Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and my friend who met Albert Einstein in person

December 19, 2025 by Joshua
in Art, Creativity

I wrote a few months ago about my physics professor who met Albert Einstein. He also plays piano, at least once even at Carnegie Hall, though a private event hosted by Steinway not for an audience. You might notice a resemblance to Einstein:

He played at a private recital this week. I don’t attend enough in-person music performances, all the more for living in New York City. He played last after about ten other performers, all students of a teacher.

I often enjoy the contemplative state that live classical music puts me into. This time I loved it. Life has been so hectic. I had to rush to make the recital in time. Then the music made the moment timeless. The rest of the world could go away for an hour.

Here is a minute from Chopin’s Nocturne in F# Major Op. 15 No. 2:


Here is Beethoven’s Rondo alla ingharese quasi un capriccio in G major Op. 129, also known as “Rage over a lost penny,” which is “a favorite with audiences and is frequently performed as an encore.”


Here is the audio of a minute of Mendelssohn. I left in that he restarted after a few bars because I think it humanizes the performance.

Read my weekly newsletter

On initiative, leadership, the environment, and burpees

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for my weekly newsletter