Abstract

What link might connect two far worlds like quantum theory and music? There is something universal in the mathematical formalism of quantum theory that goes beyond the limits of its traditional physical applications. We are now beginning to understand how some mysterious quantum concepts, like superposition and entanglement, can be used as a semantic resource. Against the analytical tradition (inspired by classical logic) the semantics suggested by quantum information has reversed the relationship between whole and parts: it is the information about the whole that determines the information about the parts; and once broken into its parts, the puzzle cannot be reconstructed again! A particular form of quantum-like semantics can be successfully applied to a formal analysis of musical languages, where ambiguity, holism and contextuality play a relevant role.

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