| Great mathematician Albert Einstein, creator of | | | | Now consider the supposition that we are |
| the General Theory of Relativity, was also a very | | | | improvising, in this hypothetical Einstein reverie, in |
| good musician. He could navigate the piano well | | | | a style governed by the rules of classical music, |
| enough, but his real love was for the violin. | | | | which Einstein's likely was. |
| So generous was he that in later life, when | | | | That's even more of an achievement, mentally, |
| offered a priceless Guarneri violin, he turned it | | | | because the classic style requires an absolutely |
| down and insisted that it be given to a more | | | | perfect knowledge of harmony and counterpoint, |
| promising musician. | | | | as well as the creative spark to get it all going in |
| Einstein knew that as a violin player he was not | | | | a way that is pleasing. |
| of the first rank, and yet such was his love for | | | | Remember that improvising, until advent of the |
| the violin that he played and practiced anyway. | | | | dry modern classical recital, was a zesty affair |
| There are countless gifted amateurs who play | | | | that had a place almost at the head of musical |
| ardently and masterfully without any hope of | | | | events in the golden age of Bach, Mozart and |
| fame and fortune. Such is the spell that musical | | | | Beethoven, all the way through Liszt and the turn |
| instruments cast on people's minds. | | | | of the century. |
| Later in his life, when he was hailed as a famous | | | | In those days, one could not really call oneself a |
| mathematician, he was besieged by offers to play | | | | virtuoso unless the crowd could call out the name |
| concerts, most of which he took and donated the | | | | of a popular tune, and the performer could come |
| money to charity. | | | | up with a dazzling, audience-satisfying piece on the |
| In addition to studying the classic violin pieces of | | | | spot. |
| Bach and Mozart that he adored, Einstein was also | | | | Bach improvised in this manner, and so did |
| given to improvisations. Some have told of the | | | | everyone from Chopin to Listz and further. |
| haunting, gypsy-like quality of these rhapsodies. | | | | Beethoven was a legend for rhapsodies that the |
| Einstein himself stated that many of his greatest | | | | crowd egged him on to create. Perhaps the first |
| mathematical ideas came when he was | | | | "performance art," in the modern sense, was |
| improvising on the violin. | | | | musical improvisation. |
| Improvising, in terms of musical skills, requires | | | | As exhilarated as Einstein felt while improvising, he |
| unbelievable intelligence and reflexes on the part | | | | had real limitations as a classical musician, all |
| of a musician, and the brain is firing on both | | | | acknowledged. |
| hemispheres, plotting several moves before they | | | | Einstein had mathematical flaws, too. |
| come as well as managing the current move, and | | | | Once the famed Einstein was rehearsing with the |
| drawing the whole into a strategy that has a | | | | Budapest String Quartet as a guest soloist, and |
| beginning, middle, and end. | | | | kept missing his entrances because he was not |
| One is both intoxicated and absolutely in control at | | | | keeping proper time. |
| the same time. | | | | Finally the leader, Alexander Schneider, stopped |
| Think of improvising music as a | | | | the quartet and gently reproved the famous |
| double-hemisphered musical brain circus, with both | | | | scientist. |
| halves furiously, and happily, collaborating on a | | | | "What's the matter, Albert?" joked Schneider. |
| result that is instantly hearable. | | | | "Can't you count? |