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Thank you for all these comments.

Indeed, the association between a person's productivity and the quality of his environment is quite well established. It is however not so clear what is the causal effect. Are geographic clusters attracting the most productive individuals or are people who cluster more productive because of positive externalities associated with cluster locations? In other words, is self-selection driving the previous empirical evidence on better performance in geographic clusters, or does there exist a clustering benefit?

This question is perhaps of some interest to people who cluster and policymakers, and I hoped it would interest also people with some fascination in music...therefore my my post here. Sorry if it appears to be spamming...

* If you do not have access to the Journal of Urban Economics article, here is a link to an earlier working paper version: http://ideas.repec.org/p/tcd/tcduee/tep0611.html

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing in order to draw your attention to this original (economic) research on the history of classical composers and their music.

This recent paper estimates the causal gain of locating in important centres for music (such as Paris in XIX century) on the production of classical composers. Composers who worked in geographic clusters have composed approximately one additional work of significance every three years. It is further shown that the disclosed productivity gains are attributed to peer effects, that is, the interaction that took place between composers in geographic clusters. The paper is forthcoming in the Journal of Urban Economics (here the paper: http://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juecon/v73y2013i1p94-110.html).

Here are several other research papers on the lives of classical composers (http://ideas.repec.org/f/pbo539.html).

Please get in touch if you have any comments on these...

A related study to the harshly criticised research idea above appeared today on RTE news: http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0413/cluster-business.html

I wish to use this opportunity and thank for all the comments I have received here.

[Without knowledge on the relationship between clustering and SWB, interventionism might cause harmful distortions.]

The best are located in geographic clusters and the positive externalities associated with clusters have a positive impact on the productivity of an individual (Borowiecki, 2010). But it is less clear whether clustering influences also the subjective well-being (SWB). Can there be observed any systematic difference in the longevity of individuals who locate in geographic clusters? And if yes, what is the causal relationship between geographic clustering and longevity? This questions are of considerable importance not only for individuals that are located in ¬geographic clusters, but also for policy makers who try to replicate the success stories of clusters such as Silicon Valley and create, for example, special economic zones in their regions, deciding only upon the productivity outcomes. Without knowledge on the relationship between clustering and SWB, interventionism might cause harmful distortions.

Focusing on classical composers allows me to use an econometric method, so called instrumental variables, that mitigate the critisised omitted variables bias. This methodology allows to estimate by how much has the longevity changed as a result of locating in a geographic cluster. In a previous paper (http://www.tcd.ie/Economics/staff/borowiek/Geographic%20Clustering%20and%20Productivity_Jan%202011_KJ%20Borowiecki.pdf) I have used this approach and was lucky enough to win a number of awards.

Geographic clusters of the analyzed time period are predominantly Paris, but also Vienna and London. I found already some anecdotal evidence on composers' unhappiness in those locations. The year 1778, that Mozart spent in Paris was one of his saddest. In a letter to his father he expresses his grief:

"There is no place in the world like Paris. (...) But I am now here, and must endure it for your sake. I shall be grateful to Providence if I get away with my natural taste uninjured. I pray to God every day to grant me grace to be firm and steadfast here (...)" (Letter of 1. May 1778).

The atmosphere of competition remained in the French metropolis for many following years. One of Wagner's rehearsals in Paris, as described in the composer's memoires, was attended by Berlioz - his rival in opera composition:

"What is certain is that at that time I felt like a little schoolboy next to Berlioz; (...) Berlioz (...) remained silent throughout; he neither encouraged nor discouraged me, but only sighed with a weary smile that 'things in Paris were difficult'" (Wagner, 2008).

I was wondering whether some of you wouldn't be aware of other anecdotes...

[how geographic clustering of composers or competition between them impacted their health]

Dear All,

I am an economist at Trinity College Dublin and work with a unique data set that covers around 200 prominent classical composers born between 1750 and 1899. (Previous research can be viewed here: http://www.tcd.ie/Economics/staff/borowiek/research.html).

I intend to investigate how geographic clustering of composers or competition between them impacted their health (or more abstract: their subjective well-being). I was wondering whether there is any evidence that locating in one of the centers for classical music had a detrimental effect on composers' health (or happiness)?

I am very gratefull for any thoughts on this topic.
Karol

[I thank you all for the valuable comments.]

I am the author of the email sent to Ilja how started this topic. By chance I came very recently accross it and was surprised to see all the helpfull suggestion re my research. I thank you all for the valuable comments.

The related (final) research can be viewed on my website:  http://www.tcd.ie/Economics/staff/borowiek/research.html.

Once again, thank you!
Karol