Maths & Music in Berlin, 1828: Elliptic Optics, Kosmos & Beethoven

Presented by Professor Arun Ram, with live music performed by Joshua Hooke

This performance will take you back to the salons of Abraham and Lea Mendelssohn in Berlin, 1828, to a gathering of some of the greatest scientific and musical minds of the day.

In the year 1828, Alexander von Humboldt set up a hut for measuring the Earth’s magnetic field in the Mendelssohn garden, on his way to writing his treatise on the Universe, Kosmos. In the previous year Beethoven had died, leaving a controversial musical legacy, while Abel and Jacobi were in the midst of creating a mathematical revolution with the development of elliptic functions.

Discover the sounds of Beethoven, the elliptic orbits of the planets, and the thrill of the Kosmos, and experience the passion and exuberance that were the hallmark of the legendary Mendelssohn salon.

*Suitable for all ages, and all levels of interests and abilities in maths and music.