The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians

Don Michael Randel

• Publisher: Belknap Press
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN:
  9780674009783
  9780674000841
• eBook ISBN:
  9780674255722
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music Biographies

This new compact guide to the history and performance of music is both authoritative and a pleasure to use. With entries drawn and condensed from the widely acclaimed The New Harvard Dictionary of Music and its companion The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music, it is a dependable reference for home and classroom and for professional and amateur musicians.

This concise dictionary offers definitions of musical terms; succinct characterizations of the various forms of musical composition; entries that identify individual operas, oratorios, symphonic poems, and other works; illustrated descriptions of instruments; and capsule summaries of the lives and careers of composers, performers, and theorists. Like its distinguished parent volumes, The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians provides information on all periods in music history, with particularly comprehensive coverage of the twentieth century.

Clearly written and based on vast expertise, The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians is an invaluable handbook for everyone who cares about music.

S

S. (1) In current musical notation, abbr. for *segno, *sinistra, *soprano, *subito. (2) In liturgical books, abbr. for *schola. (3) In music of the 16th century, abbr. for *superius. (4) In the analysis of *functional harmony, abbr. for subdominant. (5) Abbr. for Wolfgang Schmieder’s catalog of the works of Bach. See BWV.

Sacabuche [Sp.]. Sackbut [see Trombone].

Saccadé [Fr.]. Jerked, abrupt, especially with respect to a bow stroke.

Sacchini, Antonio (Maria Gasparo Gioacchino) (b. Florence, 14 June 1730; d. Paris, 6 Oct. 1786). Composer. Pupil of Durante. Taught at the Naples Conservatory S. Maria di Loreto, 1756–62. Lived in Rome, 1765–68. From 1768, directed the Conservatorio dell’Ospedaletto, Venice. Moved to London, 1772; to Paris, 1781. Composed operas, including Olimpiade (Padua, 1763); Il Cid and Tamerlano (both London, 1773); Chimène (Paris, 1783); Oedipe à Colone (1785); Arvire et Evelina (completed by Rey; Paris, 1788); also oratorios, sacred vocal pieces, and some chamber music.

Sacher, Paul (b. Basel, 28 Apr. 1906). Conductor. Pupil of Weingartner and Nef. Formed the Basel Chamber Orchestra, 1926. Founded the Schola cantorum basiliensis, 1933; it later became part of the Musikakademie, which he directed until 1969. Commissioned works including Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion, Celesta and Stravinsky’s Concerto in D. Established the Sacher Foundation, acquiring musical source material (Stravinsky’s Nachlass; Webern estate).

Sachs, Hans (b. Nuremberg, 5 Nov. 1494; d. there 19 Jan. 1576). Meistersinger and poet. Traveled throughout Germany, 1511–16. After 1520, became a leader in the Nuremberg Meistersingers’ guild, making it a model for others in Germany. Devised 13 Töne (see *Meistersinger), among them the Silberweise (1513). Wrote 4,300 Meisterlieder as well as didactic poems and plays.

Sackbut. The early *trombone.

Sackgeige [Ger.]. *Kit.

Sackpfeife [Ger.]. *Bagpipe.

Sacre du printemps, Le [Fr., The Rite of Spring; Russ. Vesna svyashchennaya, Sacred Spring]. Ballet (“Scenes of Pagan Russia”) by Stravinsky (choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky, book and décor by Nicholas Roerich), produced in Paris in 1913 by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets russes. It is in two parts, titled L’adoration de la terre (The Adoration of the Earth) and Le sacrifice (The Sacrifice), each divided into several scenes.

Sadai, Yizhak (b. Sofia, 13 May 1935). Composer. Emigrated to Israel, 1949. Studied with Boskovich and Haubenstock-Ramati; taught at the music academies in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem. Has worked with serialism, elements of Middle Eastern music, and electronic media. Works include Hazvi Israel, cantata (1960); Canti fermi, orchestra, synthesizer (1986); Reprises, nonet (1986); Impressions d’un chorale, piano (1960).

