Processional Soundscapes of French Catholicism in the Long Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Despite both sparking a rich literature, neither La Juive’s processions nor religious or paraliturgical counterparts in celebration of Joan have been approached from a sound studies point of view. Halévy’s opera has proven most striking for its visual representations of power, magnificence and luxury at France’s premier opera house; discussion of music associated with Joan of Arc has been dominated by attention to specific composers and works. Moreover, while the music of religious processions has proven attractive to historians wishing to document sites of political conflict, the sonic implications of the street contestation they provoked have been underplayed. By contrast, in this study I follow the sensitive ears of several historical actors of the nineteenth century, using the “stage soundscape” of La Juive as a prelude to discussing the sonic tensions of processional soundscapes across France and, finally, to addressing the attempts at reconciliation that took sonic form at the Joan of Arc celebrations in Orléans between the early 1840s and Joan’s beatification in 1909. This relational research trajectory offers a uniquely rich insight into the signification of such soundscapes to contemporary listeners and bystanders.