tone painting

American  

noun

1. musical description, by harmonic, melodic, or rhythmic means, of the words of a text or the story elements in program music.

---

Etymology

Origin of tone painting

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tone painting

There is experimentation with found-object percussion, and recent Glass touches including colorful texture, expressive shifts in harmony and soundtrack-like tone painting.

From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2023

These splendid studies in tone painting were all superbly performed by the Trinity Choir, obviously well prepared by Mr. Wachner, a composer and choral director of considerable experience.

From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2010

Instead of piling on the venom with the song, Swift's "Innocent" takes a conciliatory tone, painting him as "32, and still growing up now."

From Reuters ● Oct. 15, 2010

Debussy's brooding music is spheres apart from the pastoral beauties of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun or the nautical tone painting of La Mer.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many of them possess that Nature tone painting, that mystic, subtle romanticism of whispering tree-tops and elfin glades, that freshness and open air spirit which distinguish MacDowell's later short pieces.

From Edward MacDowell by Porte, John F.