The celeste (or celesta) looks like a small upright piano, but it is actually a percussion instrument. Invented by Auguste Mustel in Paris, it produces sound when keys trigger hammers that strike a series of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators. Its name is derived from the French word for 'heavenly,' referring to its delicate, bell-like timbre. The instrument was famously kept a secret by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He discovered it in Paris and wanted to use it in his ballet 'The Nutcracker' to represent the Sugar Plum Fairy. He feared other composers like Rimsky-Korsakov would hear of it and use it before he could. The celeste has since become a staple for creating 'magical' or 'dreamlike' atmosphere in orchestral music and film scores, perhaps most famously used in 'Hedwig’s Theme' from the Harry Potter films.