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Lieberson, Peter

(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...

Takemitsu, Toru

(Encyclopedia)Takemitsu, Toru tōˈro͞o täkāˈmĭtso͞o [key], 1930–96, Japanese composer, b. Tokyo. Largely self-taught and particularly influenced by Debussy and Cage, Takemitsu successfully combined serial ...

Fauré, Gabriel Urbain

(Encyclopedia)Fauré, Gabriel Urbain gäbrēĕlˈ ürbăNˈ fōrāˈ [key], 1845–1924, French composer; pupil of Saint-Saëns. In 1896 he succeeded Massenet as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory, ...

Piston, Walter

(Encyclopedia)Piston, Walter, 1894–1976, American composer and teacher, b. Rockland, Maine. Piston studied at Harvard and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris; he joined the faculty of Harvard in 1926. He became a Gugge...

Aggrey, James Emman Kwegyir

(Encyclopedia)Aggrey, James Emman Kwegyir ĕmˈən kwĕgˈyĭr ăgˈrē [key], 1875–1927, African educator and missionary, b. Anamabu, Gold Coast (now Ghana). Educated at Livingstone College, he taught there for ...

Carpenter, John Alden

(Encyclopedia)Carpenter, John Alden, 1876–1951, American composer, b. Park Ridge, Ill.; pupil of J. K. Paine at Harvard and of Elgar. His music, refined and skillfully written, influenced by French impressionism,...

Widor, Charles Marie

(Encyclopedia)Widor, Charles Marie shärl märēˈ vēdōrˈ [key], 1845–1937, French organist and composer. He was organist at St. Sulpice from 1869 until his retirement in 1934. In 1891 he succeeded César Fran...

scherzo

(Encyclopedia)scherzo skĕrˈtsō [key] [Ital.,=joke], in music, term denoting various types of composition, primarily one that is lively and presents surprises in the rhythmic or melodic material. In 1607 a group ...

Roussel, Albert

(Encyclopedia)Roussel, Albert älbĕrˈ ro͞osĕlˈ [key], 1869–1937, French composer, studied with Vincent D'Indy. His early works show the influence of impressionism. With the symphonic poem Pour une fête de p...