Mathematics in Music: Mozart's Dice Game
Program:
Mozart: Musikalisches Würfelspiel (Musical Dice Game), K. 516f
Mozart: Attwood Studies, K. 506a
Mozart: Gallimathias Musicum, K. 32 - excerpts
Haydn: Symphony No. 47 in G major ("The Palindrome"), Hob. I:47 - excerpts
Who would dare to say that nothing happens by accident? Accidents are the only way things happen, at least when you think of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's mischievous dice game and the (nearly) infinite number of possibilities it contains. Because if we group, select, and sort a given number of elements according to some rule, we are sure to get some surprisingly original combinations. Our musicians and experts will be providing an entertaining taste of extemporaneous compositions guaranteed to have never been heard before anywhere.
The essence of the "Musikalisches Würfelspiel", or musical dice game, is to actively involve randomness and luck in setting up unforeseen (that is, previously unheard) combinations from possibilities created in advance. The creators of this genre, which became particularly popular during the 18th century, also thought a great deal about how the generally well-structured music related to combinatorics and its main processes: combination, variation, and permutation. It is no coincidence that it was 20th-century music that would next turn its interest to sophisticated and clever games of form. But to remain with Mozart a little longer, the composer set down 176 measures for his aforementioned work, which can be combined using two dices based on the predefined rules of the game. The end result was a randomly generated minuet, a popular genre of the time, that no matter how surprising it sounded, was perfect in every respect. It is no coincidence, on the other hand, that we will be able to welcome on stage conductor Márton Rácz, the music expert for this instalment of the programme, and moderator Szilveszter Szélpál. Also being featured are the members of Sinfonietta Erudita, who will play chamber music and piano pieces to showcase the power and beauty of the dice game.
Before the performance, between 9.45 and 10.30, we will be running a free (and playful) interactive session for children entitled Tune-up. We look forward to welcoming both school groups and individual school-age youngsters attending the subsequent performance. Please register via csip@mupa.hu by midnight on the Wednesday before the performance, specifying the number of participating children and their ages. The activity is recommended for children aged 6 and over, and will take place with a minimum of six children.
Age: 12-18 year
Featuring:
moderator: Szilveszter Szélpál
music expert/conductor: Márton Rácz
Sinfonietta Erudita (artistic director: Krisztina Tötös)
Presented by: Müpa Budapest
