The glockenspiel (German for “play of bells”) is an instrument similar to the xylophone, but with metal bars instead of wooden ones. They are struck with hard mallets, and they give a high, ringing, extraordinarily pure and “crystalline” sound reminiscent of the chiming of small bells.
Thanks to its brilliant timbre, the glockenspiel is indispensable when a sense of enchantment, festivity, or sparkling light is needed. A famous example is the part of the magic bells in Mozart's The Magic Flute. The glockenspiel sounds in the symphony orchestra and in wind and marching bands (in its portable form — the “bell lyre” on a staff). Its pure, crystal-like voice adds radiance and fairy-tale quality to music, easily “cutting through” even the full sound of the orchestra.
