18th-Century Female Musician Timelines

DescriptionThis dataset documents the participation of female musicians in European concert life between 1750 and 1800. It records individual performers alongside detailed information on their appearances in public concerts, enabling the reconstruction of collaborative performance networks. By cross-referencing musicians and shared concert events, the dataset captures patterns of co-performance and professional interaction within Europe's musical scene.

Developed as part of a broader doctoral research project on women’s roles in eighteenth-century European music, the dataset integrates biographical data with performance records. Each entry includes information such as names, roles (e.g., vocalist, instrumentalist, composer), and concert affiliations. The dataset also includes associated musicians who appear at the same events, enabling network-based analysis.

The database formed the basis for network visualizations produced in Gephi, in which musicians are represented as nodes and shared performances as edges. These visualizations highlight the density and structure of professional relationships, with node size and edge weight reflecting frequency of collaboration.

MethodologyThe dataset was constructed through systematic analysis of primary sources and historical concert records, supplemented by secondary literature. Musicians were included based on the availability of sufficient biographical and performance data to support meaningful analysis. Relationships were established through documented co-appearances in concerts.

LimitationsThe dataset reflects the uneven survival of historical records and prioritizes musicians with sufficiently documented careers. As such, it does not represent a complete census of performers active in London during this period.

Data Integrity and Usage:This record contains original Gephi graphs and databases developed as part of a doctoral dissertation. These materials are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 to ensure the preservation of the research findings and original data structures.

How to Use:While this content is available for public viewing and referencing, users are prohibited from commercial use or the distribution of modified versions (derivatives) of these files without explicit written consent from the author.

Copyright Note:Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of any third-party archival materials referenced within these databases. If you are a rights holder and wish to request the removal or update of specific content, please contact the author via the details provided in this record.