Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Brook, Peter, 1925–, English theatrical director, b. London, grad. Oxford (1943). An innovative, unconventional, and controversial figure, Brook mounts energetic productions in which the entire stag...

(Encyclopedia) Peter, two letters of the New Testament, classified among the Catholic (or General) Epistles. Each opens with a statement of authorship by the apostle St. Peter. First Peter, the longer book, is addre...

(Encyclopedia) Asbjørnsen, Peter Christian pāˈtər krēsˈtyän äsˈbyörnsən [key], 1812–85, Norwegian folklorist, writer, and naturalist. Norwegian Folk Stories (4 vol., 1841–44), which he collected with ...

(Encyclopedia) Opie, Peter Mason: see Opie, Iona. ...

(Encyclopedia) Peter or Peters, Hugh, 1598–1660, British Puritan clergyman, educated at Cambridge. He became a priest of the Established Church, but his Puritan doctrines forced him to leave England for Holland c....

(Encyclopedia) Peter of Verona, Saint, 1206?–1252, Italian preacher, a Dominican. He traveled throughout Italy on preaching tours and was especially known for his opposition to the Cathari. He was murdered by some...

(Encyclopedia) Ustinov, Sir Peter (Alexander) yo͞osˈtənôf [key], 1921–2004, English writer, director, and actor, b. London. A witty, charming, and cosmopolitan man, he debuted on the London stage at 18 and sub...

(Encyclopedia) Hurd, Peter, 1904–84, American painter, b. Roswell, N.Mex. Hurd left West Point to study art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He worked as apprentice to the painter N. C. Wyeth and marr...

(Encyclopedia) Lieberson, Peter. 1946–2011, American composer, b. New York City. Lieberson studied composition at Columbia, where his teachers included modernists Milton Babbitt and Charles Wuorinen. While in scho...

(Encyclopedia) Peter II, 1715–30, czar of Russia (1727–30). A grandson of Peter I and the son of the czarevich Alexis, he succeeded on the death of Catherine I. He was too young to rule, but he willingly lent hi...