An Excerpt From

Efrem Zimbalist: A Life

By Roy Malan

...[Zimbalist] saw much of Einstein and recounted one meeting in Princeton: 'I was lunching with Flexner, Einstein and Oppenheimer, head of the Atomic Commission. I sat between them while they talked physics. After putting forth a theory, Einstein turned to me and said, "That's clear to you, isn't it?" Now, a book could be written on what I don't know about physics! "Professor Einstein, it's clear as mud. I don't understand a word of it," I answered. He was surprised: "I don't believe you. Music and physics are so closely allied that you should have been able to follow." "I beg to differ," I said to him. "Mathematics in music and mathematics in your field are two entirely different things. Among musicians Bach was probably the greatest mathematician, but without realizing it. It was intuitive. With you it's not intuition, but step by step." "You're absolutely wrong," he answered, "in studying relativity the answer came first. Then I had to prove its possibility by theorizing. And that involved intuition, which proves that the theories governing music and physics are one and the same."