Cool Math for Hot Music: A First Introduction to Mathematics for Music Theorists by Guerino MazzolaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
...Among the many highlights of this both compact and encompassing work is a detailed analysis of the jazz composition “Giant Steps” of John Coltrane through symmetric groups of chords. Also fascinating is an exploration of “gestures” from the evolution of musical notation to a “mathematical theory of gestures in music” covering the movement of a pianist’s hands in a topological space. It feels like a missed opportunity in this fascinating work to not include here something on the Theremin, controlled without physical contact by two metal antennas allowing the performer to control frequency with one hand’s gestures and amplitude (volume) with the other.
[Look for my entire review up at MAA Reviews.]
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