Bizet, Georges. 1838-75. French composer: Carmen 1875.

Blackstone, William. 1723-80. English common law scholar/jurist. Commentaries 1765-9.

Blake, Robert. 1599-1657. English Commonwealth admiral.

Blake, William. 1757-1827. English mystical poet and engraver of his own books. Marriage of Heaven and Hell 1790-3. Job 1821. Dante’s Divine Comedy 1825.

Blanqui, Louis. 1805-81. French militant socialist. Coined: “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”, “Industrial Revolution”, 1837. Unsuccessful uprising 1839. Commune leader. Secret societies.

Bliss, Arthur. 1891-1975. English subjective composer. Colour Symphony 1922.

Bloch, Ernest. 1880-1959. Swiss/US neoclassical composer. Jewish themes. America 1926.

Bloody Week. 1871. Paris Commune toppled. 20,000 dead.

Boleslav the Cruel. -967. Brother, murdered St. Wenceslaus to become Prince of Bohemia, 929.

Bolsheviks. (“Majority”) 1903-52. Revolutionary faction of Social Democratic Workers Party for dictatorship of Proletariat. =Communist. Mensheviks.

Book of Common Prayer. 1549. Church of England official prayer book.

Borodin, Aleksander. 1833-87. Russian heroic composer. Prince Igor 1869.

Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balkans. 1180 Independent Kingdom. 1350 +Hum (Herzegovina). 1463 Ottoman. 1878 Austria-Hungary. 1797 France. 1805 Russia. 1918 Yugoslavia. 1946 Communist. 1992 Independent. 1993 Yugoslav Serbs invade. 1995 Dayton Accord.

Boulez, Pierre. 1925-. French 12-tone avant-garde composer. Sonatine 1946.

Brahe, Tycho. 1546-1601. Danish astronomer. Compiled observations 1572 used by Kepler.

Brahmavihara. Brahman heaven, attained by sympathy, compassion, joy, equanimity.

Brahms, Johannes. 1833-97. German composer. “Romantic spirit controlled by a classical intellect”. Requiem 1868.

Bramah, Joseph. 1748-1814. English Invented combination lock 1784, hydraulic press, modern toilet.

Breda Compromise. 1566. Dutch petition against Inquisition. Dutch Revolt -1579.

British East India Company. 1600-1858. For trade with Asia. Took political control.

British Empire. 1500-1997. Britain, its colonies and protectorates. Commonwealth.

Britten, Benjamin. 1913-76. Influential English composer of operas and symphonies. Paul Bunyan 1941. Billy Budd 1951. War Requiem 1962. Death in Venice 1973.

Brock, Isaac. 1769-1812. British military commander. Upper Canada hero in War of 1812.

Brook Farm. 1841-7. Massachussets commune. Ripley. Hawthorne.

Bruckner, Anton. 1824-96. Austrian Classical Romantic composer of symphonies, masses. Romantic Symphony 1874.

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