The
European
Timpani
TIMPANI
WEIGHT
TIMPANI
WEIGHT :
The
weight of each individual timpani is beginning to play an important role
in the choice of new drums, and not primarily for musical reasons. In many
types of employment, new regulations dictating how heavy an object an
individual is allowed to lift means that a timpani, which can weigh up to
80kg, falls outside of what a stage hand or “roadie” may safely move
around the concert stage. It is only really the baroque timpani, which are
just a kettle and skin, with no bulky frame or tuning mechanism, that can
be lifted easily by one person. A few timpanists I spoke with thought I
was referring to just this problem when I posed the question regarding the
importance of the weight of each drum.
But
if weight can be a problem for orchestras who rehearse and perform in the
one location, in France and England it has played a major role in the
choice of timpani for many years.
Didier
Benetti (Orchestre National de France) - ‘It
is additionally problematic that we travel much. We often rehearse in
different studios … and play then at the Theatre of the Champs Elysées.
With these many "removals" the Ringer timpani is trouble : They
weigh three tons, their linkages are fragile and the natural skins do not
respond well to the movement.’[1]
As
most problems with the instruments, such as damage to the kettles or
frame, and the head being put out of tune, are most likely to occur while
the timpani are being transported, whether from one hall to another or
simply on and off stage, the factors above are of high importance to the
timpanist of an orchestra which is constantly on the move. It is only in
those orchestras who rehearse and perform in the same hall where the
largest and heaviest drums – such as the Ringer timpani – can be used
without such extra-musical problems.
Lastly,
while to the stagehand the heavy Germanic timpani, which sit on stage in
their solid frames of iron and steel with no wheels to assist in movement,
must seem a heavy burden, there is a reason behind this design.
Gerald
Fromme - ‘The
better the connection to the stage, the better the sound. The most
important is: the stage must be of softwood!!! The difference is
amazing!!’
The
skin vibrates, the kettle vibrates, the frame vibrates, and without
plastic or rubber wheels to act as insulation, this energy is transferred
to the stage. Timpanists and percussionists speak often about instruments
where the kettle, or the shell (i.e. the material that encloses the sound
chamber) is allowed to vibrate freely. To take this one step further and
allow this vibration to go out into the hall makes much sense. As a
further note, musicians speak of a change in orchestral sound resulting
from such little things as changing the seats of the chairs of the
orchestra from wood to soft cushions. As with most aspects of creating the
‘good’ sound, it is the
natural sound carrier which often proves to be the best.