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alyssum

(Encyclopedia)alyssum əlĭsˈəm [key], any species of the genus Alyssum of the family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae; mustard family), annual and perennial herbs native to the Mediterranean area. A few species, nota...

Jones, Bill T.

(Encyclopedia)Jones, Bill T. (William Tass Jones), 1952–, American dancer and choreographer, b. Bunnell, Fla. A gay African American who has experienced dual prejudices, he has often brilliantly transformed his a...

Parker, Horatio William

(Encyclopedia)Parker, Horatio William, 1863–1919, American composer, b. Auburndale, Mass.; pupil of Rheinberger in Munich. He was an organist and choirmaster in Boston and New York City and taught at the National...

Visconti, Luchino

(Encyclopedia)Visconti, Luchino vēskônˈtē [key], 1906–76, Italian film director and writer, b. Milan as Luchino Visconti de Modrone. One of Italy's most acclaimed directors, Visconti has been called the fath...

butoh

(Encyclopedia)butoh [Jap.,=dance of darkness], avant-garde dance form developed in post–World War II Japan. First performed in 1959 by the dancers Tatsumi Hijikata (1928–86) and Kazuo Ohno (1906–2010), butoh ...

Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeyevich

(Encyclopedia)Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeyevich syĭrgāˈ syĭrgāˈəvĭch prōkôfˈēĕf [key], 1891–1953, Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Prokofiev achieved wide popularity with his lively music, in wh...

Poussin, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Poussin, Nicolas nēkôläˈ [key], 1594–1665, French painter, b. Les Andelys. Poussin was considered the greatest of living painters by his contemporaries. Although he spent most of his life in Ita...

Wonder, Stevie

(Encyclopedia)Wonder, Stevie, 1950–, American singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, b. Saginaw, Mich., as Steveland Hardaway Judkins (changed to Steveland Hardaway Morris, 1961). Blind from birth, he played th...

treble

(Encyclopedia)treble, highest part in choral music, thus corresponding in pitch to soprano, but associated with the voice of a boy or a girl. The term appeared in 15th-century English polyphony, probably as an angl...

Los Angeles Opera Company

(Encyclopedia)Los Angeles Opera Company, also known as LA Opera, founded 1986; it performs at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center. It grew out of the Los Angeles Civic Grand Opera Associat...