Cymbals are often used in orchestras. The first composer to use them was probably Joseph Haydn in his “Military Symphony” (1794). They are often used when there is a big climax (for example in the “Academic Festival Overture” by Johannes Brahms, but they can also sometimes be played very quietly. Sometimes players should let the cymbal vibrate for a long time after a big crash, but at other times he may have to hold the cymbals against his body quickly to stop the noise. This is called “damping” the sound.