Dictionary of Music - Birding America

44 blues harpblues harp See under HARMONICA, def. 1.blues rockSee under ROCK.Boccherini (bôk′′kə rē′nē), Luigi (loo — ē′jē),1743–1805. An Italian composer rememberedmainly for his chamber music—chamber symphonies,hundreds of string quartets and quintets,string trios, etc.—written in a style much like that ofhis contemporary, Haydn. In his own day Boccheriniwas famous as a cellist. His compositions are notespecially original but are notable for their pleasing,expressive melodies and fluent instrumental writing.One of his best-known pieces is the Minuet from hisString Quintet op. 13, no. 4.Böhm (bŒm) system An arrangement of the keysand finger holes in woodwind instruments thatclosely corresponds to the order of notes in the chromaticscale yet keeps them within easy reach of theplayer’s fingers. It is named for its inventor, TheobaldBöhm, a German flutist who lived from 1794 to1881. Earlier methods of keying and fingering had fiteither the chromatic order of sounds (the scale) or theplayer’s fingers, but not both. Böhm, working firstwith the flute, made the finger holes larger and asclose as possible to chromatic order; he also changedthe closed keys that had been used earlier to openkeys controlled by rings. The first flute of this kindwas built about 1832. Later Böhm further altered theinstrument, giving it a cylindrical (straight) bore,instead of a conical (tapered) bore; he also enlargedthe finger holes still more and replaced the rings withpadded plates. This type of flute, first built about1847, is the kind still played today. Böhm’s systemwas also used for oboes and bassoons, but with lesssuccess. However, about 1867 it began to be used forclarinets, for the first time enabling clarinetists toperform music in any key.Boito (bō ē′tô), Arrigo (är rē′gô), 1842–1918.An Italian poet, critic, and composer rememberedless for his music than for the librettos he wrote foroperas by other composers. Boito’s masterpieces inthis field are the librettos for Verdi’s Otello and Falstaffand for Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. Boito’s ownmost important composition is the opera Mefistofele,in which he combined elements of traditional Italianopera with the dramatic ideas of Wagner.Bolcom (bōl′kəm), William, 1938– . An Americanpianist and composer who became known forincorporating both popular and serious idioms in hismusic. A student of Milhaud and Messiaen, amongothers, he was well schooled in serial music andother important styles. He and his wife, sopranoJoan Morris, gave many concerts of both nineteenthandearly twentieth-century salon music, as well aspopular songs and art songs. These varied influences,especially American popular music rangingfrom ragtime to musical comedy, appear in suchworks as 14 Piano Rags (1967–70), Dark Music(1970) for timpani and cello, Open House (1975) fortenor and chamber orchestra, 12 New Etudes forPiano (1988), which won the Pulitzer Prize, and apiano concerto (1995). Also notable are Songs ofInnocence and Experience (1984), a setting ofWilliam Blake poems for soloist, chorus, andorchestra; the operas McTeague (1992) and A Viewfrom the Bridge (1999); and Seventh Symphony: ASymphonic Concerto (2002).bolero (bō ler′ō) Spanish. 1 A Spanish dance datingfrom the late eighteenth century, performed as asolo or by a couple and usually accompanied by castanets.The music, in 3/4 meter, is moderately fastand includes the characteristic rhythmic patternsshown in the accompanying example. The bolerohas frequently been used by composers, the bestknownexample being Ravel’s ballet Boléro (1928).In this piece, Ravel repeats a single theme over andover, each time a little louder than the time before,beginning with only a few instruments and endingwith the whole orchestra (the piece lasts abouttwenty minutes). 2 A Cuban dance in moderatetempo and duple meter (with two basic beats permeasure), similar to the habanera.fig. 31 p/u from p. 47Bologna (bô lôn′yä) school A group of composerswho worked in the Italian city of Bolognaduring the seventeenth century, the most important