This fourth episode of the #MyEUIResearch video series features Daniele Cal, PhD researcher at the Department of History. Daniele's research focuses on sonic emotional experiences in Italy during the French Revolution, analysing how music, festivals, and public speeches influenced historical events.
By studying sources such as police reports, newspapers, and material artifacts, Daniele investigates how past societies listened and engaged with sound. His work also raises questions about modern noise pollution and how our listening habits have evolved over time.
In this interview, Daniele examines the historical role of sound and hearing, focusing on their influence on emotions, experiences, memory, and political action.
A strong personal connection to music, fostered by a family background in musical traditions and formal training in piano and music history, informs the interdisciplinary approach of Daniele's research. By merging musicology and history, he highlights how historical listening practices differed from contemporary ones, shaped by sociopolitical and economic contexts.
Daniele Cal is a doctoral researcher at the EUI Department of History. His doctoral thesis, titled 'Composing nations: battling melodies in revolutionary Europe', is supervised by Part-time Professor Carlotta Sorba.