Celeste Soundtrack

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'Strange' is a song by British singer and songwriter Celeste. The song was released on 4 September 2019 through Both Sides and Polydor Records as the lead single from her debut studio album Not Your Muse (2021). It was written by Celeste, Stephen Wrabel, and Jamie Hartman, who also produced the track.^[2] She released a live version of the song on 20 September 2019,^[3] as well as the song's music video in November 2019.^[4] The original version has been edited for radio play on the version titled 'Strange (Edit)', therefore excluding an extra verse towards the end of the song.

Buy Celeste Soundtrack. SPECIAL PROMOTION! Offer ends December 14-75%. Buy Celeste + OST Includes 2 items: Celeste, Celeste Soundtrack. Bundle info-75%. About This Content Relive the emotional highs and lows of Madeline's journey with Lena Raine's iconic, award-winning soundtrack. The soundtrack to the long-awaited final chapter of Celeste is now available on vinyl and cassette from Ship to Shore PhonoCo! Lena Raine's Celeste: Farewell takes listeners on a final trip through Celeste.

Background and composition[edit]

Celeste premiered the song at the BBC Music Introducing concert at The Lexington in February 2019. She told BBC, 'You never know how you're gonna feel when you perform something for the first time and how people are going to react to it, and I had such a warm response and it seemed like it was a memorable song for people in that moment.'^[5] Celeste told the Evening Standard, 'They identified it as a special song.'^[6]

'Strange' is 'a tale of lost friendships and broken relationships'.^[7] In the chorus, Celeste ponders: 'Isn't it strange? / How people can change / From strangers to friends / Friends into lovers / And strangers again' over silky strings and a 'haunting and delicate' piano melody.^[8][9][10] The song was written and recorded in Los Angeles during the 2018 California wildfires. Robin Murray from Clash noted that the damaged areas were 'transformed into these hideous alien realms which [Waite] began to view [as] counterpoints to her own emotional turmoil.'^[11] She told Idolator, 'I began to think of all the destruction the fires caused, the loss, the isolation, people finding themselves in a situation where they have no home, no sense of familiarity,'^[9] After hearing Celeste sing 'Tried to see through all the smoke,' David Smyth from Evening Standard wrote, 'her voice trails off close to silence, as though she isn't quite sure of the words.' Celeste commented on this statement, saying 'It's become one of my favourite songs I've written, because it allows me to live in the imperfections of my voice... The air was thick with smoke, which is why my voice sounds more husky than it is usually.'^[6] Modestas Mankus from Our Culture Mag wrote, 'Celeste brings us a melancholic mood through a melodious voice and soft ad-like piano.'^[12]

'Strange' is composed in the key of D major with a slow tempo of 68 beats per minute. The song features strings from musician Sebastian Plano.^[2]

Reception[edit]

Modestas Mankus from Our Culture Mag wrote:^[12]

Celeste's ability to explore an event that is so distressing to access her own past and personal experience of loss showcase a side of Celeste that has been previously visible in her previous work. Celeste has established herself as an artist who can mould and bring out authenticity and passion with fluency and maturity that not many artists can do so quickly in their careers,

Idolator ranked the song at #34 on their list of The 75 Best Pop Songs Of 2019.^[13]

Music video[edit]

The music video for 'Strange' was shot in Bulgaria in October 2019,^[14] and released on 7 November 2019.^[4] Celeste told Dork that the video 'begins at the end and comes full circle, representing the reckless behaviours which can lead you from being lovers to strangers.'^[14]

A French lyric video illustrated by Toby Calo was released on Celeste's social media platforms on Christmas Day 2019.^[15][16]

Live performances[edit]

Celeste made her late night television debut when she performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland in October 2019.^[17][18] Following her performance of 'Strange' at the 2020 Brit Awards, Celeste saw interest from other big names in the pop music industry who attended the ceremony such as Billie Eilish,^[19]Camilla Cabello,^[20]Finneas,^[21] and Stormzy.^[22] She has also made her American television debut with the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden,^[23] as well as her French television debut with the song on C à vous.^[24]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal:^[2]

• Celeste Waite: vocals, composer, lyricist
• Jamie Hartman: producer, lyricist, composer, piano, vocal producer
• Stephen Wrabel: lyricist, composer
• Sebastian Plano: strings, string director
• Tom Elmhirst: mixer, studio personnel

