The CELESTA musical instrument - All about the history, sound & more (also spelled Celeste)

This video informs about the celesta musical instrument: its invention in 1886, its very specific sound generation and action mechanism, and particularly the making of the instrument in the SCHIEDMAYER workshop. SCHIEDMAYER started manufacturing the celesta in 1890 and is today the only celesta manufacturer in the world. The workshop tour shows the high level of craftsmanship and true artisan work that goes into each instrument. The best-known piece in which the celesta plays an important role is certainly The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy from Tchaikovsky’s ballett The Nutcracker. But many classical and modern composers use the celesta for their orchestral works due to the unique, always intriguing and enchanting sound of the instrument. As for the celesta’s presence in other music genres, John Williams‘ soundtrack Hedwig’s Theme from the Harry Potter movie is a perfect example.
To learn more about SCHIEDMAYER and the celesta: www.celesta-sc...
Listen to some fascinating samples of celesta music: www.celesta-sc...

[@obezijana]

You can’t not to admire this magical craft. Respect to these guys.

[@ronkirk5099]

Amazing! The tuning steps were particularly fascinating. Great 'old world' craftsmanship in a beautiful instrument.

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thank you !

[@lotofbitsabout]

My Mom's name is Carol, and yes she's incredibly musical. So much so that she has her Master's music theory, sang opera, taught music for her career and introduces herself as Carol, as in Christmas Carol. We listen to The nutcracker starting the day of Thanksgiving until 4 days after Valentine's Day and have done so for as long as I can remember. Mom and I have been to 108 ballets (I'm 52 for prospective) and other creative productions of Tchaikovskis music. I have never knew this instrument begins the theme song to a soundtrack of my life until today! It's referenced in Orange is the New Black series as Piper's Grandma's name; season 2, episode11. I love learning new things daily! Thanks for this video! It's fascinating!

[@ornleifs]

Wow this was so fascinating to watch - love the sound of the Celesta and wish it was used more in music.

[@scootermom1791]

I do, too!

[@arjanvanraaij8440]

check the Dutch hiphop track The Opposites - Kryptonite kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooG3f4BtibSKbLc

[@darrenhirst9900]

It's a truly magical instrument that takes you breath away. Thank you.

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thank you Darren !

[@susannahr2155]

I've never committed a crime before, but if I ever come across one of these I'm taking it.

[@toniodak8993]

Killing might me a bit too far, but stealing a van with one of these inside seems like a thing I would do if I get a chance haha

[@petercdowney]

Good luck with that. It's probably very heavy.

[@e.conboy4286]

This is like watching a Stradivarius being created…in its day! The process is fascinating! 🎶🎶

[@jeffj2495]

What a magical video. That must be so much fun to work in that celesta factory. I would want to play them all day!

[@rossboss1490]

Thank you for adding to my musical education. I met someone named Celeste yesterday, helped her order her meal. After I left, I had the strange tingling that the name might be an instrument. In my senior years now, even as a trombonist in my earlier years, I'd neither heard nor seen one. I also didn't know it was the instrument played in Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Thank you for the care you take to make such a wonderful instrument. Your video was extraordinary, including the listing of credits at the end. J

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thanks !

[@w.opperman6999]

it's also the instrument used in Hedwigs Theme for Harry Potter!

[@jeffschulz6733]

What a wonderful career : hand manufacture of musical instruments of any type. I think I missed my calling.

[@sweetilleyad]

what a lovely sounding instrument. It really does sound like how you would imagine the stars to sound like when the twinkle in the night sky.

[@stettan1]

Duplicate your windows so you run four lines of "Pealing of Bells" (starting at 1:37) with about 30 seconds difference. There, a proper night sky.

[@amj.composer]

I got to play one woohoo. I'm currently playing it for a performance at my college as part of a concert band.

[@hopesonmakokha5217]

Such a heavenly sound😍

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thank you !

[@ananunez5018]

YEAH

[@catraac]

oh dio canotto

[@vickypos6]

what a beautiful film

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

thank you !

