Musical instrument is concretism. Made from wood and brass, you have to look at it, touch it, feel it and keep it in your hands to understand from where the instrument and it’s sound are born, says maestro Adriano Bassi.
The conductor, composer, pianist and musicologist comes from Milano and works with La Scala and RAI — he really knows about musical instruments. Bassi emphasizes that many instruments are easily mistaken with other instruments, even though the sound releases something totally different into the air. A favorite of his, the Calesta looks like an ordinary piano to the untrained eye. In the hands of the player it tinkles in a heavily way as it’s name suggests. Calesta has the machinery and keyboard of a piano but the hammers hit a metallic place and therefore sound like an old chimes.
The instrument (see picture) was patented by Auguste Mustel in Paris on 1886.
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