Albert Einstein's "greatest joy in life" wasn't science, but music - or precisely, music and science were inseparable for him!
We often talk about Albert Einstein as the genius (as they say, "mad genius") scientist, who revolutionized physics with his 'theory of relativity', and inspired generations of scientists. But if we look at the man behind the science, we'd be surprised to know that his greatest passion wasn't science, but music. As he said in his interview with the Saturday Evening Post in 1929, "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician." And not many know that he was an exceptional violinist as well, for whom a life without playing music was simply 'inconceivable'. In his own words, "I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music … I get most joy in life out of music."
Well, born on March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist, who won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his "services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". Now, as we celebrate his 146th birth anniversary, let's learn about his passion for music, and how it shaped his mind.
Einstein’s love for music began in his childhood (at age six) when his mother, Pauline, a talented pianist herself, introduced him to the violin. But initially, he wasn’t too interested in those lessons. That changed later (when he was around 13) as he discovered Mozart’s violin sonatas. He was mesmerized. And from that moment on, he played music with unprecedented passion, letting it take over in a way that even science couldn’t.
"I know that the most joy in my life has come to me from my violin."
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) December 13, 2022
Influenced by his mother, Albert Einstein was a dedicated violinist from an early age. He often played classical music on his violin (that he named Lina) as a brainstorming technique.#WorldViolinDay pic.twitter.com/1p7ddpk4Ig
(Credit: The Nobel Prize)
Thus, music became an integral part of his life, primarily as a source of joy and then as a means of intellectual stimulation. He often played the violin and engaged in sessions with his friends/professional musicians (such as Fritz Kreisler, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Max Planck).
Einstein owned numerous violins throughout his lifetime, each affectionately nicknamed ‘Lina’ (derived from the latter part of the word, violin).
He would mostly play the compositions of Mozart, Beethoven, and Johann Sebastian Bach on his violin. He wrote about Mozart’s music that it "was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master". His schoolmate, Hans Byland, later described his playing of Mozart: "When his violin began to sing, the walls of the room seemed to recede — for the first time, Mozart in all his purity appeared before me, bathed in Hellenic beauty with its pure lines, roguishly playful, mightily sublime."
At the age of 17, he played Beethoven’s violin sonatas to a school examiner. The latter later shared in an interview that Einstein “displayed a deep love of the music, a quality that was and remains in short supply. Music possessed an unusual meaning for him."
Albert Einstein playing his violin, 1941. pic.twitter.com/BSyQ6VvTZQ
— Historic Hub (@HistoricHub) April 18, 2023
(Credit: Historic Hub)
Speaking about Bach, Einstein said, "I have this to say about Bach’s works: listen, play, love, revere—and keep your trap shut.”
Einstein's love for Lina was so deep that he rarely traveled without it. During his journeys, he would often engage in impromptu chamber music sessions. And he would often join caroling groups with his violin during Christmas and other occasions.
Einstein performing a violin concert for children on a Christmastime trip to Japan in 1922. (via @phalpern) pic.twitter.com/Y1fzgTanQt
— Albert Einstein (@AlbertEinstein) January 5, 2024
(Credit: Albert Einstein)
Interestingly, Elsa Einstein (his second wife) - when asked why she had fallen for him - said, "... Because he played Mozart so beautifully on the violin."
Albert Einstein and his wife, Elsa, were a stylish duo. pic.twitter.com/z55Gyav6Ue
— Albert Einstein (@AlbertEinstein) June 7, 2024
(Credit: Albert Einstein)
In 1933, Oscar H. Steger (a cabinet-maker and a member of the Harrisberg Symphony Orchestra, Pennsylvania) gifted Einstein a specially handcrafted violin, with an inscription that read, "Made for the World's Greatest Scientist, Profesior Albert Einstein By Oscar H. Steger, Feb 1933 / Harrisburg, PA."
Notably, Einstein also played the piano quite well.
Several reports and analyses on Albert Einstein suggest that music was the driving force behind his brilliant scientific mind. He used music to solve mathematical equations, and whenever he felt stuck while figuring out a formula, he would start playing his violin. His wife Elsa shared, "Music helps him when he is thinking about his theories. He goes to his study, comes back, strikes a few chords on the piano, jots something down, returns to his study."
His older son Hans Albert recalled, “Whenever he felt that he had come to the end of the road or into a difficult situation in his work, he would take refuge in music. That would usually resolve all his difficulties.”
(Credit: PhysicsWorld1)
Einstein, himself, often spoke about the importance of music in his work. When asked about his 'Theory of Relativity', he responded, “It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception.”
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