Crotales are often called antique cymbals and are comprised of small tuned bronze and brass discs played with hard mallets creating a high pitched bright resonant sound. Crotales has appear in compositions by Debussy, Stravinsky, Takemitsu, Ravel and Berlioz. The crotales are considered a European instrument and were inspired by the cymbal manufacturing company Zildijian, who relocated to the USA after 400 years being in Constantinople, Turkey.
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