Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

loudspeaker

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Electrodynamic loudspeaker loudspeaker or speaker, device used to convert electrical energy into sound. It consists essentially of a thin flexible sheet called a diaphragm that is made to vibr...

tenor

(Encyclopedia)tenor, highest natural male voice. In medieval polyphony, tenor was the name given to the voice that had the cantus firmus, a preexisting melody, often a fragment of plainsong, to which other voices i...

Szymanowski, Karol

(Encyclopedia)Szymanowski, Karol käˈrôl shĭmänôfˈskē [key], 1882–1937, Polish composer; studied in Berlin and Warsaw. His early works show marked German, French, and Russian influences, but in his later c...

treble

(Encyclopedia)treble, highest part in choral music, thus corresponding in pitch to soprano, but associated with the voice of a boy or a girl. The term appeared in 15th-century English polyphony, probably as an angl...

Cleveland, James

(Encyclopedia)Cleveland, James, 1931–91, African-American gospel singer, composer, and arranger, b. Chicago. Known as the King of Gospel, he was renowned for his rough baritone voice. He revolutionized gospel mus...

Williams, Hank

(Encyclopedia)Williams, Hank, 1923–53, American country singer and songwriter, b. near Georgiana, Ala., as Hiram Williams. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the history of country music (see country ...

falsetto

(Encyclopedia)falsetto fôlsĕtˈtō [key] [Ital.,=diminutive of false], high-pitched, unnatural tones above the normal register of the male voice, produced, according to some theories, by the vibration of only the...

larynx

(Encyclopedia)larynx lârˈĭngks [key], organ of voice in mammals. Commonly known as the voice box, the larynx is a tubular chamber about 2 in. (5 cm) high, consisting of walls of cartilage bound by ligaments and ...

Colman, Ronald

(Encyclopedia)Colman, Ronald, 1891–1958, British stage and film actor. Dignified in demeanor and voice, Colman created an image of kindness, humor, erudition, and romantic appeal. His films include the silent Ste...

Carmel-by-the-Sea

(Encyclopedia)Carmel-by-the-Sea or Carmel kärmĕlˈ [key], village (2020 pop. 3,220), Monterey co., S ...

Browse by Subject