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Malibran, Maria Felicità

(Encyclopedia)Malibran, Maria Felicità märēˈä fālēsētäˈ mälēbräNˈ [key], 1808–36, French-Spanish contralto. Malibran was the daughter of the tenor Manuel García and the sister of the mezzo Pauline ...

Midas

(Encyclopedia)Midas mīˈdəs [key], in Greek mythology, king of Phrygia. Because he befriended Silenus, the oldest of the satyrs, Dionysus granted him the power to turn everything into gold by touch. But when even...

Peters, Roberta

(Encyclopedia)Peters, Roberta, 1930–2017, American coloratura soprano, b. New York City as Roberta Peterman. Discovered by Jan Peerce, she auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera in 1950. Scheduled to debut as the ...

Shalim, Land of

(Encyclopedia)Shalim, Land of shāˈlĭm [key], in 1 Samuel, unidentified region, perhaps N of Jerusalem. ...

Johnson, Samuel, American clergyman, educator, and philosopher

(Encyclopedia)Johnson, Samuel, 1696–1772, American clergyman, educator, and philosopher, b. Guilford, Conn., grad. Collegiate School (now Yale), 1714; father of William Samuel Johnson. He became a Congregationali...

Cradle of Humankind

(Encyclopedia)Cradle of Humankind, extensive archaeological site, c.180 sq mi (470 sq km), encompassing dolomitic limestone caves containing numerous hominin fossils, Gauteng and North West prov., South Africa, c.3...

Clinton, George

(Encyclopedia) Clinton, George, 1941- , American singer, songwriter, producer, and bandleader, b. Kannapolis, N.C. Although born in North Carolina, Clinton was ...

Bartoli, Cecilia

(Encyclopedia)Bartoli, Cecilia chāchēlˈyä bärtōˈlē [key], 1966–, Italian mezzo-soprano, b. Rome. Bartoli debuted at Verona (1987), first performed in the United States at Lincoln Center (1990), and in 199...

Eznite

(Encyclopedia)Eznite ĕzˈnīt [key], ostensibly an epithet of Adino (one of David's men) in Second Samuel. The name with its qualifier is translated in the parallel passage in First Chronicles as “he lifted up h...

Shammah

(Encyclopedia)Shammah shămˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 Jesse's third son. Alternate forms are Shimea, Shimeah, and Shimma. 2 Duke of Edom, grandson of Esau. 3 In the confusing list of David's mighty men in the Book...