A keyboard percussion instrument with a bell-like tone, played by striking metal plates suspended above resonator tubes with felt-covered hammers.
From French 'célesta,' derived from Latin 'caelestis' meaning 'heavenly' or 'celestial.' The instrument was invented in 1886 and named for its ethereal, heavenly sound quality.
Tchaikovsky heard the celesta for the first time in Paris and fell in love with it so completely that he rushed to use it in The Nutcracker—one of the most famous musical works ever, all because he encountered this magical instrument and couldn't resist.
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