Fanfare for a City: Music and the Urban Imagination in Haussmann’s Paris

Fanfare for a City explores the sounds of Paris during the Second Empire (1852-1870) and how the city's musical life shaped urban narratives about le nouveau Paris, a metropolis at a crossroads between its classical, Roman past and its capitalist, imperial future. Baron Haussmann, the engineer of imperial urbanism, inspired musical responses to modernity, from enthusiastic to nostalgic.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

Fanfare for a City invites us to immerse ourselves in the vibrant sounds of Paris during the Second Empire (1852-1870), a period marked by significant social transformations in the French capital. Through the exploration of various sonic landscapes, including exhibitions, cafés, streets, and markets, Jacek Blaszkiewicz reveals how the city's musical life shaped urban narratives about le nouveau Paris: a bustling metropolis at a crossroads between its classical, Roman past and its capitalist, imperial future. At the center of this narrative stands Baron Haussmann, the visionary engineer of imperial urbanism, whose influence extended to various musical responses to modernity, ranging from enthusiastic celebrations to nostalgic reflections. By drawing on theoretical frameworks from historical musicology, urban sociology, and sound studies, Fanfare for a City offers a fresh perspective on newly uncovered archival material, shedding light on the profound ways in which urbanism shaped the production, performance, and policing of nineteenth-century music.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520393479