A
celesta is a short, upright keyboard instrument similar to a piano. Unlike a
piano, though, the celesta’s hammers hit steel bars over wooden resonators
rather than strings. The celesta has only one sustain pedal (Hoffman and
Orkis).
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The
celesta was invented in 1886 in Paris and was named for its “celestial” sound
(Hoffman and Orkis). Tchaikovsky requested a celesta for his compositions,
because he wanted his music among the first celesta pieces (Hoffman and Orkis).
After Tchaikovsky helped initiate the rise of the celesta, the new instrument
rose in popularity through the twentieth century, and today it is used in many
Hollywood film scores. Its “other-worldly, magical” sound was perfect for the Harry Potter soundtrack (Hoffman and
Orkis).