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Rogers, Kieran (14 November 2019). ''Strange' is a thoughtful piece of soul balladry from Celeste'. Clout. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
2. ^ ^abc'Strange (Edit) by Celeste: Credits'. Tidal. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
3. ^Strange (Live) - Single by Celeste, Apple Music, retrieved 23 December 2019
4. ^ ^abCeleste - Strange (Official Video), YouTube, 7 November 2019, retrieved 23 December 2019
5. ^Celete is BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year 2019. Facebook. BBC Music Introducing. 3 December 2019. Event occurs at 4:30. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
6. ^ ^abSmyth, David (8 November 2019). 'Celeste: 'After my father died, I had so much more drive to do music''. Evening Standard. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
7. ^Arunarsirakul, Alissa (5 September 2019). 'Celeste Is the Rising R&B Songstress Who Highly Values Intimacy in Her Songwriting'. Ones To Watch. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
8. ^'Celeste – Strange: Lyrics', Genius, retrieved 23 December 2019
9. ^ ^abWass, Mike (7 November 2019). 'New Find: Celeste's Hauntingly Beautiful 'Strange''. idolator. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
10. ^Malachosky, Evan (6 September 2019). 'Celeste: Strange'. Cool Hunting. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
11. ^Murray, Robin (5 September 2019). 'Celeste Shares Affecting New Single 'Strange''. Clash. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
12. ^ ^abMankus, Modestas (7 September 2019). 'Review: Celeste 'Strange''. Our Culture Mag. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
13. ^Wass, Mike (30 December 2019). 'The 75 Best Pop Songs Of 2019'. idolator. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
14. ^ ^ab'Watch Celeste's new video for 'Strange''. Dork. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
15. ^Celeste - Strange (Official French Lyric Video), YouTube, 25 December 2019, retrieved 25 December 2019
16. ^'Celeste on Instagram: 'une nouvelle vidéo lyrique pour étrange en français ~ Joyeux Nöel Illustration & Video by @tobycato''. Instagram. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
17. ^'Celeste: Who is BBC Music Introducing's Artist of the Year?'. BBC. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
18. ^'BBC Two - Later... Live Tracks, Celeste - Strange (Later... With Jools Holland)'. BBC. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
19. ^The Official Big Top 40 [@BigTop40] (24 February 2020). 'So @billieeilish is just as big a fan of @celeste's music are we are' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
20. ^'Camila Cabello Instagram Story: 24 February 2020'. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
21. ^FINNEAS [@finneas] (25 February 2020). 'Heard this song for the first time when performing at the brits and fell in love with it immediately' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
22. ^BRIT Awards [@BRITs] (19 February 2020). ''That's a perfect song.' The moment @stormzy bumped into @celeste backstage at The #BRITs and told her exactly how much he loves 'Strange'' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
23. ^'Celeste: Strange'. YouTube. The Late Late Show with James Corden. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
24. ^'C à vous la suite Intégrale : Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan et Celeste'. France Télévisions (in French). C à vous. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
25. ^ ^abc'Celeste [UK] - Strange'. Ultratop. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
26. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
27. ^'Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100: 10 January 2020'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
28. ^'Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 | Week of 10 January 2020'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2020.

The celesta/sɪˈlɛstə/ or celeste/sɪˈlɛst/, also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys connect to hammers that strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates or bars suspended over wooden resonators. Four- or five-octave models usually have a damper pedal that sustains or damps the sound. The three-octave instruments do not have a pedal because of their small 'table-top' design. One of the best-known works that uses the celesta is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' from The Nutcracker.

The sound of the celesta is similar to that of the glockenspiel, but with a much softer and more subtle timbre. This quality gave the instrument its name, celeste, meaning 'heavenly' in French. The celesta is often used to enhance a melody line played by another instrument or section. The delicate, bell-like sound is not loud enough to be used in full ensemble sections; as well, the celesta is rarely given standalone solos.

The celesta is a transposing instrument; it sounds one octave higher than the written pitch. Its four-octave sounding range is generally considered to be C₄ to C₈. The original French instrument had a five-octave range, but because the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory, it was omitted from later models. The standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger, five-octave German model. Although it is a member of the percussion family, in orchestral terms it is more properly considered a member of the keyboard section and usually played by a keyboardist. The celesta part is normally written on two braced staves, called a grand staff.

