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Geminiani, Francesco

(Encyclopedia)Geminiani, Francesco fränchāsˈkō jāmēnyäˈnē [key], 1687–1762, Italian composer and violinist; pupil of Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti. He immigrated (c.1730) to the British Isle...

Kreutzer, Rodolphe

(Encyclopedia)Kreutzer, Rodolphe kroitˈsər, Fr. rôdôlfˈ krötzĕrˈ [key], 1766–1831, French composer and violinist. He was professor of violin at the Paris Conservatory from its founding in 1795 until 1826 ...

mute

(Encyclopedia)mute myo͞ot [key], in music, device designed to diminish uniformly the loudness of a musical instrument. For example, a trumpet mute is cone-shaped and fits into the instrument's bell, and a violin m...

gem, ornamental mineral or organic substance

(Encyclopedia)gem, commonly, a mineral or organic substance, cut and polished and used as an ornament. Gems also are used as seals (items of assurance) and as talismans (good-luck charms). For birthstones, see mont...

candle, cylinder of wax or tallow

(Encyclopedia)candle, cylinder of wax or tallow containing a wick, used for illumination or for ceremonial purposes. The evidence of ancient writings is not conclusive as to the history of the candle; words transla...

Tartini, Giuseppe

(Encyclopedia)Tartini, Giuseppe jo͞ozĕpˈpā tärtēˈnē [key], 1692–1770, Italian violinist, the greatest violin master of his day. In 1728 he founded at Padua a school of the violin that became known through...

catgut

(Encyclopedia)catgut or gut, cord made from the intestines of various animals (especially sheep and horses, but not cats). The membrane is chemically treated, and slender strands are woven together into cords of gr...

double bass

(Encyclopedia)double bass, bowed stringed musical instrument, the contrabass of the modern orchestral string section. It originated as a double-bass viol, an instrument described as early as 1566. A true double-bas...

Clements, Vassar

(Encyclopedia)Clements, Vassar, 1928–2005, American virtuoso fiddle player, b. Kinards, S.C. Self-taught, he played with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys from 1949 to 1956. Though his roots were in country and weste...

chaconne and passacaglia

(Encyclopedia)chaconne päˌsəkälˈyə [key], two closely related musical forms popular during the baroque period. Both are in triple meter time and employ a characteristic recurring harmonic pattern or actual ba...