Orchestral percussion as trivial or unimportant simply because, to the untrained eye (or ear), they seem easy to play. The truth is, however, that auxiliary percussion often requires the most use of extended techniques and that the parts for these instruments are frequently the most difficult. Other auxiliary percussion instruments include: Crash cymbals have been used in an orchestral setting since the time of Mozart, when he adopted their sound from traditional Turkish bands to be used in his opera "Abduction from the Seraglio". Since then, crash cymbals have become one of the most written for percussion instruments in classical music and
Celena Shafer 2004–05 season, she debuted with the New York Philharmonic in a performance of Handel's "Messiah". In April 2005, she sang the title role of "Esclarmonde" at the Washington Concert Opera. Other roles include Tytania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Nanetta in "Falstaff", Hero in Berlioz's "Beatrice and Benedict", Zerbinetta in a concert performance of "Ariadne auf Naxos", Blonde in "The Abduction from the Seraglio", Adele in "Die Fledermaus", and "Show Boat" for a gala benefit for Carnegie Hall. Celena Shafer Celena Shafer is an American soprano, born c. 1975 in Centerville, Utah. At age 17, Shafer won a vocal competition