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Moltke, Helmuth Johannes Ludwig, Graf von

(Encyclopedia)Moltke, Helmuth Johannes Ludwig, Graf von hĕlˈmo͞ot yōhäˈnəs lo͞otˈvĭkh gräf fən môltˈkə [key], 1848–1916, German army officer. He fought in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) and be...

Dragonetti, Domenico

(Encyclopedia)Dragonetti, Domenico dōmĕˈnēkō drägōnĕtˈtē [key], 1763–1846, Italian double-bass virtuoso. He appeared in opera houses in Europe and after 1794 in concerts in England. He was a friend of B...

Grove, Sir George

(Encyclopedia)Grove, Sir George, 1820–1900, English musicographer, whose Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1879–89) has become a standard reference work. Originally an engineer, he assisted in the establishmen...

Hummel, Johann Nepomuk

(Encyclopedia)Hummel, Johann Nepomuk yōˈhän nāˈpōmo͝ok ho͝omˈəl [key], 1778–1837, Hungarian-born pianist and composer. In piano technique and improvisatory ability Hummel was thought to rival Beethoven....

Peerce, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Peerce, Jan, 1904–85, American tenor, b. New York City as Jacob Pincus Perelmuth. Discovered by Arturo Toscanini, who chose him to be a soloist in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Peerce...

opus

(Encyclopedia)opus ōˈpəs [key] [Lat.,=work], in music, term used in cataloging a composer's works, designating either a single composition or a group published together or considered a unit. Opus numbers assigne...

polonaise

(Encyclopedia)polonaise pŏlˌənāzˈ, ōˌ– [key], Polish national dance, in moderate 3–4 time and of slow, stately movements. It evolved from peasant and court processions and ceremonies of the late 16th cen...

Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg

(Encyclopedia)Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg yōˈhän gāˈôrk älˈbrĕkhtsbĕrˌgər [key], 1736–1809, Austrian musical theorist, teacher, and composer. He became (1772) court organist in Vienna and later was ...

Nicolai, Otto

(Encyclopedia)Nicolai, Otto ôˈtō nēkōläˈē, nēˈkōlī [key], 1810–49, German composer. His opera Il Templario (1840), after Scott's Ivanhoe, was successful, but his masterpiece was the comic opera The Me...

Newman, Ernest

(Encyclopedia)Newman, Ernest, 1868–1959, English music critic. He joined the staff of the Manchester Guardian in 1905, the Birmingham Daily Post in 1906, the London Observer in 1919, and The Times of London in 19...