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Piccinni, Niccolò

(Encyclopedia)Piccinni or Piccini, Niccolò both: nēk–kōlôˈ pēchēnˈnē, pēchēˈnē [key], 1728–1800, Italian composer of more than 100 operas. His early works were very successful in Italy, and La buon...

Zimbalist, Efrem

(Encyclopedia)Zimbalist, Efrem ĕˈfrəm zĭmˈbəlĭst [key], 1889–1985, Russian-American violinist. Zimbalist was a pupil of Leopold Auer at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He made his debut in Berlin in 1907,...

Ferrier, Kathleen

(Encyclopedia)Ferrier, Kathleen, 1912–53, British contralto, b. Higher Walton, Lancashire. Ferrier began voice lessons at 25. She became known for her rich, expressive, and remarkably low voice. Her celebrated pe...

Walburga, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Walburga, Saint wôlbûrˈgə [key], d. c.779, English missionary in Germany; sister of St. Willibald. She went there to assist St. Boniface, settling at Heidenheim, near Eichstätt (NW of Ingolstadt)...

Martini, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Martini, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä märtēˈnē [key], 1706–84, Italian composer and teacher, also known as Padre Martini. Martini became a priest in 1722. He acquired great pres...

Sammartini, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Sammartini, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä säm-märtēˈnē [key], c.1701–75, Italian composer. Sammartini lived most of his life in Milan. He was influential in the development of t...

Quinault, Philippe

(Encyclopedia)Quinault, Philippe fēlēpˈ kēnōˈ [key], 1635–88, French dramatist. His tragedies and comedies are affected and undistinguished, but he found an outlet for his talent in the 14 opera librettos w...

Königsmark, Countess Maria Aurora

(Encyclopedia)Königsmark, Countess Maria Aurora märēˈä ouro͞oˈrä köˈnĭksmärk [key], 1666–1728, Swedish noblewoman; sister of Count Philipp Christoph Königsmark. She went to Dresden in search of her m...

Lenbach, Franz von

(Encyclopedia)Lenbach, Franz von fränts fən lānˈbäkh [key], 1836–1904, German portrait painter. He studied in Munich and Rome and from 1863 to 1868 worked as a copyist of old masters in Italy and Spain. His ...

Laban, Rudolf von

(Encyclopedia)Laban, Rudolf von fôn läbˈän [key], 1879–1958, Slovakian dancer, choreographer, and dance theorist. After studying in Paris and performing in N Africa, Germany, and Austria, he founded (1910) a ...