http://www.kitchenmusician.net/pages/kmmusicalpha.html

THIS IS AN ADDITION TO MY FIRST POST ON

MOZART'S MIRROR DUET

(A TYPE OF MUSICAL PALINDROME)

WHAT IS A MUSICAL PALINDROME?

In language arts, a palindrome (originally from the Greek palindromos for "running back again") is defined as a word or group of words that when read, either forward or backward, horizontal or vertical, stays the same (example:"Madam I'm Adam"). This idea, incorporated into music generally refers to a composition whereby a melody played backwards can also be played forward. In the "Mirror Duet" piece they are played at the same time (duet format) creating mixtures of tones that work together harmonically; in other words, the harmony or second part plays the same notes as the first part upside down. Not only do the harmonic combinations of sounds work together beautifully in this duet but why they work together so well can also be proven mathematically. That is the genius of this composition.

Many composers have experimented with the palindrome form in their compositions most notably (in classical music) Bach in his "crab canon"(a canon in which one line of the melody is reversed in time and pitch from the other) and Haydn in his "Symphony No. 47 in G" ("The Palindrome") where in the minuet and trio section the orchestra plays the music twice forwards and twice backwards to arrive at the beginning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palindrome
http://www.westfield.ma.edu/math/prime/concrete.ideas/palindrome_paper.pdf
http://richardatkinsononmusic.blogspot.com/2010/07/haydns-musical-palindrome.html
http://musiced.about.com/od/faqs/f/palindromes.htm
http://blog.kenperlin.com/?p=5290
http://www.grammar.net/palindromes
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060911081828AAWYUN5
http://www.enotes.com/literary-terms/palindrome
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/P/palindrome.html
http://michaelb.org/palindrome/

Mozart The Mirror Duet

(Der Spiegel - Table Top Duet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvk-hKPf-U