Literary notes about Timbre (AI summary)
In literature, the term timbre is not merely a technical term for the quality of sound but a versatile device that enriches both narrative and character. It is often used to evoke the emotional color and nuance of voices or instruments—a voice might be described as having a somber, lonely, or metallic timbre that deepens our understanding of a character’s inner life [1][2][3], while the shifting overtones of musical instruments can mirror the evolving mood of a scene [4][5]. Additionally, timbre can serve as a metaphor for style and spirit, suggesting that the very essence of a narrative or a character’s expression is as much about the quality of delivery as the words or notes themselves [6][7].
- the timbre changes abruptly to a sombre quality with sinister effect, which effect is augmented by being sung pp .
— from Style in Singing by W. E. Haslam - Likewise the timbre left his voice, making it sound lonely.
— from The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker - As to his voice, it is of superb timbre.
— from Birds of the Rockies by Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser - Harmonics, frequently used today, alter the timbre of a stringed instrument to a very appreciable extent.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - A wood-wind instrument cannot be used to echo the strings, or -111- vice versa , on account of the dissimilarity in timbre.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Thus it gives depth and timbre to the story, and yet allows the characters to seem actual persons actually walking the world.
— from Contemporary American Novelists (1900-1920) by Carl Van Doren - Style is timbre , and the best style is that in which this peculiar tone of the individual mind is most perfectly revealed.
— from Studies in the Evolutionary Psychology of Feeling by Hiram Miner Stanley
