The Powers of Sound and Song in Early Modern Paris

Nicholas Hammond provides a unique sonic perspective on the reign of Louis XIV in The Powers of Sound and Song in Early Modern Paris, Volume 1. This historical study moves beyond visual representations of seventeenth-century France to examine the complex acoustic dimensions of class, politics, and sexuality. By analyzing the lives of Jacques Chausson and Guillaume de Guitaut, Hammond illustrates how sound shaped the social fabric of Paris. The research explores how street singing and public noise functioned within the legal and social structures of the ancien régime.

This work serves as a significant contribution to social history and music history. It examines how religious and political authorities utilized sermons and public executions to exert control through sound. The text investigates the intersection of elite and lower-class experiences within the Parisian soundscape. Scholars of European history and sound studies will find this volume a valuable resource for understanding the cultural and historical contexts of early modern France.