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Celesta

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French type, four-octave Celesta

The Celesta (IPA [səˈlɛstə]) is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is very similar to that of a piano. The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates suspended over wooden resonators. There is a pedal to sustain or dampen the sound.

The sound of the celesta is akin to that of the glockenspiel, but with a much softer timbre. This quality gave rise to the instrument's name, celeste meaning "heavenly" in French.

The celesta is a transposing instrument, sounding one octave higher than written. The original French instrument had a five-octave range, but as the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory, it was omitted from later models. Ironically, the standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger, five-octave German model. Although treated as a member of the percussion section in orchestral terms, it is usually played by a pianist, the part being normally written on two bracketed staves.

History

The celesta was invented in 1889 by the Parisian harmonium builder Auguste Mustel. Mustel's father, Victor Mustel, had developed the forerunner of the celesta, the typophone or the dulcitone, in 1860. This consisted of struck tuning-forks instead of metal plates, but the sound produced was considered too small to be of use in an orchestral situation. Pyotr Tchaikovsky is cited as the first major composer to use this instrument in a symphonic work for full orchestra; it appears in his last symphonic poem The Voyevoda (Op. 3, 1868; premiered 1891)[1] and in passages from his last ballet The Nutcracker (Op. 71, 1892) and its derived Opus 71a, The Nutcracker Suite — most notably the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy." Ernest Chausson preceded him by employing the celesta in his incidental music for La tempête in 1888, written for a small orchestra.[2] Charles Widor had also used it in his ballet La Korrigane in 1880.[3]

Works featuring the celesta

The celesta, as with most orchestral instruments, is mainly found in classical music, as well as in many film scores and a few musicals. The following is a list of major and minor works that feature the instrument:

Fisher Tull: Sketches On a Tudor Psalm (1971)

The celesta has also featured in popular music here and there since the mid twentieth century:

References

  1. ^ Freed, Richard. [LP Jacket notes.] Tchaikovsky: "Fatum," [...] "The Storm," [...] "The Voyevoda." Bochum Orchestra. Othmar Maga, conductor. Vox Stereo STPL 513.460. New York: Vox Productions, Inc., 1975.
  2. ^ Blades, James and Holland, James. "Celesta"; Gallois, Jean. "Chausson, Ernest: Works," Grove Music Online (Accessed 8 April 2006) (subscription required)
  3. ^ The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments, ISBN 1-85868-185-5, p104

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Celesta.
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