B8718 - PAESAGGI SONORI DELL'EUROPA MODERNA (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The soundscape of various places in Europe is both extremely conservative and rapidly changing. The development of technology, especially technology applied to the construction of musical instruments, has contributed and continues to contribute to this transformation. At the end of the course, the student will have learnt to evaluate the works of European composers of the written tradition in relation to the social context and the performance possibilities specific to the places and periods examined. The skills developed will cover various and diverse fields of application, both on the level of historical and ethnographic research applied to music and on that of the production and organisation of events as well as in museums.

Course contents

The course explores how European written-tradition music of the 17th and 18th centuries incorporated, imitated, and transformed sounds derived from social practices extending beyond the court and the church—including pastoral, military, hunting, urban popular, folk, festive, and ceremonial music. The central theme focuses on wind instruments, viewed not merely as sound sources but as cultural signs capable of evoking specific settings, social functions, and collective identities.


The course adopts a historical-cultural and organological perspective, examining how the written-tradition repertoire preserves traces of urban and rural soundscapes.

Readings/Bibliography

Raymond Monelle, The Musical Topic. Hunt, Military and Pastoral, Bloomington, Indiana University, 2006.

Teaching methods

Lectures, guided listening sessions, analysis of visual sources, text discussions, and short exercises. Class attendance is strongly recommended, as the exam reading list will be subject to critical analysis and supplemented by oral commentary.

Assessment methods

Oral lessons.

The use of AI tools during the examination is strictly prohibited in any form, including chatbots, text generators, advanced translation tools, content summarization tools, and AI features integrated into electronic devices. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of the principles of academic honesty and integrity set out in the University's Policy and may result in the examination being declared invalid by the instructor.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching tools

Images, films, listening, direct view of musical instruments brought by the teacher

Office hours

See the website of Domenico Staiti