Music, Piety, and Propaganda: The Soundscapes of Counter-Reformation Bavaria

The book Music, Piety, and Propaganda: The Soundscapes of Counter-Reformation Bavaria explores the use of sound as a powerful force in the religious struggles of Germany during the Counter-Reformation, focusing on how music, bell-ringing, gunfire, and popular song were used to shape the religious identities of Bavarian subjects and challenge confessional boundaries. It also highlights the resilience of Protestant vernacular song, the dissemination and performance of forbidden anti-Catholic songs, and the persistence of popular noise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Music, Piety, and Propaganda: The Soundscapes of Counter-Reformation Bavaria delves into the intricate relationship between sound and religion during the turbulent era of the Counter-Reformation in Germany. Author Alexander J. Fisher takes a comprehensive approach, exploring not only the musical compositions, styles, and genres of the time but also the profound impact that sound had on shaping the aural landscape of Bavaria.

Fisher's research goes beyond a mere musicological analysis, delving into the ways in which sound, encompassing various elements such as bell-ringing, gunfire, popular songs, and cultivated polyphony, was wielded by both Catholic secular and clerical elites to shape the religious identities of the Bavarian subjects. He highlights how sound not only reinforced existing confessional boundaries but also had the potential to challenge and undermine them.

Surviving literature, archival documents, and music serve as valuable sources that illustrate the strategies employed by Bavarian authorities and their allies in the Catholic clergy and orders to emphasize theological differences with their Protestant opponents. The cults of the Virgin Mary, the Eucharist, and the saints were particularly targeted through the use of distinctive sounds and music in official and popular rituals like divine worship, processions, and pilgrimages.

Despite the strict regime of religious surveillance imposed by the Catholic state, the dominance of the soundscape was far from assured. Fisher uncovers archival evidence that reveals the resilience of Protestant vernacular song in Bavaria, the dissemination and performance of forbidden, anti-Catholic songs, the presence of Lutheran chorales in nominally Catholic church services into the late 16th century, and the persistence of popular noise more generally.

Through his meticulous research, Music, Piety, and Propaganda offers a rich and detailed account of the complex interplay between music, piety, and propaganda in Counter-Reformation Bavaria. It sheds light on the ways in which sound was used as a powerful tool to reinforce religious identities, promote religious beliefs, and shape public opinion. This book is a valuable contribution to the study of music, religion, and history, providing insights into the cultural and social dynamics of a pivotal period in European history.

Weight: 554g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190673925