[@jkllfdsa]

Leave it to the Germans to come up with something so intricate, well-made and delightful. Ausgezeichnet! [excellent!]

[@tailgait11]

Ser gut, nicht?

[@funch357]

Ja wohl! Stimmt.

[@cyclic2696]

It was a Frenchman (Auguste Mustel) who originated it in Paris - this firm simply appear to copy it and make it 'different'. Bit like the Chinese do nowadays...

[@Kullioking]

@@cyclic2696 Schiedmayr was the only Companie that agreat to build the Celesta for Mustel, for this he selt his patent to the Schiemayer's.

[@leepek3575]

same like BMW before WWII :D ?

[@jkllfdsa]

Production on this is wonderful -- sound, video. And creating it to be accessible for speakers of *all* languages as well as illiterate persons (children, etc.) was a stroke of genius. Vielen dank Schiedmayer Volk!

[@pedropedroca1215]

Dhumma Vati @

[@jadepregizer5500]

😌

[@firingbulletsatmoon]

It was good that the name of the pieces of music were shown at the end.

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

I found it odd that they changed from bilingual captioning to just English at that point, though. The only small clunker in an otherwise perfectly made film.

[@OzanYarman]

fabulous!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

1:08 That Note is Tenor High C Sharp which in the Music is notated as Middle C Sharp. The Celesta Speaks an Octave Higher than written.

[@Laura-pt6fl]

spettacolare! sono rimasta incantata dal lavoro di precisione di questi ragazzi, complimenti!

[@willcorff]

What if you made a celeste that has glass bars instead of metal ones, or a celesta with sympathetic strings that resonate with it to add an extra ethereal sound to it?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It's basically a Keyboard Metallophone. A really good piece of music that sounds great with Celesta is Sweet was the Song by Matthew Brown.

[@Kanjilearner]

LOL, Schiedmayer's own "How It's Made".

[@nanaandbump.]

Wow that is so beautiful! You guys are brilliant craftsman, thanks for sharing!

[@breadfan68]

Best video about this instrument on KZbin. Everyone else just talks over the sound.

[@KarlSheen]

Still baffles me why the overhead hammer action.....why not just use a grand piano style under action, its like trying to reinvent the wheel? but...tbh the Schiedmayer are by far the "steinways" of the celesta world, I'm a percussionist not a keyboardist but ive had the pleasure of playing one and was amazed with the tone in the lower range. Sounds like a vibraphone and glockenspiel merged and was smoothed out...just wish i could afford one of those musical marvels....maybe the sugar plum fairy will bring me one for Xmas

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

I don't know the answer about the overhead hammer action, but I'm going to make an educated guess based upon engineering principles: Since the bars are sitting lightly on supports and only lightly held down by fasteners, if the hammers were to strike from below, they would cause the bars to jump, causing a glitch in the sound. If you were to tighten the fasteners to hold them down enough to prevent this, you would deaden the sound.

[@ukguy]

@@Lucius_Chiaraviglio seems like a good reason to me...

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

ukguy Also, on further thought, the resonator occupies almost all of the space under the bar, so having the bar struck from below would require relocating the resonator to be over the bar.

[@borisc6714]

One word my dear: resonators with the resonators under the plate, the only place to hammer it is from above

[@ekstrapolatoraproksymujacy412]

One word my dear: don't pretend to know what you're talking about, what if you place resonators on top? Yamaha celestas are build that way with grand piano action

[@chrisholmquist7725]

Fantastic

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

thanks !

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The Felt Hammers are the same as a Piano because they're the same material and they're graduated in size to match the Size and pitch of the Bars (or for Pianos the Steel Strings)

[@secretdoormurals4308]

Thank you so much for making this exquisite video! My homeschoolers loved learning all about the Celeste! Now they want to grow up to build them too. 😁

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thank you so much Angela !

