Soundscapes of National Unity and Division: Music, Power, and Resistance in Greece’s 1920 Venizelist Celebrations

Abstract This study explores the soundscapes of the Greek National Schism (1915–1922), focusing on the Venizelist victory celebrations of 14–15 September 1920. It examines how curated soundscapes were employed as political tools to reinforce national unity and suppress dissent, while counter-soundscapes offered avenues for resistance. Using press narratives as “earwitness” accounts, the research reconstructs auditory practices that shaped political narratives and collective memory. Bridging ethnomusicology, historical sound studies, and political history, this analysis highlights the performative nature of soundscapes in mediating power dynamics, especially amidst civil conflicts and calls for further cross-cultural studies into music’s role in societal transformation.