History[edit]

The celesta was invented in 1886 by the Parisianharmonium builder Auguste Mustel [fr]. His father, Charles Victor Mustel, had developed the forerunner of the celesta, the typophone, in 1860. This instrument produced sound by striking tuning forks instead of the metal plates that would be used in the celesta. The dulcitone functioned identically to the typophone and was developed concurrently in Scotland; it is unclear whether their creators were aware of one another's instrument.^[1] The typophone/dulcitone's uses were limited by its low volume, too quiet to be heard in a full orchestra.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is usually cited as the first major composer to use this instrument in a work for full symphony orchestra. He first used it in his symphonic poemThe Voyevoda, Op. posth. 78, premiered in November 1891.^[2] The following year, he used the celesta in passages in his balletThe Nutcracker (Op. 71, 1892), most notably in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which also appears in the derived Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a. However, Ernest Chausson preceded Tchaikovsky by employing the celesta in December 1888 in his incidental music, written for a small orchestra, for La tempête (a French translation by Maurice Bouchor of William Shakespeare's The Tempest).^[3]

The celesta is also notably used in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6, particularly in the 1st, 2nd and 4th movements, in his Symphony No. 8 and Das Lied von der Erde. Karol Szymanowski featured it in his Symphony No. 3. Gustav Holst employed the instrument in his 1918 orchestral work The Planets, particularly in the final movement, Neptune, the Mystic. It also features prominently in Béla Bartók's 1936 Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. George Gershwin included a celesta solo in the score to An American in Paris. Ferde Grofe also wrote an extended cadenza for the instrument in the third movement of his Grand Canyon Suite. Dmitri Shostakovich included parts for celesta in seven out of his fifteen symphonies, with a notable use in the fourth symphony's coda.

Twentieth-century American composer Morton Feldman used the celesta in many of his large-scale chamber pieces such as Crippled Symmetry and For Philip Guston, and it figured in much of his orchestral music and other pieces. In some works, such as 'Five Pianos' one of the players doubles on celesta.

The celesta is used in some 20th-century opera scores including the Silver Rose scene in Der Rosenkavalier (1911)^[4] and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana (1936).^[5]

The keyboard glockenspiel part in Mozart's The Magic Flute is nowadays often played by a celesta.^[6]

Use in other musical genres[edit]

Jazz[edit]

Since Earl Hines took it up in 1928, other jazz pianists have occasionally used the celesta as an alternative instrument. In the 1930s, Fats Waller sometimes played celesta with his right hand and piano simultaneously with his left hand. Other notable jazz pianists who occasionally played 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. A celesta provides the introduction to Someday You'll Be Sorry, a song Louis Armstrong recorded for RCA, and is featured prominently throughout the piece.^{[citation needed]} A number of recordings Frank Sinatra made for Columbia in the 1940s feature the instrument (for instance I'll Never Smile Again),^[7] as do many of his albums recorded for Capitol in the 1950s (In the Wee Small Hours, Close to You and Songs for Swingin' Lovers).^[8]

Rock and pop[edit]

Notable pop and rock songs recorded with the celesta include:

• 'Jethro Tull – The String Quartets' by Jethro Tull -
• 'Rhythm of the Rain' by The Cascades
• 'Everyday' by Buddy Holly^[9]
• 'Baby It's You' as recorded by The Beatles^[10]
• 'Girl Don't Tell Me' by The Beach Boys
• 'Cherish' by The Association
• 'She's a Rainbow' by The Rolling Stones
• 'Sunday Morning' and 'Stephanie Says' by The Velvet Underground^[11]
• 'Wee Baby Blues' by Climax Blues Band
• 'Northern Sky' by Nick Drake
• 'Maggie May' and 'Mine for Me' by Rod Stewart
• 'Magnet and Steel' by Walter Egan
• 'New York City' by Owl City
• 'Penetration' by The Stooges^[12]
• 'Novocaine for the Soul', 'Flyswatter', 'Trouble with Dreams' and many other songs 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

Before the instrument was converted, Icelandic band Sigur Rós borrowed it for their album Takk....^[13] The lead singer Jónsi used a celesta in Go Quiet, the acoustic version of his solo album Go. Steven Wilson uses the celesta on various tracks in his solo works.