[@gardeniamoon1427]

ONE DAY! its minnnne. They had one of these in the music dept during when I was in college, majoring in piano. This was hidden off somewhere near the jazz hall,. Heavy heavy instrument.

[@TheNormalUniverse]

Thank you for documenting with such great detail the celeste construction

[@johnstarcluster]

from 1:36 - for anybody equally smitten by the piece, it's called "The Pealing of Thunder" by Massimo Graziato.

[@chriswest5665]

any links to where I can find this music, info, or more from the same composer? Google search is polluted with bicycle content.

[@chriswest5665]

looked it up on their website and it's claimed to be "Pealing of the Bells" there

[@susannahr2155]

Thank you so much. Also, is your name your actual name? If so, it's wonderful

[@meowzer999]

Charmingly ethereal

[@maurilio1409]

Belíssima performance!!!!

[@Art4ArtsSakeVideo]

Who knew? What a beautiful shop to work in!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

The neat thing is that the Keys are Full Sized Piano Keys made out of the same Material, you have your White Naturals and Black Accidentals.

[@vocalead]

Amazing. How long does it take you to build just one?

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Thanks ! 8-10 weeks - 100 % handmade in our manufactory

[@johaneskuhr7643]

Ein interessantes Musikinstrument mit einem tollen Klang. Im Vorspann von Harry Potter Filme zu hören. Tolle Handarbeit Made in Germany

[@suzyharthcock7913]

Thank you all for the gift of such exquisite beauty.🙏🏻👏🏼💫🥰✨✨✨🪷🌷🙏🏻

[@RayDayHakker]

Excellent video,. Thank you Team @ Schiedmayer.

[@batman-robin-soundtrack]

When I win the lottery, I'm buying a celesta, learning it, and making an entire album of celesta music

[@biagiologaldo9940]

amazing instrument, great job.

Imagine before the electronics evolution how people measure every piece of this instrument or build this machines in 1800s

[@elianneschiedmayer4027]

100.000 hits - Thanks !

[@THyperon]

Wieviel kostet eine neu gebaute Celesta?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It has a Sustain Pedal like a Piano and it plays like one too.

[@wrathaloss6091]

Another instrument I will never be able to afford

[@christophernord2540]

couple of blues and boogie woogie piano players who recorded on celeste. are Freddie slack and Meade lux Lewis I play this style of piano would love to play and or record on one

[@benjamimmattos3232]

Beautiful, congratulations! I love Celestas! I only saw one once, when I was a kid, in Brasília - Brazil.

[@themagicboy6548]

Oh my sweet Celestia!!

[@scythea428]

This is totally the instrument Celestia plays hahahaha

[@InfiniteConstellations]

The fact that someone still makes these instruments makes this company 20% cooler.

[@robertsteinberger5667]

cant find anything about the piece pealing of the bells by massimo graziato on google. Looking for the sheet music....

[@vectorstain]

This is the most superior video available on KZbin.

[@saveriosalerno9232]

BEAUTIFUL!

[@judith8161]

Schade, dass bei dem Video die Tonspur entfernt wurde. Zu gerne hätte ich die Geräusche und Klänge beim Stimmen und ersten Anspielen gehört. So ist es leider nur was für's Auge.

[@Athyharper]

I love this instrument.... I want to compose atonal music on this instrument..

[@betaomega04]

Greetings from Houston, Texas!

[@delstanley1349]

If you want to hear how the instrument was used in rock 'n roll check out Buddy Holly's song "Everyday." It is featured in the 1 minute mark of the 2:12 original track.

[@paul.galv97]

Del Stanley Thank you for that!

[@delstanley1349]

Paulo Mendoza Galvan> In the original "Rhythm of the Rain," by The Cascades the celesta is part of the intro and used throughout. I also remember a track by the late Isaac Hayes called "One Woman." At about the 2:27 mark there is a solo part, that I THINK (not sure) may be a celesta. Half the time I think that it is, but at other times I think it's something else that sounds similar.

