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Scan 11
Pronouncing dictionary and condensed encyclopedia of musical terms, instruments, composers and important works, 1880
87 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1Bargiel, Woldemar (vōl'-dē-mär bär'-geel).
2Step-brother of Mme. Clara Schumann. Born in Berlin 1829. A teacher and an elegant composer of piano forte pieces, chamber-music, etc. B. stands too near Schumann for his own talent to have fair play.
4Baritone, a male voice of medium range and large body of tone. Also the name of the smaller bass saxhorn, in Bb.
6Baritone Clef, the bass clef applied to the third line of the staff.
8Barnby, Joseph, a prominent English composer of church music, glees, songs, etc. Born about 1837. For some reason omitted from Grove's Dic. and Mendel.
10Barnett, John F., an English pianist and composer of three Cantatas, "The Ancient Mariner" 1867, "Paradise and the Peri" 1870, "Raising of Lazarus" 1873, "Lay of the Last Minstrel" 1874; also of several concertos, overtures, quartettes, etc. Born Oct. 6, 1838.
12Barrel Organ, of various design and construction. Some are merely enlarged music-boxes, others small orchestrions, in which the tones are produced by reeds or pipes. All are controlled by means of a barrel, or cylinder, on the surface of which pins are set at such intervals that a revolution of the cylinder opens the valves and so produces the tones of a piece. By sliding the barrel a minute distance, another set of pins come into operation, and thereby the tune is changed. In orchestrion organs the crank not only revolves the cylinder, but also works the bellows.
14Bartholdy, see Mendelssohn.
16Barytone, a stringed instrument of the violin family, having six or seven catgut strings stretched over the fingerboard, and from nine to twenty-four metal strings which act sympathetically. Has a weak but pleasing tone. Has given place to the violoncello.
18Bass (bās), the lowest part in harmony. Also the lowest male voice.
20Basso Profundo (prō-fun'-dō). The lowest male voice, of deep quality of tone.
22Basset Horn (Ital. corno di bassetto), a bass clarinet in F, reaching from F below the bass clef. Written for by Mozart and Mendelssohn.
24Bass Clarinet, a low clarinet ranging upwards from E below middle C. A slow-speaking, hollow-toned instrument.
26Bass Clef, the sign of the bass staff. Represents F next below middle C.
28Bass Tuba, the lowest of the saxhorn family. That in Eb reaches Eb of the 16 ft. octave. The Bb Tuba, Bb in the 32 ft. octave, three octaves below middle C.
30Bassini, Carlo, an Italian teacher of singing, living in New York from 1864 or thereabouts. Died in 1871.
32Bass Horn, see Serpent.
34Bassoon (bā-zoon), Ger. Fagott, a wooden double-reed instrument of 8 ft. tone. Its compass is from 16 ft. Bb to Ab on 2d space of treble. Is the natural bass of the oboes and clarinets, i.e., the "wood."
36Basso Cantante (Ital. kān-tān'-tē). The singing bass, or principal bass singer, as distinguished from the basso buffo, comic bass, and the basso profundo, or very low bass.
38Basso Continuo, a bass running through the whole piece, from which, with figures, the accompaniment used to be played. See Thorough Bass.
40Bass Posaune (Ger. bāss pō-soun'-ē). The bass trombone.
42Bastien et Bastienne, a German operetta in one act. Mozart 1768.
44Bass Viol, English name of the violoncello.
46Baton (Fr bā-tonh'). A conductor's stick for beating time.
48Battle of Prague, a descriptive sonata by Kotzwar, 1792. One of the most famous pieces of programme music.
50Battle Symphony, English name for Beethoven's "Wellington's Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria," op. 91. 1813.
52Battement (Fr. bāt'-tē-mon). An old embellishment similar to the mordente, but made with the note below.
54Battishill, Jonathan, an English composer of songs, glees, catches and anthems. 1738-1801.
56Baumbach, Adolph, a German piano forte teacher and prolific arranger of piano pieces, living some time in Boston. Came to Chicago about 1863. Died 1880.
58B dur (Ger. dūr). B major.
60Bearings, the few notes a tuner lays down carefully as guides. Usually the middle octave.
62Beat. An embellishment of the mordent kind.
632. The conductor's motion in indicating the time.
643. The throbbing effect of dissonance, produced by the occasional interference and consequent extinction of a vibration. The number of beats per second is equal to the difference between the rates of vibration in the notes.
66Becker, Paul, a German piano teacher and fine musician, resident in Chicago since 1858, where he was for many years the leading exponent of classical music.
68Becker, Carl Ferdinand, organist and professor at the Conservatorium of Leipsic. Born 1804, died 1877. Especially learned in musical literature.
70Beer (bār). Original name of Meyer Beer.
72Beethoven, Ludwig van (lood' vīg fan bā'-tō-vn). 1770-1827. See Part VIII.
74Behr, Fr., a German composer of light pieces.
76Begleiten (Ger. bēg-lī'-tēn). To accompany.
78Beggar's Opera, a celebrated piece, written in 1727 by Gay. Its songs were all written to old melodies, or to the most popular airs of the day. It had an immense success.
80Bell, the expanded opening in which most brass instruments terminate. Also applied to organ pipes, as in the "bell diapason," "bell gamba," in which all the pipes end in a bell.
82Belisario (bēl-ī-sār'-īō). Italian opera in 3 acts by Donizetti, 1836.
84Bellezza (Ital. bēl-lāt'-zā). Beauty of tone and expression.
86Bellicoso (Ital. bēl-lī-kō'-zō). Warlike.
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