Palindrome

The Brief

Palindrome – music forwards and backwards Can music be the same no matter which way it is played? Throughout history, composers have been fascinated by symmetry and mirrored structures, from Bach’s counterpoint to Haydn’s playful use of palindromic forms. Pekka Kuusisto guides us through a program exploring this musical idea. Haydn’s palindrome movements live up to their name, while Mozart’s Contradances feature mirrored passages. Hindemith’s Ludus Tonalis is a modern homage to Bach’s counterpoint, where the prelude and postlude are exact reflections of each other. At the same time, Pauline Oliveros’ Tuning Meditation takes us into a completely different sound world, where time and sequence dissolve into a shared sonic experience. An evening of music that plays with the direction of time – perhaps, in the end, we lose track of what is forwards and what is backwards.