[@ThePianoforever]

We have been to Norman Petty's studio, still very much as it was when Buddy Holly was there, but the instrument they used was honestly a tiny synthesizer from the late 50's (it's still there).

[@cyclic2696]

Lovely celeste jazz break in "Hello Mabel" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

[@texocalistation6049]

It is also featured very beautifully in The Beach Boys Song “Girl Don’t Tell Me” this led me to think back about another song with a similar sounding instrument in the background which is “Aspenglow” by John Denver which is an even more impressive “possible” use of the instrument, but I haven’t been able to confirm this and that’s what led me here in order to research the Celesta a little bit more. Still not sure if it’s the instrument but it’s a good guess.

[@fuchsgames7046]

Echt interessant, war echt nett das ich das aus der Nähe beachten dürfte. Es war einfach unglaublich, zu sehen wie das aufgebaut war. Also mir wurde die Geschichte erzählt wie die Firma entstanden ist, die Herstellung und vieles mehr gezeigt.

[@MartinMeise]

Ich frage mich, warum Schiedmayer für die Hammernasen und einige andere Bauteile keine CNC Fräse verwendet.

[@monicamabelsalvia6274]

Que hermoso suena❤

[@M_m.aang.uxz.1902]

Nice

[@AlessioSecondiniMorelli]

A special praise to you, who are the only ones in world currently.

[@yowzephyr]

A lot of people don't know that the harps in Heaven were superseded by celestas when the celesta was invented.

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

Wow, imagine that, to be the only manufacturer in the world of the central instrument in as important a repertoire piece as "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy"! I hope there's some sort of backup plan in place (e.g. escrowed trade secrets documents and a designated recipient) if, god forbid, you all die in a plane crash or something!! At least now thanks to this video, the world knows the basics of construction, should the worst happen. Excellent video! I wanted to refresh my memory on what exactly a celesta/e was after spotting it in the title of Wendy Carlos' "Break In (For Strings, Flutes, And Celesta)" from the _TRON_ score. Goes to show how irreplaceable the tone of the instrument is, despite it being a relatively simple tone - it's used quite subtly in that piece, so Carlos could've just used a synth for that sound, too, if she thought it'd capture the tone adequately. Speaking of questions of subtle tonality, I loved the part in the video where the musician / final checker lady keeps hitting the one clinker note she's found, going, "Really? You guys can't hear that problem?"

[@enriquearaujo7447]

HERMOSO INSTRUMENTO.

[@IRONSHOVEL71]

Beautiful masterpiece instruments! I am curious to know if this is the instrument used for the background music in many of the segments of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood? -Does anyone know for sure?

[@bennetteberle4476]

Yes, jazz pianist Johnny Costa played the celesta on the Mister Roger's Neighborhood show and Vi Petty played the celesta part in Buddy Holly's "Everyday".

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Yes, it is the Celesta ...

[@berpmorph2946]

Te dan ganas de ponerte a construir uno.

[@talkinghead3042]

About how much will one of those puppies set you back?

[@googleuser3163]

Yes

[@michaelprivee]

Merci Schiedmayer Celesta GmbH

[@aristopleb]

So, each continent gets one celesta?

[@unknownfilmmaker777]

Good one. Thanks for the laugh,

[@小学生王者-y6h]

Wow

[@kombabakh]

Celesta is a mother of Fender Rhodes.

[@barfface7808]

funny, i was just thinking how close it sounds to the fender rhoades in the composition that plays during the credits. why do you say so tho? they have similar engineering?

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

Barf Face fender Rhodes also uses tiles or reeds rather than strings subjected to tension.

[@dubdavis407]

@@bacicinvatteneaca they're called tines. Small metal rods that vibrate like a pitchfork.

[@qwaqwa1960]

Is the company descended from the 18th century clavichord maker?

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Yes, Balthasar Schiedmayer constructed his 1st Clavichord in 1735 ... www.celesta-schiedmayer.de/en/company/company-history/

[@henkvandenbos9769]

@@Celesta-schiedmayerDe Wunderbarer Geschichte!

