melancholic celesta sound

[Skystalker 0]

Hello good sirs and madams,

since I listened to John Williams "Remembering Petticoat Lane" from Jurassic Park the first time, this sort of sad, melancholic celesta music fascinates me.

It expresses a deep nostalgic feeling, at least for me and is often used in horrorgames or movies.

for example:

Does anybody know how the instrument is prepared to play such oblique notes? and if you know more of this music, please share with me

greets, christian

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

The instrument in "Remembering Petticoat Lane" isn't a real celeste. It's a synth.

Probably a Yamaha DX7. FM synthesis was always good for bell tones.

[Datameister 2,037]

Prometheus is correct about that not being a recording of a real celeste in Jurassic Park, as is usually the case in Williams scores of the 90s and beyond. But it would have been effective on a real celeste, too, albeit in a slightly different way. Any sort of twinkly celeste/music box sound is great in a minor key, because you've got the juxtaposition of a sound that evokes childhood wonderment with a tonality that suggests something darker.

If you ever have a chance to visit Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris (or Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland between October and December), there's a rather marvelously melancholic music box rendition of the attraction's main theme. I think you'd like it.