The analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven's DNA reveals a poor predisposition to keep pace, demonstrating the fact that a genetic test is not enough to understand if a person is truly gifted with some extraordinary talent. This is indicated by a study published in the journal Current Biology by an international research group led by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (Mpiea) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (Mpi-Pl) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
The researchers examined DNA extracted from some strands of Beethoven's hair during a previous study on the famous composer's health published in 2023. "We calculated a so-called 'polygenic score' (an indicator of an individual's genetic predisposition for a trait or behavior) for the ability of rhythmic synchronization, which is closely related to musicality", explains the first author of the study Laura Wesseldijk of Mpiea. Before performing any analysis, “we emphasized that we had no expectations regarding the score that Beethoven would obtain. Instead, our goal was to use this as an example of the challenges of making genetic predictions for an individual who lived more than 200 years. Years ago".
The results showed that Beethoven, one of the most famous musicians in history, would have obtained a non-significant polygenic score for musicality compared to other ordinary people currently alive. “Obviously it would be wrong to conclude from Beethoven's low polygenic score that his musical abilities were not exceptional,” points out Simon Fisher of MPI-PL. “We think that the large discrepancy between this DNA-based prediction and Beethoven's musical genius offers a valuable teaching. This shows, for example, that we should be skeptical if someone claims that they can use a genetic test to reliably determine whether our child will be musically gifted or talented in some other field."
The researchers underline that their work does not exclude that DNA contributes to people's musical abilities (previous studies had found that genetics accounts for 42%), but it underlines how these genetic tests, useful in large population studies, can prove misleading when they are applied to a single individual whose behaviors are complex and multifactorial.
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