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

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band used a celesta heavily in their early days, with Danny Federici often playing a Jenco Celestette in the band's live performances throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Sheryl Crow plays celesta on her 2017 album, Be Myself.^[14]

Buy Celeste Soundtrack. SPECIAL PROMOTION! Offer ends December 14-75%. Buy Celeste + OST Includes 2 items: Celeste, Celeste Soundtrack. Bundle info-75%. About This Content Relive the emotional highs and lows of Madeline's journey with Lena Raine's iconic, award-winning soundtrack. The soundtrack to the long-awaited final chapter of Celeste is now available on vinyl and cassette from Ship to Shore PhonoCo! Lena Raine's Celeste: Farewell takes listeners on a final trip through Celeste.

Background and composition[edit]

Celeste premiered the song at the BBC Music Introducing concert at The Lexington in February 2019. She told BBC, 'You never know how you're gonna feel when you perform something for the first time and how people are going to react to it, and I had such a warm response and it seemed like it was a memorable song for people in that moment.'^[5] Celeste told the Evening Standard, 'They identified it as a special song.'^[6]

'Strange' is 'a tale of lost friendships and broken relationships'.^[7] In the chorus, Celeste ponders: 'Isn't it strange? / How people can change / From strangers to friends / Friends into lovers / And strangers again' over silky strings and a 'haunting and delicate' piano melody.^[8][9][10] The song was written and recorded in Los Angeles during the 2018 California wildfires. Robin Murray from Clash noted that the damaged areas were 'transformed into these hideous alien realms which [Waite] began to view [as] counterpoints to her own emotional turmoil.'^[11] She told Idolator, 'I began to think of all the destruction the fires caused, the loss, the isolation, people finding themselves in a situation where they have no home, no sense of familiarity,'^[9] After hearing Celeste sing 'Tried to see through all the smoke,' David Smyth from Evening Standard wrote, 'her voice trails off close to silence, as though she isn't quite sure of the words.' Celeste commented on this statement, saying 'It's become one of my favourite songs I've written, because it allows me to live in the imperfections of my voice... The air was thick with smoke, which is why my voice sounds more husky than it is usually.'^[6] Modestas Mankus from Our Culture Mag wrote, 'Celeste brings us a melancholic mood through a melodious voice and soft ad-like piano.'^[12]

'Strange' is composed in the key of D major with a slow tempo of 68 beats per minute. The song features strings from musician Sebastian Plano.^[2]

Reception[edit]

Modestas Mankus from Our Culture Mag wrote:^[12]

Celeste's ability to explore an event that is so distressing to access her own past and personal experience of loss showcase a side of Celeste that has been previously visible in her previous work. Celeste has established herself as an artist who can mould and bring out authenticity and passion with fluency and maturity that not many artists can do so quickly in their careers,

Idolator ranked the song at #34 on their list of The 75 Best Pop Songs Of 2019.^[13]

Music video[edit]

The music video for 'Strange' was shot in Bulgaria in October 2019,^[14] and released on 7 November 2019.^[4] Celeste told Dork that the video 'begins at the end and comes full circle, representing the reckless behaviours which can lead you from being lovers to strangers.'^[14]

A French lyric video illustrated by Toby Calo was released on Celeste's social media platforms on Christmas Day 2019.^[15][16]

Live performances[edit]

Celeste made her late night television debut when she performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland in October 2019.^[17][18] Following her performance of 'Strange' at the 2020 Brit Awards, Celeste saw interest from other big names in the pop music industry who attended the ceremony such as Billie Eilish,^[19]Camilla Cabello,^[20]Finneas,^[21] and Stormzy.^[22] She has also made her American television debut with the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden,^[23] as well as her French television debut with the song on C à vous.^[24]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal:^[2]

• Celeste Waite: vocals, composer, lyricist
• Jamie Hartman: producer, lyricist, composer, piano, vocal producer
• Stephen Wrabel: lyricist, composer
• Sebastian Plano: strings, string director
• Tom Elmhirst: mixer, studio personnel

