Meny

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.

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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.

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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.