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Quantifying music genius, or Handel on the balance: A scale of musical merit from 1776

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  • Chrissochoidis, Ilias

Abstract

The December 1776 issue of the "Gentleman's Magazine," flagship of British periodicals, features an item unique in the history of 18th-century music: the "Scale to Measure the Merits of Musicians." It comprises an evaluative chart of two-dozen composers, marking the first quantitative assessment of musical skill. This paper explicates the chart's structure and content, traces its methodology to the founder of modern art criticism Roger de Piles, proposes Charles Burney as its likely author, and places it in the context of a rising music historiography in Britain.

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  • Chrissochoidis, Ilias, 2016. "Quantifying music genius, or Handel on the balance: A scale of musical merit from 1776," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Economics of Change SP II 2016-311, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbeoc:spii2016311
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Graddy, Kathryn, 2013. "Taste Endures! The Rankings of Roger de Piles (†1709) and Three Centuries of Art Prices," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 73(3), pages 766-791, September.
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    Keywords

    Music; quantification; Handel; Roger de Piles;
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