@kekw1667They're the same as the rest of that segments', just sung to the Sons of Mars tune
@@kekw1667
Komi sigr eða bani
Verðum vér ei hugvani
Betra er at mey siti í sorgum
En lifi í náðum með orgum
x2
Brøðr erum Norðrsjóvar
Einskonar eiðs, blóðs ok trúar
Fyrir sakir Miklagarðs
Lifa ok deyja Værengjar!
x2
@@faryafaraji Many references from you song and still awesome good work 👏
It is very rare that stories make me cry, and this one is in their ranks now.
Thank you for this masterpiece, thank you.
I listened to it all and ive got to say. This is the most beautifil story ive ever heard. Genuinely felt like i was sucked into the whole narrative. The tale of astrid serves as a beautiful flipside to this heroic man. I genuinely felt that this was a real true story with this man who is 3xtremely imperfect morally, yet still serves as a beautiful protagonist. I felt sympathy, hapinness and anger for the same man. Which is beautiful.
For your next project i would love a story of Mahmud of Ghazni, or Qutbuddin Aibak, ive recently been reading medevial texts about these people and the narrative potential is immense. You can even make the narrator or writer the protagonist!
Congrats for the 300k Farya, please never stop creating gold like this, cheers! 🇬🇷🔥
I love this symphony. It's a blend of musical traditions stretching from Scandinavia all the way to Iran, and especially Iran as you really nailed the santur. The choice of the Varangian had to make between marrying Isabella, staying in Byzantium to serve the emperor and returning to his beloved Astrid who he will never see again is bound to hit plenty of emotional nerves
Farya, this is incredible!! The storytelling, the leitmotifs, everything!! This collaboration is more than an epic symphony, it is a literal experience - I was two different people before and after listening, it's nuts. Please, never stop making stories like this!!
Thanks!
Very meditative. Festive as well. Calming and reassuring to the soul.
Oh yeah, What a good Christmas present dear Farya!!
THANKS!!
Good Yule
My first language is Swedish and I actually understand some of the old norse lyrics. Lines like Älskan min, mitt hjärta är ditt (modern spelling) are almost the exakt same in modern Swedish. Though there is a noticable difference in the spelling. In modern swedish älskan min has changed to min älskade but still. I didn't expect to understand as much of it as I did. Oh and fantastic work as always BTW.
To be honest, as a french, it is the same for me when i listened to The crusader, or other pieces in old french or even old english, some things are so close to the modern spelling, it brings a weird feeling, but i'm here for it
Bro really dropped this 1000 years after Basil II died. Shoulda had it done before he passed
33:08 this is the piece I first heard from The Skaldic Bard. Hearing it again, with a different arrangement and as part of a bigger piece, totally hits different, and I love it!!!
Yep, me too! The Varangian Guard Ballad; it was through that one I discovered him, still my favourite song of his :)
This is breathtaking! One of your best symphonies for sure! So many good moments, new and old leitmotifs (usage of the Scandinavian female song to end the symphony reminded me of the "Gladiator" movie).
And great thanks (Дякую and Спасибо!) for the Old East Slavic parts of the symphony! Kyivan Rus is somewhat unrepresented even in Byzantine-related historical media.
The whole capturing of Isabella's story shows that in art, even something as horrible as betrayal and cheating can be portrayed as beautiful, sentimental, possibly even... charming?
Our protagonist does not see his deeds as bad at the time, thus the music is joyful. Only with time does he start realising that Isabella was just a passing affair whereas he trully did love Astrid. With time he begins to realise that temporary things such as wealth, renown or lust are not enough and they never were worth losing the trully important things, that being true, unconditional love. The news of Astrid trully breaks him though and he realises that all would've been better had he been more like Christ was, that being trully good and full of love. He can't really change himself anymore though, all he can do is pass on his wisdom to the person asking him how to get both the things our Vareg already obtained, that is great wealth and renown.
