The
European
Timpani
PLASTIC
SKIN
PLASTIC
SKIN :
The
plastic timpani head came out of America in the 1950’s as an
‘alternative’ to calf skin. The goal of the plastic skin was that it
would have none of the drawbacks of calf – it would not react to changes
in weather – but would go some way towards recreating the sound of calf.
Also the plastic skin would be easier and cheaper to make (i.e. factory
produced, instead of cleaned and treated by hand as natural skins are).
Many types of plastic skins have been produced, varying in their quality
of sound and materials; the ‘Renaissance’ skin (the term is actually a
company brand name) is the most popular and widely used of the plastic
skins, it is also the most recently developed, and the sound is said to be
‘close to that of natural
skins’, but for many the preference is still calf. The different
types of plastic skins also respond differently across the range of
dynamics, whereas calf responds and projects at all levels. Some
timpanists (although none that I spoke with for this paper) use a
combination of heads, for example calf on the deep timpani and plastic on
the smaller drums to allow for the properties of the skins.
Dieter
Dyk –‘ In p
up to mf they [renaissance
skins] are fairly good sounding
clear and distinct. From f to ff
and more they loose quality , do not sound organic and have no
“centre”. White plastic has more strength in higher ranges and extreme
loudness’
The
cheaper cost of plastic skins means are often used in contemporary
repertoire where the timpani are used for special effects, such as by
striking with sticks and mallets other than the regular timpani mallets,
and when objects (cymbals, bells etc.) must be placed on the heads. This
protects the calf skins from damage that such usage may cause.
Even
timpanists who regularly use calf skin will use plastic skins on their
timpani for outdoor concerts, as this type of skin is not affected by
temperature, humidity or other aspects of the weather which makes
controlling the intonation on calf skins a constant struggle. This is
however only a compromise, between the preferred sound of natural skins
and the difficulties created by playing on these skins outdoors.
Maarten
van der Valk -‘If it [using
Renaissance heads] were possible on
baroque timpani, I would definitely bring them along on tours for when the
weather circumstances are bad.’
Abnormal or difficult weather conditions are not the only reasons for choosing plastic skins. Just as players will use lighter weight and more versatile timpani if their drums are frequently on the move, some prefer using plastic heads as they feel these cope with constant movement better than calf. Also in situations where stage lights are too hot or too close to the stage to make calf heads impossible to keep in tune.
In
both natural and synthetic skins the quality can vary widely, as neither
skins are produced using perfect methods. The tradition and preference in
many French orchestras is for the white plastic skin. During the mid 20th
century many calf heads were being produced with only moderate quality
skin and poor quality craftsmanship. The alternative was plastic (at the
time a relatively new product on the market) and this has become the
timpani skin of choice for these orchestras since. This is not to say that
the calf skin is completely unknown; orchestras in towns close to the
German border, Strasbourg for example, are influenced by ideas travelling
between countries, and visiting conductors may request calf skin after
hearing this sound elsewhere.[1]
Renaissance
skins
But
treating the plastic head as purely a compromise, and as an
‘alternative’ to calf does not do it justice as a choice of timpani
head in its own right. Timpanists can choose to use plastic regularly
because this is the sound they prefer; the idea of compromise can be taken
too far if skins like the Renaissance brand are only a mix of calf and
plastic properties. The end result could be a skin which in some ways
emulates calf and in other ways plastic, but does not offer any properties
or sound of its own.
David
Corkhill -‘Appropriate style, whatever the
period or repertoire, is the responsibility of the player more than the
technology; plastic heads with the right player can achieve all the right
musical contexts a timpanist needs. Calf heads have a unique and special
sound that not even the best plastic heads can achieve; plastic heads too
have their own distinctive quality. Renaissance heads in my view are not
able to match either of these in their own sound field and do not add a
sufficiently distinctive new sound to the timpani sound world.’