celesta
A keyboard instrument where hammers strike metal plates, producing a bell-like tone.
In Depth
Tchaikovsky was so excited about discovering the celesta in Paris that he asked his publisher to keep it secret, fearing another composer would use it before he could debut it in The Nutcracker.
Related Terms
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A guitar that produces sound naturally through its hollow wooden body without electronic amplification.
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A small, hexagonal free-reed instrument with buttons on both sides, producing different notes on push and pull of the bellows, central to Irish and English traditional music.
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A wind instrument using enclosed reeds fed by a constant air supply from a bag.
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