maestro

views updated May 21 2018

maes·tro / ˈmīstrō/ • n. (pl. maes·tri / ˈmīstrē/ or maes·tros) a distinguished musician, esp. a conductor of classical music. ∎  a great or distinguished figure in any sphere: a movie maestro. ORIGIN: early 18th cent.: Italian, ‘master,’ from Latin magister.

maestro

views updated May 18 2018

maestro (It.). Master. Title given in Italy to celebrated composers, conds., and teachers, e.g. Maestro Verdi, Maestro Toscanini, Maestro Martini. The tendency has grown in USA (and has spread) to use it as a synonym only for conds., e.g. ‘the maestro’. Maestro di cappella was the mus. dir. of a chapel or of an aristocratic mus. est.; maestro al cembalo was the musician who, in 17th and 18th cents., directed perfs. from the hpd. or other continuo instr.

maestro

views updated May 23 2018

maestro A local north-westerly wind of the Adriatic Sea which affects the western coasts, especially in summer. The term is also applied to north-westerly winds in the Ionian Sea and to winds off the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.

maestro

views updated May 08 2018

maestro Local north-westerly wind of the Adriatic Sea which affects the western coasts, especially in summer. The term is also applied to north-westerly winds in the Ionian Sea and to winds off the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.