Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Still, William Grant

(Encyclopedia)Still, William Grant, 1895–1978, American composer, b. Woodville, Miss. Still was of Native American, African-American, and European ancestry. He studied music at Oberlin, with Chadwick at the New E...

Mascagni, Pietro

(Encyclopedia)Mascagni, Pietro pyāˈtrō mäskäˈnyē [key], 1863–1945, Italian operatic composer. He is known for his opera Cavalleria rusticana (1890), based on the tale by Giovanni Verga; it is a classic exa...

Guérin, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Guérin, Jules gĕrˈĭn [key], 1866–1946, American mural painter and illustrator, b. St. Louis. His illustrations appeared in leading magazines. He executed decorations for the Lincoln Memorial, Wa...

Destinn, Emmy

(Encyclopedia)Destinn, Emmy (Ema Kittl) dĕsˈtĭn [key], 1878–1930, Czechoslovakian soprano. She debuted in Berlin in 1898 before singing the title role in the London production of Madame Butterfly in 1905. She ...

Damrosch, Leopold

(Encyclopedia)Damrosch, Leopold, 1832–85, German conductor. After taking a degree in medicine, he became (1857) first violinist in the ducal orchestra at Weimar, where he was a friend of Liszt and Wagner. In 1871...

Cimarosa, Domenico

(Encyclopedia)Cimarosa, Domenico dōmĕˈnēkō chēmärôˈzä [key], 1749–1801, Italian operatic composer. He wrote almost 80 operas, which were successfully produced in Rome, Naples, Vienna, and St. Petersburg...

Farrar, Geraldine

(Encyclopedia)Farrar, Geraldine fərärˈ [key], 1882–1967, American operatic soprano, b. Melrose, Mass.; pupil of Lilli Lehmann. She made her debut in Europe (1901) and sang at the Metropolitan Opera, New York C...

Scotti, Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Scotti, Antonio äntôˈnyō skôtˈtē [key], 1866–1936, Italian operatic baritone. He made his American debut in Chicago in 1899. From 1899 to 1933 he was immensely popular at the Metropolitan Ope...

Pons, Lily

(Encyclopedia)Pons, Lily pänz, Fr. pôNs [key], 1904–76, French-American coloratura soprano. Pons studied piano at the Paris Conservatory. She made her debut in Delibes's Lakmé at Mulhouse, Alsace, in 1928. She...

Porpora, Niccolò Antonio

(Encyclopedia)Porpora, Niccolò Antonio nēk-kōlôˈ äntôˈnyō pôrˈpōrä [key], 1686–1766, Italian composer and one of the greatest singing teachers. As an opera composer he was employed to be Handel's riv...