I am not sure whether he does not try to come back becouse Astrid is already dead or due to his unyielding loyalty to the Basileus but, either way, he gets what he trully wanted in the beginning, that being renown and an honorable death as a rich and respected man. It is in his latter judgement a lesser end compared to living a poor yet peaceful life with Astrid.
@deci2723 Great analysis man. It's amazing how much can we draw from just a piece of music.
After all, "It is better that the maiden should mourn than live peacefully with a coward", as the Northmen sing in the symphony.
I think the answer to your question is probably willing to stay loyal to the Emperor. After all, if the Vareg betrayed him, it would not be much better than what he did to Astrid. But I believe that it also contributes to that unexpected, truly great drama that Skald and Farya managed to conjure. We are given no simple answers as for the story itself. Look again at Isabella for example. Her meeting with the Northman looks quite like it could just (in theory) be a friendship, then suddenly he falls in love with her and they get married. You could say that this is purely the Varangian's fault and it would be mostly true, but looking from his perspective it is only normal that seeing a beautiful and richly looking lady in the magnificent Miklagardr would result in falling in love. Secondly, they get wedded, so it means they both feel this for each other. I think that the reason why the Northman didn't stay loyal to Astrid is just a simple move of heart that prevailed over his sense of honor, nothing more.
2:58 my astrid
53:42 The war in Georgia
2:56:52 death
These are my favourites
Also the singing voice at 3:00 is one of the most amazing sounding things I’ve ever heard
3 hour long Varangian saga piece of music by Farya and Skaldic Bard? Excellent Christmas gift!
Your rendition of Akritas Ontan Elamnen is so beautiful. This has to be said. Probably my favorite section of the symphony.
A COMPILATION OF SOME MORE OF MY THOUGHTS
I think its really really powerful that the Roman leitmotif, specifically the eastern roman Pater Imon version, though so grand and powerful here and elsewhere, is still in its essence not a revelatory proclamation of strength, but a cry for mercy from God above, a lesson the Varangian could have learned early if he had paid attention to his own symphony. The Romans have great wealth, but they live in fear and reverence of God, who did not give, but merely alowed them to have their wealth, and could take it at any time, deluvering judgement.
For only on Earth do Emperors rule.
I've heard people compare The Varangian to The Janissary, which makes sense as they're both tragic and biographical tales of the lives of different warriors based in Tsarigrad, but I always find the story of the Janissary to be even more tragic.
A deprived life, a life of war with no love but the love of God and ones comrades, and the knowledge that it was not a life chosen, but a life forced on a child taken from his home.
One who knew of riches and glory in war, but not of the joys of a wife, children, and a family.
By contrast, the Varangian lived a full, though ultimately unhappy life, led by his own decisions.
I always cry at the ending of the Janissary, even more than at Astrids lament and the death of the Varangian.
The Varangian in the last moments remembers the True love of an innocent girl who loved him for who he was, and whom he doomed to a life of longing, but in his last moments, the Janissary remembers the repressed childhood memory of his Christian mother, of all that he could have had in his life but was taken from him, of tender familial love. I get teary eyed just thinking about it.
The Varangian chose a life of riches and blood over a life of Love, but the Janissary had no choice in the matter, making hia final realisation of the truth, that Love is supreme, even more heartbreaking, as he never even had a chance.
I will admit though, at astrids lament, I was outside when first listening to it and had to take a break and sit down as not to embarass myself by crying in public lol.
Superb stuff farya.
Unrelatedly, in this symphony i understood the main lyrics of the Seljuks, the "morghi didam" etc. in a completely different light.
Usually, it's a comment on the continuity of their civilization with that of ancient Iran, as well as a reminder that nothing lasts forever.
But here, it is a harbinger of doom.
"I saw a bird perched upon the gates of Rome
In the presence of Caesars skull
To the skull he said: "alas, alas, alas
Thy drums are hushed, thy 'larums have rung truce"
It's no longer:
"Nothing lasts forever"
Now it's:
"Youre fucking finished"
Chills down my spine every time.
