On the singularity problem in gravitational physics and music

An attempt is made of building a bridge between the world of gravitational physics, with emphasis on Lorentzian geometry, causal structure and spacetime singularities, and the world of music composition. This paper, considering the work of Hawking and Penrose on the one hand, Beethoven on the other hand, shows that asymmetry, both in natural phenomena and in the ``universe'' of a music piece, has a tremendous impact. Beethoven tries to come to terms with asymmetry so as to create a new perfection, but the outcome is quite surprising: in music, as in the analysis of particle creation by black holes, it is as if ``God were playing dice'', in the words of Einstein and Hawking, i.e. an apparently hopeless attempt of finding a way out leads to the future. The road to this future, however, is full of uncertainties.