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

@@henkvandenbos9769 Besten Dank !

[@zihanwei5908]

What's the name of the background music at the start called?

[@jktube5143]

Stephanie Hunt dance of the sugar plum fairy

[@TheSamehemil]

I am wondering If anyone can help me take to study and work in manufacturing of this amazing instrument, I work in piano restoration since 2010 , I live in Egypt and I can't find anyone to help me learn more in that field

[@qrstw]

Do you guys sell the action model at 1:06? I collect piano action models and would love to have one for my piano showroom

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Dear Mario, sorry, we have the action model only in 1:1.

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

... we don´t sell the model ... sorry !

[@filipnilenius3654]

what music is that?

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

please see listing @ time code 09:24 ... thanks / best regards

[@sewersideproductions2606]

You need a grinder to tune this instrument?

[@Saranaprasadam]

Wow the music so trippy 😵

[@MASQUALER0]

Its like an acoustic rhodes piano

[@vitobabic4448]

How many time you news to male one celesta

[@zzausel]

Why do they claim to be the only one since you may look up the at least 3 manufactorers? Different is just the technique.

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

V. Mustel invented the specific Celesta action (hammer strike the sound plate from above) in 1886 - the other so called Celestas don´t use this technique - attached the link for a better understanding... www.celesta-schiedmayer.de/en/celesta/all-about-the-celesta/

[@susannawarger9588]

💖💖💖

[@NobodyNowhereKnowhow]

"The only celeste maker in the world". So what your saying is that if I want a celeste, I shouldn't make you guys my enemy? Lolz.

[@cyclic2696]

Yamaha also make a celeste as does Edmund Handy in the UK (similar to the original Mustel)

[@wisdomkim6671]

1:08

[@pedropedroca1215]

E aí coloca Pedro Pedroca e tu não tem uma câmera Zinha aí então acredita nela e vai ter dois vídeos

[@aycc-nbh7289]

Does anyone else think the celesta sounds like a Rhodes piano a little?

[@pachamaridamofasat7803]

I will save money for ten years then buy one... Or buy a used one

[@miorieser3210]

Jetzt kommt es aus China?

[@Celesta-schiedmayerDe]

Die Celesta wird zu 100 % in Wendlingen am Neckar / bei Stuttgart gebaut. Anbei ein link zum ARD / SWR Film von 2018 www.celesta-schiedmayer.de/swr/schiedmayer-die-prinzessin-der-instrumente-en-ut-1080p.mp4

[@peterdejonge1]

It’s a pitty that we can not hear the sounds belonging to the film. The used music is annoying. Film itself is nice.😕👍

[@tolvfen]

It's a vibraphone, shaped as a piano

[@pedropedroca1215]

@ Pedro 😎✌🙊

[@spuzzgekk]

@ Spuzz

[@javiercandilejo4629]

o my hora

[@VitorIsmael-zf2wf]

harry potter!

[@JayCeaupes]

8:03 "wtf guys"

[@sergeyklimenkov]

это очень дорогой инструмент

[@raralolo6248]

La Celesta es Harry Potter.

[@hennnerl]

Schade, dass auf Schönheit des Aussehens null Wert gelegt wird. Isst das Auge nicht mit?!

[@stoatystoat174]

piano glockenspiel :)

[@pedropedroca1215]

pedro 😎👌📱💻🎥🎬

[@pedropedroca1215]

O gente chata legal na verdade entendeu

[@pedropedroca1215]

Eu vou dar um salve aí

[@pedropedroca1215]

Gente aí que joga Minecraft o jogo Meu nome é Pedro

[@pedropedroca1215]

Quem é que joga dá um joinha aí eu vou saber

[@pedropedroca1215]

Gente alguém sabe colocar no criativo no Minecraft que eu não consigo

[@pedropedroca1215]

E todo mundo aqui do KZbin que joga Minecraft

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

This is what Tim Burton's mind sounds like.