The celesta ( / s ɪ ˈ l ɛ s t ə / ) or celeste ( / s ɪ ˈ l ɛ s t / ), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It resembles an upright piano (four- or five-octave) but has smaller keys and a smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys are connected to hammers that strike metal plates or bars suspended over wooden resonators. Four- or five-octave models often include a damper pedal that controls the sound’s length. Three-octave instruments lack a pedal due to their small, table-top design. A well-known piece using the celesta is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker.

The celesta’s sound is similar to the glockenspiel but softer and more delicate. The name “celeste” comes from the French word for “heavenly.” The instrument is often used to highlight a melody played by another instrument, such as flute, harp, or piano. It may also play a solo part in some pieces. While it appears in chamber music, few concertos are written for it. Its quiet, bell-like tone is too soft for use in large ensemble sections.

The celesta is a transposing instrument; it sounds one octave higher than written. Models vary in size, with ranges from three to five and a half octaves. A four-octave instrument typically covers the range from C4 to C8. The fundamental frequency of 4186 Hz is among the highest commonly used. The original French celesta had a five-octave range, but the lowest octave was later removed due to sound quality. It was later added back as technology improved. Today, the standard French four-octave model is being replaced in orchestras by a larger German five-octave version. Though classified as a percussion instrument, it is usually grouped with keyboard instruments in orchestras and played by a keyboardist. The celesta part is written on two braced staves, called a grand staff.

History

The celesta was created in 1886 by Auguste Mustel, a harmonium builder from Paris. His father, Charles Victor Mustel, had developed an earlier version of the celesta called the typophone in 1860. The typophone made sound by striking tuning forks instead of the metal plates used in the celesta. A similar instrument called the dulcitone was developed at the same time in Scotland. It is not known if the creators of the typophone and dulcitone were aware of each other’s work. Both instruments were too quiet to be heard in a full orchestra, which limited their use.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is often credited as the first major composer to use the celesta in a full symphony orchestra. He first used it in his symphonic poem The Voyevoda, which was performed in November 1891. The next year, he included the celesta in his ballet The Nutcracker (1892), especially in the piece called Variation de la Fée Dragée (commonly known as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy). This was based on a request from the ballet director Marius Petipa, who wanted the music to sound like "drops of water shooting out of fountains."

Before Tchaikovsky, Ernest Chausson used the celesta in December 1888 in his incidental music for La tempête, a French version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This music was written for a small orchestra.

The celesta appears in several famous works by other composers. Gustav Mahler used it in his Symphony No. 6, Symphony No. 8, and Das Lied von der Erde. Karol Szymanowski included it in his Symphony No. 3. Gustav Holst used the celesta in his 1918 work The Planets, especially in the final movement, Neptune, the Mystic. Béla Bartók featured it in his 1936 piece Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. Ottorino Respighi used the celesta in several works, including his Roman triptych. George Gershwin included a celesta solo in his musical An American in Paris. Ferde Grofé wrote a long solo for the celesta in the third movement of his Grand Canyon Suite. Dmitri Shostakovich used the celesta in seven of his fifteen symphonies, including the final part of his Fourth Symphony. Erich Wolfgang Korngold used the celesta in his opera Die tote Stadt, his film scores, and his Violin Concerto.

In the 20th century, Morton Feldman used the celesta in many of his chamber and orchestral works, such as Crippled Symmetry and For Philip Guston. In some pieces, like Five Pianos, one of the pianists also plays the celesta.

The celesta is also used in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (1936) and in some 20th-century operas, such as the Silver Rose scene in Der Rosenkavalier (1911).

In The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the keyboard part for the glockenspiel is now often played by a celesta.

Use in other musical genres

Since Earl Hines began using the celesta in 1928, other jazz pianists have sometimes used it as an alternative instrument. In the 1930s, Fats Waller played the celesta with his right hand while playing the piano with his left hand. Other well-known jazz pianists who occasionally used the celesta include Memphis Slim, Meade "Lux" Lewis, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Buddy Greco, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Keith Jarrett, and Herbie Hancock. The celesta introduces the song "Someday You'll Be Sorry," which Louis Armstrong recorded for RCA, and it is heard clearly throughout the piece. The pianist Russ Freeman used the celesta on tracks from the album Chet Baker Sings, such as "My Ideal" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)."

Many jazz ballads include the celesta, such as songs recorded by Frank Sinatra for Columbia or The Pied Pipers in the 1940s, like "I'll Never Smile Again" and "Dream," as well as songs from his Capitol albums in the 1950s, including In the Wee Small Hours, Close to You, and Songs for Swingin' Lovers.

The use of the celesta in jazz decreased quickly after the vibraphone became popular.

Notable pop and rock songs that include the celesta are:
• "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant
• "Jethro Tull – The String Quartets" by Jethro Tull
• "Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
• "As If You Read My Mind" by Stevie Wonder
• "Everyday" by Buddy Holly
• "Baby It's You" by The Beatles
• "Girl Don't Tell Me" by The Beach Boys
• "Cherish" by The Association
• "Sunday Morning" and "Stephanie Says" by The Velvet Underground
• "Wee Baby Blues" by Climax Blues Band
• "Northern Sky" by Nick Drake
• "Maggie May" and "Mine for Me" by Rod Stewart
• "New York City" by Owl City
• "Penetration" by The Stooges
• "Novocaine for the Soul," "Flyswatter," "Trouble with Dreams," and others by Eels
• "Every Single Night" by Fiona Apple
• "Tarkus" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
• "Here Today" by Illinois Speed Press
• "Love is a Beautiful Thing" by Vulfpeck
• "Queen of Them All" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
• "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush
• "Lost Track" by HAIM
• "Figure of Eight" by Paul McCartney
• "Too Much Sea Between Us" by Procol Harum
• "Bells of the Evening" by Gordon Lightfoot (celesta played by Nick DeCaro)
• "Love Makes the World Go Round" by Deon Jackson
• "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" by Pink Floyd
• "Vespertine" album by Björk
• "La marche de l'empereur" by Émilie Simon

The Icelandic band Sigur Rós used the celesta on their album Takk…, and the band's lead singer, Jónsi, included it on the acoustic version of his solo album Go. Steven Wilson also uses the celesta in his solo music.

The Italian 1970s progressive rock band named Celeste was inspired by the instrument.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band used the celesta often in their early years, with Danny Federici playing a Jenco Celestette during live performances in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sheryl Crow played the celesta on her 2017 album Be Myself.

The band A-ha used a Jenco celesta during their MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice performances in 2017.

The celesta has been used in movies for many years. It has helped create music for films from the 1930s through the 1960s and has been highlighted to create a whimsical sound. For example, in Pinocchio (1940), the celesta plays a short musical phrase whenever the Blue Fairy appears or performs magic. The celesta also introduces the song "Pure Imagination," sung by Gene Wilder in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The composer John Williams included the celesta in the scores for the first three Harry Potter films, especially in the first two films' versions of "Hedwig's Theme."

The celesta was also used in the music for the children's TV show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It played a dreamy introduction to the theme song "Won't You Be My Neighbor," which was sung by Fred Rogers and played by Johnny Costa. The celesta was also used in other parts of the show's music.

Manufacturers

Schiedmayer and Yamaha are the only companies making celestas today. Other companies that made celestas in the past include:

• Mustel & Company (Paris, France)
• Simone Bros. Celeste MFGS (Philadelphia and New York, US)
• Morley (England)
• Jenco (Decatur, Illinois, US)
• Helmes (New York, US)

Substitutes

When a musical group or orchestra does not have a celesta, piano, synthesizer, or sampler, electronic keyboards are often used instead.