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Rogers, Kieran (14 November 2019). ''Strange' is a thoughtful piece of soul balladry from Celeste'. Clout. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
2. ^ ^abc'Strange (Edit) by Celeste: Credits'. Tidal. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
3. ^Strange (Live) - Single by Celeste, Apple Music, retrieved 23 December 2019
4. ^ ^abCeleste - Strange (Official Video), YouTube, 7 November 2019, retrieved 23 December 2019
5. ^Celete is BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year 2019. Facebook. BBC Music Introducing. 3 December 2019. Event occurs at 4:30. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
6. ^ ^abSmyth, David (8 November 2019). 'Celeste: 'After my father died, I had so much more drive to do music''. Evening Standard. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
7. ^Arunarsirakul, Alissa (5 September 2019). 'Celeste Is the Rising R&B Songstress Who Highly Values Intimacy in Her Songwriting'. Ones To Watch. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
8. ^'Celeste – Strange: Lyrics', Genius, retrieved 23 December 2019
9. ^ ^abWass, Mike (7 November 2019). 'New Find: Celeste's Hauntingly Beautiful 'Strange''. idolator. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
10. ^Malachosky, Evan (6 September 2019). 'Celeste: Strange'. Cool Hunting. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
11. ^Murray, Robin (5 September 2019). 'Celeste Shares Affecting New Single 'Strange''. Clash. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
12. ^ ^abMankus, Modestas (7 September 2019). 'Review: Celeste 'Strange''. Our Culture Mag. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
13. ^Wass, Mike (30 December 2019). 'The 75 Best Pop Songs Of 2019'. idolator. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
14. ^ ^ab'Watch Celeste's new video for 'Strange''. Dork. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
15. ^Celeste - Strange (Official French Lyric Video), YouTube, 25 December 2019, retrieved 25 December 2019
16. ^'Celeste on Instagram: 'une nouvelle vidéo lyrique pour étrange en français ~ Joyeux Nöel Illustration & Video by @tobycato''. Instagram. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
17. ^'Celeste: Who is BBC Music Introducing's Artist of the Year?'. BBC. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
18. ^'BBC Two - Later... Live Tracks, Celeste - Strange (Later... With Jools Holland)'. BBC. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
19. ^The Official Big Top 40 [@BigTop40] (24 February 2020). 'So @billieeilish is just as big a fan of @celeste's music are we are' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
20. ^'Camila Cabello Instagram Story: 24 February 2020'. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
21. ^FINNEAS [@finneas] (25 February 2020). 'Heard this song for the first time when performing at the brits and fell in love with it immediately' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
22. ^BRIT Awards [@BRITs] (19 February 2020). ''That's a perfect song.' The moment @stormzy bumped into @celeste backstage at The #BRITs and told her exactly how much he loves 'Strange'' (Tweet) – via Twitter.
23. ^'Celeste: Strange'. YouTube. The Late Late Show with James Corden. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
24. ^'C à vous la suite Intégrale : Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan et Celeste'. France Télévisions (in French). C à vous. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
25. ^ ^abc'Celeste [UK] - Strange'. Ultratop. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
26. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
27. ^'Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100: 10 January 2020'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
28. ^'Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 | Week of 10 January 2020'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2020.

The celesta/sɪˈlɛstə/ or celeste/sɪˈlɛst/, also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys connect to hammers that strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates or bars suspended over wooden resonators. Four- or five-octave models usually have a damper pedal that sustains or damps the sound. The three-octave instruments do not have a pedal because of their small 'table-top' design. One of the best-known works that uses the celesta is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' from The Nutcracker.

The sound of the celesta is similar to that of the glockenspiel, but with a much softer and more subtle timbre. This quality gave the instrument its name, celeste, meaning 'heavenly' in French. The celesta is often used to enhance a melody line played by another instrument or section. The delicate, bell-like sound is not loud enough to be used in full ensemble sections; as well, the celesta is rarely given standalone solos.

The celesta is a transposing instrument; it sounds one octave higher than the written pitch. Its four-octave sounding range is generally considered to be C₄ to C₈. The original French instrument had a five-octave range, but because the lowest octave was considered somewhat unsatisfactory, it was omitted from later models. The standard French four-octave instrument is now gradually being replaced in symphony orchestras by a larger, five-octave German model. Although it is a member of the percussion family, in orchestral terms it is more properly considered a member of the keyboard section and usually played by a keyboardist. The celesta part is normally written on two braced staves, called a grand staff.