Saeta [Sp., arrow]. In Andalusia, Spain, a song sung to a passing religious statue or float (usually the Virgin Mary or Jesus) during the processions of Holy Week.

Saeverud, Harald (Sigurd Johan) (b. Bergen, 17 Apr. 1897; d. 27 Mar. 1992). Composer. Studied at the Berlin Musikhochschule. From 1953 was supported by a Norwegian State Salary of Art. Made some use of Norwegian folk music. Works include 9 symphonies; concertos for piano and for cello; descriptive pieces and incidental music (Peer Gynt, 1947); chamber and piano music.

Safonov, Vasili (b. near Itsyursk, Terek, Caucasus, 6 Feb. 1852; d. Kislovodsk, Caucasus, 27 Feb. 1918). Pianist and conductor. Pupil of Leschetizky. Taught at the conservatories of St. Petersburg (1880–85) and Moscow (director, 1889–1905). Principal conductor, Russian Musical Society (Moscow), 1889–1905, 1909–11; New York Philharmonic Society, 1906–9. Wrote a book on piano technique.

Saga, En [Finn., A Saga]. A symphonic poem by Sibelius, op. 9 (1892; revised in 1902). Despite its title, the work has no known program.

Sainete [Sp.; Fr. saynète]. A type of Spanish comedy originating in the late 18th century, portraying scenes from everyday life and sometimes set to music or including a few musical numbers. The term was borrowed for a similar genre in France. See also Tonadilla, Zarzuela.

St. Anne’s Fugue. Popular name for Bach’s organ fugue in E

BWV 552 from the *Clavier-Übung III (published in 1739), so called because its theme is similar to the beginning of the English hymn tune “St. Anne” (sung to the text “O God, our help in ages past”).

Saint-Georges [Saint-George], Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de (b. near Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, ca. 1739; d. Paris, 9 or 10 June 1799). Composer and violinist. From 1773, led the Paris Concert des Amateurs. In 1781, founded the Concert de la Loge Olympique, for which Haydn’s Paris symphonies were commissioned. Moved to Lille, 1791, as a captain of the National Guard. Returned to Paris about 1797; directed the Cercle de l’harmonie. Composed operas, symphonies, symphonies concertantes, violin concertos, and string quartets.

St. John Passion [Lat. Passio secundum Joannem]. Bach’s setting BWV 245 of the Passion story according to St. John (with free poetic texts by Barthold Heinrich Brockes and others for arias and large choruses) for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, first performed in Leipzig in 1724 and revised at various times thereafter. See also Passion music.

Saint-Marcoux, Micheline Coulombe (b. Notre Dame-de-la-Doré, Quebec, 9 Aug. 1938; d. Montreal, 2 Feb. 1985). Composer. Pupil of Champagne, Tremblay, Pépin, Aubin, and Schaeffer. Taught at the Conservatoire in Montreal. Used some aleatoric techniques. Works include orchestral pieces (Modulaire, 1967; Hétéromorphie, 1970); electronic works (Arksalalartôq, tape, 1971).

St. Martial, repertory of. A body of music of the 9th through 12th centuries transmitted in manuscripts that by historical accident all came to be held in the library of the monastery of St. Martial of Limoges (southwest France). Of these manuscripts, only a few (none containing polyphony) originated there. The repertory might more accurately be called Aquitanian.

The monophony of St. Martial is notable for its *tropes and *sequences. The well-known repertory of polyphony associated with St. Martial dates from the 11th and 12th centuries and includes both *discant (note-against-note or neume-against-neume) and *organum (with long tenor notes set against a florid upper part). A prominent form in St. Martial manuscripts, cultivated as both monophony and polyphony, is the *versus.

St. Matthew Passion [Lat. Passio secundum Matthaeum]. Bach’s setting BWV 244 of the Passion story according to St. Matthew (with free poetic texts by Picander [pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici] for arias and large choruses) for soloists, two choruses, and orchestra, first performed in Leipzig in 1727 and revised for a performance in 1736. See also Passion music.

St. Paul (Paulus). An oratorio for soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Mendelssohn, op. 36, completed in 1836 and first performed in Düsseldorf in that year. The text is from the Bible’s Acts of the Apostles.

