Altissimo

/ælˈtɪsɪmoʊ/ noun, adjective

Definition

In music, the highest register or range of an instrument, or notes played in the very highest part of an instrument's range.

Etymology

Italian superlative of 'alto' (high), from Latin 'altus.' The term entered English musical vocabulary during the Renaissance when Italian musical terminology became standard across Europe.

Kelly Says

The altissimo register on instruments like the saxophone or trumpet sounds almost superhuman—players can reach notes so high they seem to exist at the edge of what human hearing can actually process, creating an ethereal, almost alien quality.

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