Dictionary of Music - Birding America

22 Balakirev, Mily AlexeyevitchThe bagpipe is a very old instrument, datingback at least two thousand years, and there aremany variations on the kind described above,which is the bagpipe of the Scottish Highlands(the national instrument of Scotland). Most of thevarieties found in Asia, North Africa, and EasternEurope have pipes with a single reed and a cylindricalbore (the inside of the pipe does not taper).Most of the kinds found in western Europe, on theother hand, have pipes with a double reed and awide conical bore (cone-shaped inside), producingthe shrill sound associated with the Highlandpipes. The chanter may be a single pipe or a doubleone. Like the Highland pipe, the Old Irishbagpipe, French cornemuse, and German Dudelsackall are mouth-blown. In the modern Irishbagpipe (also, union pipes) and French MUSETTE(def. 1), however, the wind is supplied by a smallpair of bellows worked by the player’s arm. Bagpipestraditionally are used to accompany folkdances, and in Britain bands of pipers also playmilitary music.Balakirev (bä lä′ki ref), Mily Alexeyevitch(mē′ lē ä′′ le kse′ y ə vich), 1837–1910. ARussian composer, pianist, and teacher whobecame the leader of the group of composersknown as “the Five” (see FIVE, THE). Like theother members of this group, Balakirev was interestedin creating a truly national Russian music.His own works show the influence of Russian folkmusic, as well as that of the romantic composersof western Europe, especially Liszt. Balakirevwrote two symphonies, two symphonic poems,and numerous songs. His best-known piece isIslamey, a very difficult fantasy for piano. Alsowell-known is his piano arrangement of Glinka’ssong, “The Lark.”balalaika (bä′′lə lī′kə). A kind of lute popular inRussia and other East European countries, where itis used mainly to accompany folk singing and dancing.It has a triangular body and a long neck providedwith four movable frets to show where the fingersmust stop the strings (see FRET). There are threestrings, which the player plucks with a plectrum.The balalaika is made in at least six different sizes;one of the most common has its strings tuned E E A(above middle C).balancement (bA läNs mäN′).defs. 2, 4, 6.fig. 15 p/u from p. 22French for VIBRATO,ballabile (bä lä′ bē le) Italian. 1 A dance movementin a ballet or opera. For example, in Verdi’sopera Macbeth, the song and dance of the witches isso marked. 2 Direction to perform in a dancelikefashion.ballad 1 A solo song that tells a story in simpleverse, the same music being repeated for eachstanza. This kind of ballad was very popular fromthe sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries, especiallyin England. Often the text concerned actualevents and was set to a familiar tune, such as“Greensleeves.” Some ballads, however, eventhough they originally told a true story, were sungover such a long period that the event itself was forgottenand only the ballad remained, often in manydifferent versions. A famous example of this kind,called a folk ballad, is “Barbara Allen.” F. J. Childmade an important collection, English and ScottishPopular Ballads (1882–1898), and pieces from it aresometimes called Child ballads. Sometimes composerswrote art songs in the style of a ballad—thatis, telling a story, though not always using strophic