Turning a mathematical theorem and proof into a musical
How do you make a musical about a bunch of dead mathematicians and one very alive, very famous, Princeton math professor?
Andrew Wiles, the Eugene Higgins professor of math, gained worldwide fame for his 1993 solution to Fermat’s last theorem, which dates to 1637. The theorem states that for the equation xn+yn=zn there are no positive whole numbers that solve this when “n” is greater than 2.
French mathematician Pierre de Fermat had noted the theorem in the margin of a book and wrote that Read the rest of this entry »
CHAMARTIN STATION is Madrid’s Gare du Nord, its King’s Cross, hectic and seedy. Passengers here are not bound for glamorous southern beaches but the greyer north, a remote home village on that cruel plain, or further afield beyond the Pyrenees.
Last Sunday, amid crisscrossing travellers scanning the noticeboards, some enthusiasts were dancing the Argentine tango. They had rigged up a sound system and, punctuated with crackly announcements of trains departing for Zaragoza or Santander, the sleazy, soupy wail of the accordion-like bandoneon floated down the concourse.
But now I note that the previous blog of the guitar version, is said to be by Waldir Azevedon ??? Anyone know who was the original composer of Delicado?
Thanks to a comment by Manuel Rios who says “Delicado is the name of the tango song by Oscar De Ellia (Argentina)” I have now discovered several versions, this one performed on guitar. Manuel also sent a link which I shall post after this.
Ever hear music too beautiful for words, only to find there’s no trace of it on iTunes, Amazon or anywhere on the web ??
The movie Motorcycle Diaries has a short Tango, (probably a Milonga) where Alberto Granado (Roberto De la Serna) dances with Mia Maestro to a hauntingly stunning piece of piano music. Its not on the soundtrack for some reason and countless Google searches failed to uncover the music, its score or tabs. While watching the movie with a friend I made the remark that I was sufficiently passionate over the piece of music, that if I could track it down, it would move me to teach myself the piano, and naturally it would be the first thing I would play. Tipper, who is always up for a challenge decided she would find it to test my declaration of intent.
Well its a long story from there but last night Tipper presented me with the score of the Tango music from Motorcycle Diaries and here it is.
Well she made me wait a long time before she revealed the answer to that. First she sent me six bars from the score. I think she was testing me ! naturally in my excitement I rushed out, bought a keyboard, and painfully taught myself to play the first 6 bars not knowing how to read music. Then last night she presented me with the rest of the score.
What she had done after realising it was imposible to find, was to find a composer (Matthijs van Dijk) who, off the DVD, and note by note transcribed the music to paper and this is a copy of the score. Not satisfied with the score alone, Tipper then recruited a colleague to play the piece, and record it.
Its a story of creating possibilities, of someone being determined to find a piece of music to the extent she created it by having it transcribed. Its a pure example of an “I can” approach to life. Incidentally the composer said it took him 6 hours to transcribe the first 40 seconds of the music !
In a later post I will post the music played by Tipper’s colleague and I will also find the video of the dance.. and post that. Watch this space…..
Now here is some of the most creative work of music ever produced. Yes, its tango and I selected a You Tube video where the dance wasn’t completely in the dark. Its very visible, the woman’s white stockinged legs celebrate the fluidity and subtleness of the Argentine tango. It is also the opening track of “The Tango Lesson” a movie starring and directed by Sally Potter. On a later track Sally Potter provides the lyrics and vocals to the same tune of Milonga Triste in a tune called “I am You”. She uses the the bandeleon and Yo-Yo Ma on cello. I’ll post that later for comparison, but for now, if you haven’t heard this music of Milonga Triste….enjoy
Written by Astor Piazzollain 1974 and choreographed with a tango movement to the Grace Jones adaptation of Libertango. Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla (1921 – 1992) was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneon player.”I’ve Seen That Face Before” which melded Piazzolla’s Argentine tango classic with a reggae beat, and lyrics partly sung in French is off Grace Jones’ album “nightclubbing” in 1981.
What is tango ? Probably one of the most erotic dances of all, characterised by the “pause” before the plunge and the clipped breathless sound of the accordion like bandoneon
French mathematician Pierre de Fermat had noted the theorem in the margin of a book and wrote that Read the rest of this entry »
