The
European
Timpani
CHOOSING
THE DRUMS
CHOOSING
THE DRUMS :
So
what then are the factors which must be considered when selecting timpani
for each concert programme? Balance in the ensemble, the sound of
orchestra, the acoustics of the hall, the demands of the repertoire, the
“historical” considerations, and of course the personal preference of
the timpanist are all important factors. ‘Historical
performance’, particularly in the case of the symphony orchestra where
the majority of players are using modern instruments (more on this later),
is not the best reason for choosing which timpani will best suit each
period of repertoire. The goal is however to create a balance between all
of these aspects and find an instrument that fulfils as many requirements
as possible; in orchestras which only possess a few sets of timpani, this
is not always possible.
Dieter
Dyk – ‘In our hall, it is more
advantageous to play an instrument that does not ring too much, otherwise
we are constantly busy with dampening.’
The
changing nature throughout history of the performance venue for orchestral
concerts, from private court performances in palace state-rooms and
ballrooms, into purpose built concert halls and opera houses also had an
affect on the size of the instruments required. Larger timpani were
required to fill the larger spaces. But in any situation the instrument
must fit the hall. Dieter Dyk speaks of the present chief conductor of his
orchestra requesting smaller instruments to balance the sound of an
orchestra whose sound is ‘not a heavy fat sound [but] more
light in the direction of the Vienna Philharmonic’.
Earlier
I discussed the orchestras of three cities : Amsterdam, Zürich and
Vienna, and how the long history of the Viennese style of timpani in each
orchestra has become part of the sound of the ensemble. These timpani have
in turn influenced the other types of drums which are used in each
orchestra. But it was the sound of the orchestras and the acoustics of
their halls which influenced the original choice of the Schnellar timpani
– that and the fact that Schnellar was timpanist in all three
orchestras.
Nick
Woud – ‘The old timpani (Schnellar
and v.d. Hoek) have absolutely created part of the sound of the orchestra.
They sound great even when we play a note which is (basically) too low for
the drum. We will not use too high tensioned drums though, and would
rather choose smaller drums than bigger ones.’
Marinus
Komst – ‘For
Beethoven they [the
Schnellar timpani] are beautiful,
but I can play Le Sacre du Printemps on them, or the 1st
Symphony of Mahler, just as in Vienna where they use these timpani all the
time. I also use a different technique when playing these drums, more
gracefully and with a lighter sound (similar to that of baroque timpani
playing). It is the same technique which is used by the timpanists in the
Vienna Philharmonic and can be seen in the old photographs of Schnellar.’
The
timpani, just like any other orchestral instrument, must be in balance
with the rest of the ensemble in two ways : the colour of the instrument
must match, and also the volume of the instrument must match.
Guido
Rückel – ‘The Ringer is the
one that has the most “German” sound, it matches the best with the
rest of the orchestra … the smaller timpani (Dresdener and Baroque) have
a similar sound to the Ringer, but with a reduced loudness!!’
In
this way the timpani of the Munich Philharmonic match perfectly with the
colour of the orchestra, in any size of ensemble. A change of instrument
will also mean a change of tone colour, but here the colour stays
consistent; only the volume of sound is altered.
For
ensembles such as the Orchestra of the 18th Century, the use of
period instruments creates the sound of the orchestra. These instruments
create a sound which, compared to a symphony orchestra is lighter,
brighter, smaller; whatever the words it makes little sense to use a
large, dark instrument that does not match the colour of the ensemble and
will probably overpower it on many occasions.
But then the reverse is also true. Some players dislike the idea of using Baroque timpani for the earlier repertoire as this is not consistent with the sound and approach of the rest of their orchestras, who still play on modern instruments. Further, in large performance halls the sound of smaller sized timpani would not project, and would be lost when playing alongside the modern wind and brass instruments.
It
is in some ways for extra-musical reasons that the Premier timpani (often
with white plastic skins) have
become so popular in France. In the 1960’s, with the creation of many new
orchestras, the market was open for the purchase of new instruments. At
this time the reputation of the Ringer timpani was at its peak, but it
also carried a prohibitive price tag, and so the Premier company, through
a combination of skilful marketing and cheaper prices was able to conquer
the market. This was a timpani that met the demands of the players and
orchestras, and at the same time provided a viable solution to the
problems of constantly changing venues that is common to many French
orchestras.[1]
The
circumstances of the opera orchestra, in any country, hold different
consequences for the timpanist, where the primary set of timpani is kept
more or less permanently in the opera house pit. In the rehearsal venue
therefore the goal is to use drums which match the sound of the
performance instruments. This is not an easy task, especially if this make
of drum is no longer in production.
Finally
many orchestras also have a secondary set of timpani – not a top line
model – with plastic heads and a less complex but also less accurate
pedal mechanism, for outdoor concerts. Non-musical factors i.e. plastic
skins to cope with the weather conditions, and less expensive instruments
without delicate mechanisms that can be damaged by transport – and are
much lighter in weight so they can be lifted on and off stage easily –
often influence the selection of a secondary set of timpani.