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Ossietzky, Carl von

(Encyclopedia)Ossietzky, Carl von fən ôsyĕtˈskē [key], 1889–1938, German pacifist. A leader of the peace movement in Germany after World War I, he was editor of the antimilitarist weekly Weltbühne from 1927...

Otfried von Weissenburg

(Encyclopedia)Otfried von Weissenburg ôtˈfrēt fən vīˈsənbo͝orkh [key], 9th-century German monk and poet; pupil of Rabanus Maurus Magnentius. His Liber Evangeliorum (863–71) is a counterpart in Old High Ge...

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

(Encyclopedia)Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus mōtˈsärt, Ger. vôlfˈgäng ämädāˈo͝os mōˈtsärt [key], 1756–91, Austrian composer, b. Salzburg. Mozart represents one of the great peaks in the history of music. ...

Alcestis

(Encyclopedia)Alcestis ălsĕsˈtĭs [key], in Greek mythology, daughter of Pelias. She was won in marriage by Admetus, who fulfilled her father's condition that her suitor come for her in a chariot pulled by a wil...

overture

(Encyclopedia)overture, instrumental musical composition written as an introduction to an opera, ballet, oratorio, musical, or play. The earliest Italian opera overtures were simply pieces of orchestral music and w...

Jommelli, Niccolò

(Encyclopedia)Jommelli, Niccolò nēk-kōlôˈ yōm-mĕlˈlē [key], 1714–74, Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school, who worked variously in Vienna, Rome, Stuttgart, and eventually Naples, successfully ...

Houston Symphony

(Encyclopedia)Houston Symphony. Founded in 1913 with 33 players, the orchestra reorganized in 1930 and presented its first full season of concerts in 1931. Among its important conductors have been Ernst Hoffmann (1...

Eichendorff, Joseph, Freiherr von

(Encyclopedia)Eichendorff, Joseph, Freiherr von yōˈzĕf frīˈhĕr fən īˈkhəndôrf [key], 1788–1857, German poet, a leader of the late romantics. He studied law, volunteered in Lützow's corps in the Napole...

Eck, Johann Maier von

(Encyclopedia)Eck, Johann Maier von yōˈhän mīˈər fən ĕk [key], 1486–1543, German Roman Catholic theologian. He was of peasant stock, the name von Eck being taken from his birthplace in Swabia. He was a br...

Dittersdorf, Karl Ditters von

(Encyclopedia)Dittersdorf, Karl Ditters von dĭtˈərs fən dĭtˈərsdôrf [key], 1739–99, Austrian composer and violinist. He was a successful opera and symphony composer in Vienna and an important precursor of...