MODARTT releases Pianoteq add-on Celeste which includes a celesta and a glockenspiel. These instruments are appreciated for their pure, bell-like sound, and are still popular today, appearing in everything from marching bands to jazz ensembles.
The celesta has an appearance of an acoustic upright piano. It consists of metal plates stroke by felt hammers resembling piano hammers and there is also a sustain pedal. The timbre is very soft and subtle. The Pianoteq virtual copy is modelled after a modern five-octave German brand.
The glockenspiel is also made of metal plates but is stroke by hard metal mallets held by the musician, and is smaller and higher in pitch. The timbre is much more brilliant than the celesta. The Pianoteq virtual copy, modelled after a modern French brand, has been slightly extended to cover four octaves.
Both instruments are often recognized in classical masterpieces — the celesta in Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” movement “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy”, and the glockenspiel in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute). These instruments are still used today in various music genres.
Thanks to Pianoteq’s physical model, the add-on instruments come in several variants including a new and exclusive humanization feature for the strike point, achieving a variation that makes them more expressive sounding. This is particularly true for the glockenspiel where the musician never hits the plates at the exact same point.
Listen & download
The Celeste add-on is embedded in demo mode in Pianoteq’s latest version 3.6.2 and can be activated for 49€. Further details with audio demos are available on the website www.pianoteq.com.