Is a celesta used in The Nutcracker?

Not to be confused with glockenspiels or toy pianos, the celesta is a nineteenth-century instrument most recognizable for its mischievously joyful lines in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, particularly in Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.

What is celesta in music?

Celesta, also spelled celeste, orchestral percussion instrument resembling a small upright piano, patented by a Parisian, Auguste Mustel, in 1886. It consists of a series of small metal bars (and hence is a metallophone) with a keyboard and a simplified piano action in which small felt hammers strike the bars.

When was celesta first used?

1892
He first made use of the celesta in “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” in his ballet, “The Nutcracker” in 1892. This ballet was a huge success and ballet troupes all over the world wanted to perform it, so orchestras and opera houses throughout the world began to order celestas.

Who is the celesta player in the Nutcracker?

Kelly Zuercher is a keyboardist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and in this video, demonstrates the magical sounds of the celesta. The celesta is one of the featured instruments in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

When did Tchaikovsky use the Celeste in the Nutcracker?

It wasn’t until 1892 that Tchaikovsky introduced the celeste to Russian audiences, in his score for The Nutcracker. Although Tchaikovsky wasn’t the first to use the celeste, it would be safe to say that the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is the most recognisable composition for the instrument. How does it make that magical sound?

Who is the composer of the Nutcracker ballet?

Tchaikovsky was actually a brilliant composer on many, many levels. And if “The Nutcracker” demonstrates nothing else, it demonstrates that Tchaikovsky was one of the greatest masters of instrumental color and orchestration. Not to mention the fact that Tchaikovsky’s melodies aren’t just pretty.

Is there a Nutcracker ballet at Christmas time?

MONTAGNE: Christmas and “The Nutcracker,” honestly though, it feels like the two have gone together forever. HOFFMAN: It does seem that way, especially since at this time of the year, it’s hard to find a ballet company of any size anywhere in the country that doesn’t present “The Nutcracker.”