Albert Einstein was an avid violinist. Thus, it seems appropriate that the medical school in the Bronx, NY that bears his name should have its own amateur orchestra, and this year the Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra is in its 29th anniversary season. The significance of the Einstein phenomenon lies not only in its singular sponsorship by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine but also in its remarkable success and longevity as an amateur orchestra. Science and music have had a long history together. The ancient Greeks, in their infinite wisdom, felt that astronomy and music were intimately related, for music was the invisible glue that held the planetary orbital spheres together in a harmonious relationship. Apollo was the god of both music and medicine, and at the Aesclepia (healing centers) in ancient Greece, music was an accompaniment to therapy, as it found the invisible parts within us and was able to rectify the disharmony of illness.
展开▼
