altissimo

American  

[al-tis-uh-moh, ahl-tees-see-maw] / ælˈtɪs əˌmoʊ, ɑlˈtis siˌmɔ /

adjective

1. very high.

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noun

1. in altissimo, in the second octave above the treble staff.

altissimo British  

/ ælˈtɪsɪˌməʊ /

adjective

1. (of music) very high in pitch

2. of or relating to the octave commencing on the G lying an octave above the treble clef

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noun

1. in the octave commencing an octave above the treble clef

Etymology

Origin of altissimo

1810–20; < Italian: literally, highest, equivalent to alt ( o ) high + -issimo superlative suffix

Example Sentences

Ms. Aldana has a dry but limpid sound on tenor and an expressive command that stretches into an altissimo register.

From New York Times

There were free-improvised solos, altissimo saxophone squeals and loud, surging sections, but nothing became chaotic; a sense of space and order subsumed everything else.

From New York Times

Then there is a story of Corelli’s coming to grief over a passage in Handel’s overture to Il Trionfo del tempo, in which the violins went up to A in altissimo.

From Project Gutenberg

Here her voice soon became a great attraction owing to its extraordinary purity, force, and compass, which extended to G in altissimo.

From Project Gutenberg

Its compass was from G to E in altissimo, which she ran with the greatest ease and force, the tones being at once powerful and sweet.

From Project Gutenberg