Ah, I just realized it was the phrase from the first sentence, third paragraph. The answer to that is yes, it was intentional. In my mind, the phrase high pitched crescendo is redundant, because the phrase pitched crescendo already paints the picture of high-frenzied (pitched = sloped and crescendo = peak).

After reading a biography on Michael Angelo, I took a different perspective on writing. I purposely edit my finished work to communicate my thoughts in as few words as possible. Its something to do with stripping the finished piece down to its essence. Perhaps I'm just a bit too esoteric but I think there is an elegance in simplicity and wordplay.