Dictionary of Music - Birding America

Pp In scores, an abbreviation for piano (“soft”). It issometimes (but not often) used in keyboard music asan abbreviation for PEDAL.Paderewski (pä der ef′skē), Ignace Jan (i gnä′tseyän), 1860–1941. A Polish pianist, composer, andstatesman who is remembered as one of the mostsuccessful concert artists of all time. After years ofstudy, both at the Warsaw Conservatory and underthe greatest piano teacher of the time, TheodorLeschetizky (1830–1915), Paderewski began hisconcert career in 1887, touring the world for morethan forty years. An intense patriot, he gave much ofthe enormous sums he earned to the Polish government.After World War I Paderewski served for ayear as Premier of the new Polish republic, and in1940, after the Nazis had invaded Poland, he wasgiven an important post in the Polish government-inexile.Though Paderewski’s compositions include asymphony and other longer works, he is rememberedmainly for his piano music, which includesthe much played Minuet in G (op. 14, one of his sixHumoresques).Paduana (pä′′doo ä′nä). A German name forPAVANE.Paganini (pä gä nē′nē), Niccolò (nē′kô lô),1782–1840. An Italian violinist and composerwho is considered the greatest violin virtuoso of alltime. Paganini began making concert tours in hisearly teens, and his technical feats astounded audiencesthroughout Europe. He could play a wholepiece on a single string, but aside from suchachievements, which some dismissed as parlortricks, he had tremendous command over doublestops, pizzicatos, harmonics—in short, all the techniquesof violin playing—and he advanced thetechnique of violin playing more than any previousperformer. His compositions, few of which heallowed to be published during his lifetime, includeTwenty-four Caprices for violin solo, op. 1; stringquartets (in some of which a guitar is used insteadof cello or bass); several concertos; and many setsof variations. Paganini’s colorful career—he was agambler and liked high living—as well his remarkabletechnique aroused the interest of later romanticcomposers, among them Liszt, Chopin, Schumann,and Brahms. Some wrote piano versions ofhis violin works. One of the caprices, in A minor,was used by Brahms for his Variations on a Themeof Paganini for piano (other composers, amongthem Schumann and Rachmaninoff, also usedthis theme as a basis for variations), which todayis heard more often than any of Paganini’s owncompositions.Palestrina (pä les trē′nä), Giovanni Pierluigi da(jô vän′nē pyer′′loo — ē′jē dä), c. 1525–1594. AnItalian composer who is remembered as one of the297