PISA, Bach, Pythagoras: Mathematics, Music and Cabaret
2008-05-30
We learned from Tom Lehrer that mathematics and cabaret can be a good match. Jürgen Appell reviews in Zbl 1134.00008 the program of Dietrich Paul, a German cabaret artist whose favorite topics evolve around education, music and mathematics.
Despite some criticism (“the author fails completely to answer the challenging question which preludes section five ‘What is mathematics,’”), the reviewer generally enjoys the subtle humour presented for connoisseurs of both music and mathematics. He likes especially the sophisticated footnotes, e.g. that one at p. 184f containing a dialogue at the German railway control centre of Regensburg.