History[edit]

The celesta was invented in 1886 by the Parisianharmonium builder Auguste Mustel [fr]. His father, Charles Victor Mustel, had developed the forerunner of the celesta, the typophone, in 1860. This instrument produced sound by striking tuning forks instead of the metal plates that would be used in the celesta. The dulcitone functioned identically to the typophone and was developed concurrently in Scotland; it is unclear whether their creators were aware of one another's instrument.^[1] The typophone/dulcitone's uses were limited by its low volume, too quiet to be heard in a full orchestra.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is usually cited as the first major composer to use this instrument in a work for full symphony orchestra. He first used it in his symphonic poemThe Voyevoda, Op. posth. 78, premiered in November 1891.^[2] The following year, he used the celesta in passages in his balletThe Nutcracker (Op. 71, 1892), most notably in the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, which also appears in the derived Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a. However, Ernest Chausson preceded Tchaikovsky by employing the celesta in December 1888 in his incidental music, written for a small orchestra, for La tempête (a French translation by Maurice Bouchor of William Shakespeare's The Tempest).^[3]

The celesta is also notably used in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6, particularly in the 1st, 2nd and 4th movements, in his Symphony No. 8 and Das Lied von der Erde. Karol Szymanowski featured it in his Symphony No. 3. Gustav Holst employed the instrument in his 1918 orchestral work The Planets, particularly in the final movement, Neptune, the Mystic. It also features prominently in Béla Bartók's 1936 Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. George Gershwin included a celesta solo in the score to An American in Paris. Ferde Grofe also wrote an extended cadenza for the instrument in the third movement of his Grand Canyon Suite. Dmitri Shostakovich included parts for celesta in seven out of his fifteen symphonies, with a notable use in the fourth symphony's coda.

Twentieth-century American composer Morton Feldman used the celesta in many of his large-scale chamber pieces such as Crippled Symmetry and For Philip Guston, and it figured in much of his orchestral music and other pieces. In some works, such as 'Five Pianos' one of the players doubles on celesta.

The celesta is used in some 20th-century opera scores including the Silver Rose scene in Der Rosenkavalier (1911)^[4] and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana (1936).^[5]

The keyboard glockenspiel part in Mozart's The Magic Flute is nowadays often played by a celesta.^[6]

Use in other musical genres[edit]

Jazz[edit]

Since Earl Hines took it up in 1928, other jazz pianists have occasionally used the celesta as an alternative instrument. In the 1930s, Fats Waller sometimes played celesta with his right hand and piano simultaneously with his left hand. Other notable jazz pianists who occasionally played 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. A celesta provides the introduction to Someday You'll Be Sorry, a song Louis Armstrong recorded for RCA, and is featured prominently throughout the piece.^{[citation needed]} A number of recordings Frank Sinatra made for Columbia in the 1940s feature the instrument (for instance I'll Never Smile Again),^[7] as do many of his albums recorded for Capitol in the 1950s (In the Wee Small Hours, Close to You and Songs for Swingin' Lovers).^[8]

Rock and pop[edit]

Notable pop and rock songs recorded with the celesta include:

• 'Jethro Tull – The String Quartets' by Jethro Tull -
• 'Rhythm of the Rain' by The Cascades
• 'Everyday' by Buddy Holly^[9]
• 'Baby It's You' as recorded by The Beatles^[10]
• 'Girl Don't Tell Me' by The Beach Boys
• 'Cherish' by The Association
• 'She's a Rainbow' by The Rolling Stones
• 'Sunday Morning' and 'Stephanie Says' by The Velvet Underground^[11]
• 'Wee Baby Blues' by Climax Blues Band
• 'Northern Sky' by Nick Drake
• 'Maggie May' and 'Mine for Me' by Rod Stewart
• 'Magnet and Steel' by Walter Egan
• 'New York City' by Owl City
• 'Penetration' by The Stooges^[12]
• 'Novocaine for the Soul', 'Flyswatter', 'Trouble with Dreams' and many other songs 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

Before the instrument was converted, Icelandic band Sigur Rós borrowed it for their album Takk....^[13] The lead singer Jónsi used a celesta in Go Quiet, the acoustic version of his solo album Go. Steven Wilson uses the celesta on various tracks in his solo works.

