Celesta
The celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an uprightpiano (four- or five-octave), or a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys connect to hammers that strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates suspended over wooden resonators. Four- or five-octave models usually have a pedal that sustains or dampens the sound. The three-octave instruments do not have a pedal because of their small "table-top" design. One of the best-known works that uses the celesta is Tchaikovsky's "Dance ofthe Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker.
The sound of the celesta is similar to that of the glockenspiel, but with a much softer and more subtle timbre. This quality gave the instrument its name, celeste meaning "heavenly" in French.
The celesta is a transposing instrument; it sounds an octave higher than the written pitch. Its (four-octave) sounding range is generally considered as C3 to C7, where C3 = middle C. The original French instrument had a five-octave range, but because the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory, it was omitted from later models. The standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger, five-octave German model. Although it is a member of the percussion family, in orchestral termsit is more properly considered as a member of thekeyboard section and usually played by a keyboardist. The celesta part is normally written on two bracketed staves, called a grand staff.
The sound of the celesta is similar to that of the glockenspiel, but with a much softer and more subtle timbre. This quality gave the instrument its name, celeste meaning "heavenly" in French.
The celesta is a transposing instrument; it sounds an octave higher than the written pitch. Its (four-octave) sounding range is generally considered as C3 to C7, where C3 = middle C. The original French instrument had a five-octave range, but because the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory, it was omitted from later models. The standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger, five-octave German model. Although it is a member of the percussion family, in orchestral termsit is more properly considered as a member of thekeyboard section and usually played by a keyboardist. The celesta part is normally written on two bracketed staves, called a grand staff.