Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Sammartini, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä säm-märtēˈnē [key], c.1701–75, Italian composer. Sammartini lived most of his life in Milan. He was influential in the development of t...

(Encyclopedia) Grisi, Giulia jo͞oˈlyä grēˈzē [key], 1811–69, Italian operatic soprano. She toured the United States in 1854 with Giuseppe Mario, whom she married in 1856. Roles were written for her by Bellin...

(Encyclopedia) Bibiena or Bibbiena, Galli da gälˈlē dä bēbyāˈnä [key], family of Italian artists of the 17th and 18th cent. Giovanni Maria Galli da Bibiena, 1625–65, studied with Francesco Albani and paint...

(Encyclopedia) McCracken, James Eugene, 1926–88, American dramatic tenor, b. Gary, Ind. He was noted for his robust voice, his intense singing style, and his prominent vibrato. McCracken made his debut (1952) at t...

(Encyclopedia) Milnes, Sherrill Eustace, 1935–, American operatic baritone, b. Downers Grove, Ill., stud. with Boris Goldovsky and Rosa Ponselle. Famous for his powerful yet lyrical voice and his large, seemingly ...

(Encyclopedia) Dies irae dēˈās ēˈrā [key] [Lat.,=day of wrath], hymn of the Roman Catholic Church. A part of the Requiem Mass, it is a powerful description of the Judgment and a prayer to Jesus for mercy. Sugg...

(Encyclopedia) Melchior, Lauritz mĕlˈkēôr [key], 1890–1973, Danish heroic tenor. He made his debut in Copenhagen in 1913, singing a baritone role in I Pagliacci, and sang regularly at the Bayreuth Festivals f...

(Encyclopedia) Terfel, Bryn, 1965–, Welsh bass-baritone, b. Pant Glas as Bryn Terfel Jones. One of the most acclaimed singers of his era, he has a voice of rare warmth, richness, and power. His rise to public prom...

(Encyclopedia) Cernuschi, Henri chārno͞oˈskē [key], 1821–96, Italian politician and economist. A strong republican, he was a leader in the Milan revolt of 1848 in support of Giuseppe Garibaldi. In 1850 he went...

(Encyclopedia) Gavazzi, Alessandro älĕs-sänˈdrō gävätˈtsē [key], 1809–89, Italian preacher and patriot. A Barnabite monk, he left the order in 1848. His liberal ideas and disillusionment with the social o...