Beethoven: Musical genius is not in the genes – 04/02/2024 – Science

Genetics is not enough to explain the musical genius of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), concluded a recent study by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, dedicated to researching how and why art is created, and what interpretation, experience and artistic evaluation imply.

The starting point was the examination of the DNA contained in a lock of hair from the composer born in Bonn, Germany, with a view to “the polygenic score, an indicator of genetic predisposition to a certain behavioral trait”, explains Laura Wesseldijk, main author of the study carried out in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI-PL) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and published by the journal Current Biology.

The target parameter of genetic sequencing was temporal synchronization, traditionally related to musical ability in general. The fact that Beethoven displayed a discrete polygenic score for musicality came as a surprise — but not so much, for the scientists involved.

“Before carrying out any analysis, we pre-registered the study and emphasized that we had no prior expectations of how Beethoven would perform,” notes Wesseldijk. “Instead, our goal was to use the case as an example of the challenges of making genetic predictions about an individual who lived more than 200 years ago.”

So Beethoven was anti-musical?

“Of course, it would be erroneous to deduce from the low polygenic score that Beethoven’s musical abilities were not exceptional”, explains co-author Simon Fisher, from MPI-PL.

The discrepancy between the DNA-based prediction and Beethoven’s musical genius — in addition to being a creator, also a prodigy pianist — would, rather, be a valuable lesson, “demonstrating that one should be skeptical when, for example, someone claims that a proof Genetics can reliably determine whether a child will be uniquely gifted in music or another area.”

The MPIEA concludes: “In total, the finding that Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most celebrated musicians in human history, had a somewhat low genetic predisposition for temporal synchronization highlights the limitations of polygenic score predictions at the individual level.”

“Although it is expected that prediction based on polygenic scores will become more accurate in the future, it is important to remember that complex human characteristics, including musical abilities, are not determined solely by genes or the environment, but rather defined by their interaction complex.”