Palindrome – Music forwards and backwards
Can music remain the same no matter which way it’s played? Throughout history, composers have been fascinated by symmetry and mirrored structures – from Bach’s counterpoint to Haydn’s playful experiments with palindromic form.
​
Pekka Kuusisto leads us through a program that explores this captivating musical idea. Haydn’s palindrome movements truly live up to their name, while Mozart’s Contredanses feature mirrored phrases and surprising twists. Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis is a modern tribute to Bach’s contrapuntal style, where the prelude and postlude are exact inversions of one another. And in a completely different sound world, Pauline Oliveros’ Tuning Meditation invites us into a collective listening experience where time and sequence begin to dissolve.
​
An evening of music that plays with the direction of time – and by the end, we might just lose track of what’s forwards and what’s backwards.
You may also like
Tue 14 April 7pm
University Aula
​
Program
Pauline Oliveros Tuning Meditation
Heather Shannon Ricochet
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Contradances, K.462/448b
Paul Hindemith Preludium from Ludus Tonalis (arr. Bernard Rofe)
Paul Hindemith Postludium from Ludus Tonalis (arr. Bernard Rofe)
Heather Shannon Ricochet from a distance
Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 47 ‘Palindrome’
​
Performer
Pekka Kuusisto artistic director