Saint-Saëns, (Charles) Camille (b. Paris, 9 Oct. 1835; d. Algiers, 16 Dec. 1921). Composer. Pupil of Halévy. Associate of Pauline Viardot, Rossini, and Liszt. Debut as pianist at Salle Pleyel, 1846. From 1853, held church organ posts, most notably at the Madeleine, 1857–76; well known as an improviser. In 1871, cofounded the Société nationale de musique, designed to foster new French music; later lost control of it to D’Indy and the Franckists. After 1888 traveled frequently, including visits to the U.S. in 1906 and 1915. Works: Operas (incl. *Samson et Dalila; Henry VIII, 1883; Ascanio, 1890; Phryné, 1893); incidental music; a ballet; many sacred works (incl. a Mass; motets; Le déluge, oratorio, 1875); symphonies (incl. no. 3, “Organ,” 1886); 4 symphonic poems (incl. *Danse macabre); 5 piano concertos; 3 violin concertos; 2 cello concertos; Le *carnaval des animaux; chamber works (incl. 2 string quartets; 2 piano trios; a piano quartet; 2 violin sonatas; 2 cello sonatas; sonatas for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon); piano works (Variations on a Theme of Beethoven for two pianos, 1874); a film score. Published writings on astronomy, classical antiquity, and the natural sciences, a volume of poems, musical essays, a book of philosophical musings (1894; enlarged, 1922, as Divagations sérieuses), and memoirs. Edited works of Rameau, Gluck, and others.

Saite [Ger.]. String; Saitenchor, *course of strings; Saiteninstrument, stringed instrument; leere Saite, open string.

Salieri, Antonio (b. Legnago, 18 Aug. 1750; d. Vienna, 7 May 1825). Composer. Pupil of Pescetti and Gassmann; received advice from Gluck. In 1774, succeeded Gassmann as court composer and conductor of the Italian opera in Vienna; 1788, became court Kapellmeister. Among his pupils were Beethoven, Schubert, Czerny, Hummel, Liszt, and Moscheles. Composed over 40 operas, incl. Armida (Vienna, 1771) and Tarare (Paris, 1787; revised for Vienna as Axur, Re d’Ormus); oratorios, Masses, and other sacred vocal music; vocal and instrumental chamber music; several concertos. There is no foundation for the rumor that Salieri poisoned Mozart.

Sallinen, Aulis (b. Salmi, 9 Apr. 1935). Composer. Pupil of Merikanto and Kokkonen. Head manager of the Finnish Radio Symphony 1960–70; 1963–76, teacher at Sibelius Academy. Appointed arts professor by the Finnish state, 1976–81. Used serial techniques and Finnish folk materials. Works include operas (The Red Line, 1977–78; The King Goes Forth to France, 1987; Kullervo, 1988); ballets (Midsommernatten, 1984; Himlens hemlighet [Secret of Heavens], 1986); orchestral works (6 symphonies; concertos; Kaksi myytillistä kuvaa [Two Mystical Scenes], 1956); vocal works; 5 string quartets and other chamber music.

Salmanov, Vadim (Nikolayevich) (b. St. Petersburg, 4 Nov. 1912; d. Leningrad, 27 Feb. 1978). Composer. Pupil of Gnesin. Taught at the Gnesin Institute and from 1946 at the Leningrad Conservatory. From 1968, secretary of the RSFSR (Russian State) Composers’ Union. Works include folkloristic symphonic poems, songs, and choral pieces (Lebyodushka [The Hen Swan], 1970); 3 symphonies; 6 string quartets.

Salmo [It., Sp.]. *Psalm.

Salmond, Felix (b. London, 19 Nov. 1888; d. New York, 19 Feb. 1952). Cellist. Attended the Royal College of Music. Debut, 1909. Introduced several of Elgar’s works, including the Cello Concerto (1919). Taught at Juilliard from 1924 and at the Curtis Institute, 1925–42. Leonard Rose was among his students.

Salò, Gasparo da. See Gasparo da Salò.

Salome. Opera in one act by Richard Strauss (libretto translated into German by Hedwig ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z