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

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band used a celesta heavily in their early days, with Danny Federici often playing a Jenco Celestette in the band's live performances throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Sheryl Crow plays celesta on her 2017 album, Be Myself.^[14]

Soundtrack[edit]

The celesta has been common in cinema for decades. In addition to supplementing numerous soundtrack orchestrations for films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the celesta has occasionally been spotlighted to invoke a whimsical air. For example, in Pinocchio (1940), a small motif on the celesta is used whenever the Blue Fairy appears out of thin air or performs magic. Celesta also provides the signature opening of Pure Imagination, a song (sung by Gene Wilder) from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.^{[citation needed]} Composer John Williams's scores for the first three Harry Potter films feature the instrument, particularly in the first two films' frequent statements of 'Hedwig's Theme'.

Another notable use of the celesta was in the music on the children's television seriesMister Rogers' Neighborhood. It was most famously heard in the intro to the theme song of the programme, 'Won't You Be My Neighbor', which began with a dreamy sequence on the instrument. The song was sung by Fred Rogers and played by Johnny Costa. It was also used from time to time in other music sequences throughout the programme, such as the one heard as the Neighborhood Trolley moved in and out of the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

A celesta is used in the full orchestral version of the theme song from the TV seriesThe West Wing, composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden.^[15]

Manufacturers[edit]

Celeste Soundtrack Vinyl

Movie Soundtracks A Z

Schiedmayer^[16] and Yamaha^[17] are the only companies currently making celestas. Other known manufacturers 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[edit]

If an ensemble or orchestra lacks a celesta, a piano, synthesizer, or sampler and electronic keyboards are often used as a substitute.

See also[edit]

• Voix céleste on organs

Notes[edit]

1. ^Mo, Sue. 'Dulcitone'. Sumo55 Websites & Multi Media Design. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
2. ^Freed, Richard. [LP Jacket notes.] 'Tchaikovsky: 'Fatum,' ... 'The Storm,' ... 'The Voyevoda.'' Bochum Orchestra. Othmar Maga, conductor. Vox Stereo STPL 513.460. New York: Vox Productions, 1975.
3. ^Blades, James and Holland, James. 'Celesta'; Gallois, Jean. 'Chausson, Ernest: Works', Grove Music Online (Accessed 8 April 2006) (subscription required)
4. ^Luttrell, Guy L. (1979). The Instruments of Music, p.165. Taylor & Francis.
5. ^'Juan Vicente Mas Quiles – Carmina Burana, published by Schott Music
6. ^'An Overview of Yamaha Celestas' retrieved 13 March 2012
7. ^'All Or Nothing At All: A Life of Frank Sinatra', DonaldClarkeMusicBox.com.
8. ^'500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 100/500: In the Wee Small Hours – Frank SinatraArchived 2012-05-27 at the Wayback Machine', RollingStone.com.
9. ^'Everyday by Buddy Holly', SongFacts.com.
10. ^'Baby It's You' History', BeatlesBooks.com.
11. ^'Lou Reed—Sunday Morning', CreemMagazine.com.
12. ^(August 27, 2010). 'Iggy Pop keeps Stooges raw, real', ChicagoTribune.com.
13. ^'Takk... documentary', sigur-ros.co.uk.
14. ^Be Myself at Discogs
15. ^2017. Armando Stettner, personal correspondence with composer.
16. ^'Schiedmayer Celesta'. Schiedmayer GmbH. Retrieved 2016-01-03. Schiedmayer's website claims that it '... is today the only Celesta manufacturer worldwide': Schiedmayer is the only company manufacturing celestas according to the patent of A. Mustel and claims the instruments build by Yamaha are 'keyboard glockenspiels'. However, this claim is contradicted by Yamaha.
17. ^'An Overview of Yamaha Celestas'. Yamaha Corporation. Retrieved 2016-01-03. Yamaha's website states that it has manufactured Celestas since 1992.

Celeste Soundtrack Lena Raine

References[edit]

• 'Celesta', The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London, 2001).
• 'Celesta', The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, second edition, edited by Barry Kernfeld (London, 2002).

External links[edit]

• 'The Celesta: The Sound of the Sugar Plum Fairy', by Miles Hoffman. Listen on npr.org.
• 'Songs for Celesta', by Marc Sanchez