I would love to have this on vinyl. I listen to that regularly. I love it. And the end makes my eyes sweat everytime.
This is one of your best pieces yet, Farya. The story of the Varangian's life and the finale where he remembers his love of Astrid was touching. I felt like I was watching a movie when it was only sound, maybe a film producer should consider this...
Amazing work once again. Loved the Janissary symphony, loving this one too ! Thanks to the whole team !
When The Crusader came out, I knew it is not enough. It was very good but... I knew the time will come, when you two will do something special.
And this is exactly it. The quality of music, vocals, the story it brings... It's just unbelievably good. I'd have never imagined that the next collab would be THAT awesome. Man, hearing your two's best Varangian/Byzantine pieces next to each other with an actual story behind them is just otherworldly experience.
Thank you, Faraya and Skald, for this christmas present.
This feels like a movie, through each track I can feel different emotions and stories. As someone who is half Rum (Pontian) and half German I can't help but imagine myself as a child of Roman from Anatolia and a Varangian. Makes this whole Symphony more personal. I do wonder why there aren't any good historical stories like that.
Well, three free hours of my life are going to be very well spent now. This is a grandiose masterpiece, from my two favorite creators on TH-cam!
Don't ever try to distract Akritas from the GRIND bird.
He's here for plowing and nothing else
But they took his wife, and even worse, THEY RODE ON HIS BEST HORSE!!!
How is a man supposed to just take disrespect like that???
@@sal6695 Justice for Akritas
Didn't akritas cheat on his wife or something? sounds an awful lot like the varangian
SamarveerSingh-j2j Akritas did sleep with Maximou (that's what she's called in the version i've read) and afterwards he apologized to his wife. In the russian version, though, he refuses
I never anticipated such a mesmerizing, otherworldly experience in witnessing the grand Varangian saga; it truly stands as your magnum opus, surpassing even the majestic heights of the Justinian Symphony.
You know you're awesome when you read the amount of amazement of your fans on their comments. Congratulations to all involved! Truly epic folks!
I'm still listening, but when I heard the Varangian Guard Ballad from Skallad I got the largest grin, then when I heard parts of Boulgarktonos, I felt another grin come across my face. Also, the addition of parts of Reforms from your Justinian symphony was a beautiful call back. So far, it's a beautiful symphony and tops the Justinian one in my opinion.
May God bless you Farya! You are truly amazing! And Skaldic Bard as well! Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication to create such masterpieces which give us strenght to carry on and make life feel worth living! There still is hope for humanity! ❤
Lyrics at 49:45,in pontic greek, from a Pontiac acritic folk song:
(Edit: I've changed the acute accents to be closer to how Farya pronounces them, and I've also made the transcription more narrow. I hope that doesn't cause too much confusion.)
Άκριτας οντές ελάμνεν σην παραποτάμεαν
την ώραν πεντέ αυλάκα
Και το πούλιν κελαηδήσεν σαν ανθρώπι' λαλίαν
Άκριτα μου ντο καθέσθε ντο στεκείς και πέρμενεις;
Το ενοίκο σ' εχαλάσαν και την κάλη σ' έπεραν
Τ'όλον κάλιον τ' αλόγον σ' στρώνε και καβάλκευνε
Transcription(I.P.A values):
Ákritas odés elámnen sin parapotámean
Tin óran pedé avláka
Ce to púlin celaiðísen
san anθrópi lalían
Ákrita mu do kaθésθe do stecis ce pérmenis
To eníko sexalásan ce tin káli séperan
Tólon kálion talóɣon s
stróne ce kaválcevne
Probably one of my favorite bits in the symphony, thank you so much for the transliteration, now I can memorize and learn it❤️ my gratitude from America🇺🇸
Thank you
Definitely one of my favorite sections of this symphony.
What's the name of this Akritic Song?
@@justinianthegreat1444 "Akritas Plowes" there's a vid on youtube of it being sung