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Pronouncing dictionary and condensed encyclopedia of musical terms, instruments, composers and important works, 1880
72 lines. Read by computer on 15 September 2026. Printed page 56. See the scan on archive.org.
1Piccinni, Nicolas (pē-tshē-nē), known under the name Piccinni, a celebrated opera composer, the rival of Gluck, was born in 1728, near Naples. Educated at Naples. Appeared as composer in 1747, which was the beginning of a long and brilliant career as opera composer. P. lived chiefly at Naples. Died at Passy, 1800.
3Piccinni, Louis, second son of the preceding, was born in 1766 at Naples, and was also a very good composer. D. 1827.
5Piccolomini. Marie (pēk-kō-lō-mē-nē), a pleasing singer, born at Siena, 1836. Made her debut at Turin in 1855. Came to America in 1858.
7Piece (Fr. pē-ās'). A composition or piece of music; an opera, or drama.
9Pieno (Ital. pē-ā-nō). Full.
11Pietoso (Ital. pē-ā-tō'-zō). Compassionately, tenderly. Implying, also, a rather slow and sustained movement.
13Pifferari (Ital. pl. pē-fē-rā'-rē). Pipers.
15Pilate, August (pī-lā'-tē), a composer. Born at Bouchain, 1810, educated at Paris. Brought out his first opera about 1854.
17Pince (Fr. pānh-sā). Pinched. See pizzicato.
19Pipe, any tube formed of a reed, or of metal or wood, which being blown into at one end, produces a musical sound. The pipe, which was originally no more than a simple oaten straw, was one of the earliest instruments by which musical sounds were attempted.
21Pipes of Pan. See Pandean Pipes.
23Piesendel, Johann George, a distinguished German violinist. Born at Karlsburg, 1687. Played and conducted in all the principal cities in Europe, and died 1755.
25Piston (Fr. pīs-tōnh). A valve in a brass instrument. Hence cornet à piston, cornet with valves.
27Pitch, means "point," the highness or lowness of sounds. That quality of tones which depends on the rapidity of the vibrations producing them. Pitches are named by letters, as A, A sharp, B, C, etc. The different octaves are distinguished as large, small, once-marked, etc., namely, Middle C and the six degrees above it belong to the "once-marked octave" and written ē, ā, etc., or c', d', e', etc.; the octave above this is the "twice-marked octave" c'', d'', e'', f'', etc. The octave below middle C is the "small octave," written c, d, e, etc., the octave below this the "large" octave, C, D, E, etc., below this the "double" octave, CC, DD, etc. Pitches are also distinguished as "8ft," "4ft," "2ft," or "16ft," according to the length of the pipes producing them. Organ stops are designated in this way according to the length of the pipe producing the tone for the finger-key two octaves below middle C. The standard pitch is 8ft. A stop of this pitch gives for every note sounds agreeing with the voice; 16ft. stops give sounds an octave lower; 4ft. stops an octave higher, 2ft. an octave higher still.
29Pitch, Concert. French pitch is about 522 vibrations per second for middle C. Concert pitch is higher, about 540.
31Piu (Ital. pē-oo). More. As più allegro, more allegro; più forte, more forte; più moto, quicker, etc.
33Pixis, Friedrich Wilhelm, an organist in Mannheim, 1770, a pupil of the Abbe Vogler. Author of a number of works for organ and piano.
35Pizzicato (Ital. pēt-sē-kā'-tō). Pinched, meaning that the strings of the violin, violoncello, etc., are not to be played with the bow, but pinched, or snapped with the fingers, producing a staccato effect.
37Placidamente (Ital. plā-tshē'-dā-mān-tē). Calmly, placidly, quietly.
39Plagal, ancient modes in which the melody was confined between the dominant and its octave.
41Plagal Cadence, a cadence in which the final chord on the tonic is preceded by the harmony of the sub-dominant.
43Plain Song, or Plain Chant, the name given to the old ecclesiastical chant when in its most simple state and without those harmonic appendages with which it has since been enriched. The ancient music for the psalms and liturgy.
45Plaintif (Fr. plānh-tēf). Plaintive, doleful.
47Plaque (Fr. plā-kā'). Struck at once, without any arpeggio, or embellishment.
49Plaquer (Fr. plā-kā'). To strike at once, speaking of chords.
51Plectrum (Lat. plēk'-trūm). A quill, or piece of ivory or hard wood, used to twitch the strings of the mandoline, lyre, etc.
53Plein Jeu (Fr. plānh zhū). Full organ. The term is also applied to a mixture stop of several ranks of pipes.
55Pleno (Lat. plā'-nō). Full. See "Full Organ."
57Pleyel, Ignaz (plī'-ēl), composer of a great number of instrumental works, was born the twenty-fourth son of his father, about 1757, near Vienna. Died 1831.
59Pleyel, Camille, eldest son of the preceding, also a good composer, was born at Strassburg, 1792. Died in Paris, 1855.
61Plico (Lat. plē'-kō). A kind of ligature used in the old music, as a sign of hesitation or pause.
63Pneumatic Lever, a contrivance for diminishing the weight of touch on large organs, invented by Mr. Charles Barker, of London, and afterwards of Marseilles. It consists of a small bellows about 14 inches by 3, for every key. When the key is pressed it opens a valve into this bellows, which is immediately inflated and thereby opens the valves belonging to the key touched. The "pneumatic action" completely softens the touch, which on large organs amounts to several pounds per key, but it results in a loss of time. In order to diminish this as much as possible, the pneumatics are operated by a "heavy wind," of a pressure equal to a column of water 6 inches high, or thereabouts.
65Pochette (Fr. pō-shēt). A kit, a small violin used by dancing masters.
67Poco (Ital. pō-kō). Little: as poco a poco, little by little; un poco adagio, a little adagio.
69Pohl, Karl Ferdinand (pōl), the popular author of "Mozart and Haydn in London," Biography of Haydn, etc., is an organist, and was born 1823 at Berlin and studied in Vienna with Sechter.
71Poi (Ital. pō'-ē). Then, after, afterward: piano poi forte, soft, then loud.
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