The Denver Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Guild of Organists in collaboration with the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics of the Colorado School of Mines present Dr. Daniel Forger, AAGO, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in an evening concert titled "The Mathematical Bach."
Calling upon two disciplines, music and math, Dr. Forger's program includes Bach's Great Fantasia in G Minor, BWV 542; Trio Sonata in C Minor, BWV 526; Trio Sonata in E Minor, BWV 528; Trio Sonata in C Major, BWV 529; Toccata in F Major, BWV 540 and includes information from the University of Michigan project. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 25 at Faith Lutheran Church 17701 W 16th Ave, Golden, CO 80401. There will be a question and answer session and reception following. This event is free and open to the public!
Dr. Forger has been involved in the University of Michigan project of developing a library of digitized performances of the Bach trio sonatas. From this dataset, the team has studied harmony, counterpoint and music structure from a data science perspective. They also mathematically compared different performances to determine features that make performances artistic, as well as common mistakes students and performers make with these pieces. Some of the research questions include:
a-? What mathematical representations reveal interesting patterns and features in these works?
a-? Can we identify patterns in these works that can be used to help guide future compositions?
a-? How can we use network theory to represent the chord progressions in these works?
a-? How can we quantify common features and differences between performances?
The Denver Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is an all-inclusive organization that provides education, resources, performances and events for organ music enthusiasts and professionals throughout Colorado. The chapter offers a gateway for aspiring musicians to learn the organ, provide scholarships and mentoring opportunities, and host a variety of events available to the public. The Denver Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is funded in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).
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