Resounding Images: Medieval Intersections of Art, Music, and Sound ed. by Susan Boynton and Diane J. Reilly (review)

The role of sound, together with sight, in the aesthetic experience has appeared increasingly in Art Historical studies, especially in conjunction with the liturgical, performance, and musical arts. One of the main problems confronting Art Historians specializing in the Middle Ages is the reconstruction and performance of sound, whether in a monastery or private residence, and this book consists of essays, centered on sound in the medieval context, originally inspired by a College Art Conference session entitled “Art and Sound in the Pre-modern Era.” Although these essays range from architectural to liturgical studies, they all revolve around analyzing and understanding the ephemeral role of sound in shaping the medieval aesthetic environment, serving as a foundation for future, specialized studies on this topic.

The multidisciplinary nature of the essays encourages the reader to consider the various relationships between works of art and methodological approaches in relation to sound. One of the main themes indicated by the editors, Susan Boynton and Diane J. Reilly, focuses on acoustic expression among the religions “of the book,” namely Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as evidenced by the descriptions of simultaneous individual prayers in a synagogue, the preaching of the imam from the minbar, and the chanted festal hymns of monks and nuns in a church. Additionally, a common finding includes how the architectural surroundings affect the acoustic effect of the religious recitation of sacred scriptures in all of these cases. Furthermore, the scholars also recognize the potential for music and sound, whether spoken or visualized or both, to serve as a spiritual conduit connecting the devotee and the divine. Although the entire volume addresses the phenomena of sound in art, the non-linear nature of the volume’s chapters reflects the fact that Boynton and Reilly arranged the chapters into small thematic groups.

In this first group, Boynton and Reilly note the scholars’ attempts to reconstruct public soundscapes. “The Voice in Relief: Sculpture and Surplus Vocality at the Rise of Naturalism” by Matthew G. Shoaf interprets the bodily expressions of sound present in the relief sculptures on the façade of the Orvieto Cathedral in the context of societal attitudes towards public emotional expressions, as shaped by law and morality. “Performing Silence and Regulating Sound: The Monastic Soundscape of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes” by Sheila Bonde and Clark Maines employs historiography, archaeology, acoustic technology, and architectural studies to reconstruct the sounds present during the complex’s heyday, as well as pinpointing the types of sounds, such as idle speech, that were controlled in order to promote reflection, obedience, and prayer. “Hearing the Image at Santo Domingo de Silos” by Elizabeth Valdez del Álamo also reconstructs a monastic soundscape, using known liturgical practices, sculptural reliefs, and inscriptions; Álamo suggests that the reliefs and inscriptions were specifically designed and placed with the movements and words of the liturgy in mind. “The Sound of Conversion in Medieval Iberia” by Tom Nickson analyzes the soundscapes of two mosques converted to cathedrals in Córdoba and Seville by examining the Islamic elements present in the architecture and inscriptions, as well as indicating the changes in the cathedrals after their conversions, such as the introduction of bells and organs. “‘Praiseworthy in that great multitude was the silence’: Sound/Silence in the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul” by Nina Ergin ascertains the purpose of enforced silence at Topkapı Palace, examining the architectural layout of the palace in conjunction with historical accounts, and argues that the silence emphasized the authority and status of the emperor, leaving an impression on the palace visitors’ memories.

The next group focuses on Byzantine music and art, and the choice to pair the three chapters together almost isolates them rather than connecting them directly to other abstract themes. “Monastic Soundscapes in Late Byzantium: The Art and Act of Chanting” by Sharon E. J. Gerstel makes the suggestion that the architecture of the churches...