voix celeste
- noun
- Specialized
:
voix céleste
- The organist selected the voix celeste to add a shimmering quality to the hymn.
Examples
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Many romantic organs feature a voix celeste for expressive musical passages.
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During the recital, the voix celeste stop was used to evoke a sense of tranquility.
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The voix celeste adds a beautiful layer to the choir.
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Have you ever heard a voix celeste in a church?
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During the recital, the voix celeste stop was used to evoke a sense of tranquility.
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Many romantic organs feature a voix celeste for expressive musical passages.
-
The organist selected the voix celeste to add a shimmering quality to the hymn.
Synonyms
An organ stop that makes a soft, trembling sound like a human voice
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
voix + celeste
The elements 'voix' (French for 'voice') and 'celeste' (related to 'celestial' or the celesta) together evoke a ‘heavenly’ or ethereal voice, so a learner who knew the constituent senses could infer a general sense of an ethereal sound. However, the exact technical meaning — a specific organ stop that produces an undulating tremolo — is specialized and not fully predictable from the parts, and the foreign-language phrasing adds uncertainty for learners.
Etymology
Voix celeste comes from French words voix 'voice' and celeste 'heavenly'. On an organ it is a setting where pipes are tuned just a little apart so the sound shimmers like a soft choir, and which is why the name means a 'heavenly' or 'ethereal' sound.