Crepitantia tympana

Do you think that "crepitantia tympana" is a striking Latin expression? Well, so did a lot of people before you, tells a Google search (you can compare this with a Google Book Search on the same expression, if you like). A lot of "Dictionaria poetica", "Epithetorum opera absolutissima", and "Aeraria poetica" there. The expression, first used in neo-Latin poetry (attributed to Strozza the younger, it seems, though Boiardo also used it), became commonplace by 1594.

Of all Croatian writers currently in the CroALa, only Ludovik Paskalić thought so, but his verse ended up anthologized in Carmina illustrium poetarum Italorum (late, in 1720).

We're interested in the expression because Macario Muzio used it in his De triumpho Christi poema (Venice 1499), describing heavenly music:

264 Summa potestates ducebant agmina et altae
265 Virtutes celsique throni; tum classica sancto
266 Ore procul clangore pio pia signa canebant
267 Victoris uexilla dei lectasque cohortes
268 In superum coetus longo testantia cantu.
269 At circum propiore sono recinente citatis
270 Ad citharam leuibus digitis plectroque uolanti
271 Innumera certante lyra discrimina mille,
272 Mille fides ictis uario modulamine chordis
273 Et totidem surgens ad sacras barbitus odas
274 Aedebat duplicesque manus agitantia naula
275 Cymbalaque et pulsis resonabat bracthea palmis
276 Tinnitus tremula crispans ad carmina dextra.
277 Nec minus obliquas iungebat consona uoces
278 Plurima compactis respondens tibia cannis
279 Et sistra et grato crepitantia tympana bombo
280 Sambucae et molles numeri quos temperat unda
281 Hydraulis, caeleste melos referente monaulo;
282 Diuinos iunxere modos rhythmosque sonantes
283 Acta dei; tales modulans symphonia cantus
284 Laeta triumphantes reuocabat in ethera diuos.

Marko Marulić, who read Muzio's book carefully, later adapted the line in his Dauidias (c. 1502-1510):

2.209 Hinc uictor Dauid, turba comitante suorum,
2.210 Ibat ouans, uiridi redimitus tempora lauro
2.211 Et biiugo uectus curru. Peana canebat
2.212 Pone sequens miles pulsataque tympana bombos
2.213 Ędebant et silua sonum per inane uolutum
2.214 Atque cauis haustum rimis referebat eundem.

The ancient model is Catullus 64:

Cui Thyades passim lymphata mente furebant
euhoe bacchantes, euhoe capita inflectentes.
harum pars tecta quatiebant cuspide thyrsos,
pars e divulso iactabant membra iuvenco,
pars sese tortis serpentibus incingebant,
pars obscura cavis celebrabant orgia cistis,
orgia quae frustra cupiunt audire profani,
plangebant aliae proceris tympana palmis
aut tereti tenuis tinnitus aere ciebant,
multis raucisonos efflabant cornua bombos
barbaraque horribili stridebat tibia cantu.