Numerical Odds and Evens in Beethoven's Nine Symphonies

Abstract

The odd-numbered symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven have long been said to differ qualitatively from his even-numbered symphonies. Yet, no quantitative study has determined whether this common assertion has any empirical justification. In the current investigation, his nine symphonies were assessed on 10 potential correlates: prominence, popularity, aesthetics, accessibility, length, the number of themes, and four computer content analytical measures associated with melodic originality (mean, standard deviation, maximum, and minimum). The odd-numbered symphonies were distinguishable from the even-numbered symphonies in prominence as well as three out of the four content analytical measures. Moreover, the prominence of his symphonies was strongly correlated with the three melodic originality indicators. Given that the computer analyses cannot have been contaminated by subjective biases, the odd versus even distinction has been empirically confirmed. The article closes with a discussion of what the empirical results may imply about Beethoven's creative process.

The Contrast Principle, Typicality, and Cultural Longevity in 19th-Century Symphony Slow Movements: A Corpus Analysis

“…These also had the earliest median distribution in time. This group includes Beethoven's First Symphony, as well as his even-numbered symphonies, which are often considered to be less innovative than his pioneering "odds" (Simonton, 2015). Later entries from this group (e.g., Fuch's Third, Gernsheim's Second and Fourth) are often in the cast of the suite or serenade style, a classicizing impulse taken up by many (mostly German) composers as a "milder alternative" to the rigors of mainstream symphonic practice during the second half of the 19th century (Fifield, 2015, p. 159).…”

Intellectual genius in the Islamic Golden Age: Cross-civilization replications, extensions, and modifications.

“…Just as significantly, the assessment of achieved eminence is reasonably stable over decades, even centuries (Farnsworth, 1969; Ginsburgh & Weyers, 2014; Simonton, 1990). In the case of creative genius, this transhistorical stability also applies to creative products, not just individual creators (e.g., Simonton, 1989, 1998, 2015). On the average, and with relatively few exceptions, masterpieces remain masterpieces, at least after enduring the probationary period—the initial “test of time.”…”