What phrase encapsulates the ultimate role of resonance in defining the character of sound, as highlighted by composers using reverberant spaces?

Answer

Selective persistence of vibration.

Resonance is ultimately about selective persistence, meaning the system acts as a filter, sustaining and prolonging only those vibrations whose frequencies match its natural modes, resulting in the character of the sustained sound.

What phrase encapsulates the ultimate role of resonance in defining the character of sound, as highlighted by composers using reverberant spaces?
physicsfrequencySoundwaveresonance