Dictionary of Music - Birding America

wind instruments 475eighth, etc.—is based on the whole note. In the MiddleAges, however, the whole note was the shortestnote. Its modern meaning has held only since theeighteenth century.wie aus der FerneSee FERN.Wieck (vēk), Clara (klä′rä).MANN, ROBERT.See under SCHU-whole rest Also, whole note rest. A rest, — , indicatinga silence lasting the same length of time as awhole note.whole stepSee WHOLE TONE.whole tone Also, whole step, major second. Thesecond smallest interval used in Western (Europeanand American) music. It is equal to two half tones (ahalf tone being the smallest interval). See alsoINTERVAL, def. 2.whole-tone scale Any scale that is made upentirely of whole tones, that is, containing no halftones, and therefore consisting of six notes peroctave. In traditional Western (European and American)systems of tuning, there are two such scales: CD E F♯ G ♯ A ♯ and D ♭ E♭ F G A B. Unlike the diatonicscales (the major and minor scales), the use of awhole-tone scale does not involve a tonal center(tonic). It is for this reason that the whole-tone scaleattracted several composers of the early twentiethcentury who were rebelling against various featuresof traditional music, particularly traditional harmony.Chief among those who used the whole-tonescale was Debussy.fig. 267 p/u from p. 498Widor (vē dôr′), Charles-Marie (shArl mA rē′),1844–1937. A French organist, teacher, and composerwho is remembered both for his organ musicand his influence on young organists. Long a teacherat the Paris Conservatory, and later at Fontainebleau,Widor wrote ten long works for organ, which hecalled “symphonies.” He also wrote several symphoniesfor orchestra, three operas, two piano concertos,a cello concerto, and numerous vocal andinstrumental works. Of these, only the organ works,which continue the tradition established by CÉSARFRANCK, are still performed to any great extent.Wieniawski (vyā nyaf′skē), Henryk (hen rēk′),1835–1880. A Polish violinist and composer whowas one of the great violinists of his age. He touredthroughout Europe giving concerts, for a timetogether with the pianist Anton Rubinstein. He alsotaught at the Brussels Conservatory and composedtwo concertos and other works for violin, notablemainly for their technical difficulty. In addition, hewrote a book on violin playing.Willaert (vē ler′, vil′ärt), Adrian (ä drē äN′), c.1490–1562. A Flemish composer who is consideredthe founder of the Venetian school of composers.One of the most influential musicians of histime, Willaert served for the last thirty-five years ofhis life as musical director for St. Mark’s Cathedralin Venice. He was among the most prominent towrite for two choirs singing in turn and together(the famous polychoral style associated withVenice, although it was also practiced elsewhere innorthern Italy from about 1520 on). Aside fromchurch music (Masses and motets), he wrotenumerous fine madrigals and chansons (polyphonicsongs), and he was one of the first to write ricercars(pieces in imitative counterpoint) for instrumentalensembles (see RICERCAR, def. 1; see also VENET-IAN SCHOOL).wind band A term used loosely for a brass bandor a symphonic band. See under BAND.wind chest In organs, a kind of chamber thatholds the wind supply. Air (wind) is pumped into thewind chest by means of bellows. The air in turnpasses from the wind chests to the pipes throughgrooves, which are controlled by stops. (SeeORGAN.)wind instruments A large category of instrumentsthat produce sound when a column of air(inside the tube, or body, of the instrument) is madeto vibrate. In BRASS INSTRUMENTS such as the