For a series of articles on musical instruments, see No. 9, 16, 24/2008

If you look from the auditorium at the stage where a modern large symphony orchestra is located, then in the far left corner we will see an interesting picture: a large number of various percussion instruments and a musician (or several musicians) playing them, performing various actions, sometimes resembling some kind of scam. Some of these instruments produce sounds with a fixed pitch, while others cannot be precisely defined. The first group includes timpani, xylophone, vibraphone, orchestral bells, bells. To the second - various drums, the so-called cymbals, tom-toms. The role of the percussion group in the sound of the orchestra is very great. We will be able to talk about some of these tools in this essay.

timpani

Timpani or timpani (Italian - timpani, German - Pauken, fr. - timbales) - a percussion instrument consisting of a metal hemisphere (boiler) and a metal hoop with skin, which, with the help of screws, is stretched to a greater or lesser extent. The tighter the skin, the higher the sound, and vice versa. The skin is struck with sticks tipped with wood, buff, cork, sponge or felt. Timpani covered with linen or cloth give a dull sound ( Timpani coperti).

The timpani is an instrument of very ancient origin. In Europe, they began to spread in the Middle Ages. There is a mention of their use as a sound design for the procession that the Hungarian king sent to France in the 15th century, wanting to marry the daughter of the French king. These were "drums, like huge cauldrons, which were carried on horseback."

Cossack drummer. End of the 18th century

The main difference between the timpani and other varieties of percussion even then was that they could make sounds of a certain frequency. The “cauldron” of the timpani was made of copper, carefully trimmed leather was attached to it with the help of screws, and for some reason it was customary among the masters to use donkey skin.

The timpani were introduced into the orchestra under Jean Baptiste Lully (in the second half of the 17th century). Since then, they have been an indispensable accessory for every symphony orchestra; are also used in military bands, mainly cavalry ones.

Timpani design
1. Boiler; 2. Nut; 3. Hoop; 4. Tension screw;
5. Skin (membrane or membrane); 6. Stand

In the orchestra, as a rule, two timpani are used - large and small. Each timpani, tuned to a known tone, can produce only one sound when struck. The sounds of the timpani are indicated by notes in the bass clef. Due to different degrees of skin tension on a large timpani, it can make sounds of a chromatic scale from F in the big octave to before in a small, and on a small timpani - from b flat in the big octave to F inclusive in a small octave. In large orchestras, three timpani are used: two small and one large, less often - one small and two large. Meyerbeer's opera "Robert the Devil", in the second act, uses four timpani: two large and two small. Berlioz used a large number of timpani in his compositions.

Pedal timpani

Two timpani are struck mostly alternately, much less often at the same time. Rebuilding the timpani is now facilitated by replacing the screws with a mechanism that rebuilds the timpani in an instant. The speed of variable beats on the timpani can be very high ( tremolo). Shades, from the strongest to the weakest, are quite affordable. The lower the sound, the fuller and longer it is, the higher, the shorter and lighter.

Pipe with a curtain. From King René's Book of Tournaments. 15th century

Since musically - as it happened historically and artistically - timpani are associated with brass wind instruments (for centuries, timpani and pipes formed a single closed group in which timpani served as a bass for pipes; there are a huge number of examples of this combination in music; in a pair they can be found in paintings and engravings by old European masters), in the orchestral score their parts are placed directly below the group of brass instruments.

Timpani with curtains of the Austrian cuirassier regiment.
OK. 1750 Imperial and Royal Army Museum in Vienna

There is hardly a climax in a classical symphony where the composer would do without the timpani. With their formidable growing tremolo, timpani can drown out the sound of an entire orchestra. Musical climaxes with timpani give the impression of the raging forces of the elements. Haydn depicted with the help of timpani thunder peals in the oratorio "The Seasons". In the Sixth Symphony (“Pastoral”) by Beethoven, the timpani enter only in the fourth movement, and this part is “Thunderstorm, Storm”. The timpani sound starting with pianissimo, amplifies to fortissimo, prefixing the words "Shake, earth" in Beethoven's oratorio "Christ on the Mount of Olives".

Salt cellar in the form of regimental timpani, with spoons

It is curious that even the slightest manifestation of the independence of the timpani in the orchestral fabric of the work attracts the attention of the listener. Moreover, some works got their names from such moments of bright sounding of the timpani. One of Haydn's symphonies - No. 94 - is called "Symphony with a beat of the timpani" (its other name is "Surprise", but it is also generated by this very beat of the timpani). Another symphony - No. 103 - "Timpani tremolo symphony". Haydn also has Messa in Tempore Belli"("Mass with timpani during the war": the first of six masses, created in 1796. It was written when Napoleon, advancing towards the Austrian border, invaded northern Italy. Timpani, drums and pipes were supposed to evoke associations with war). Shostakovich in the Ninth Symphony makes the timpani imitate the cannonade.

Percussion band musician

But timpani can also sound very quiet, in which case it also captures the listener in an unusual way. The chorus of prisoners at the end of the first act of Beethoven's Fidelio is accompanied by the sounds of the timpani. Just before the end of the action, the timpani fall silent. But the last measure remains for them, playing tremolo in the quietest sonority. This is the true motive of fate. Beethoven liked to use such motifs in diverse, but always easily recognizable and impressive forms.

Large silver timpani handed over to the Army
faithful Cossacks by order of Empress Catherine II in 1788.

The timpani, like probably every instrument, has some unusual ways to play it. For example, the technique of playing the so-called "closed timpani": this is a kind of mute. The mute on the timpani is a piece of soft, not very heavy fabric - most often flannel. Depending on the need, it is thrown onto the skin of the timpani closer to the hoop or closer to the middle. In the first case, the sound of the timpani is muffled less, in the second - more. The fabric itself is never played. The artificial damping of the sound of the timpani sometimes makes a charming impression. This technique was especially widely used by A. Borodin in the Polovtsian Dances in the opera Prince Igor.

Drum

The drum is a very ancient percussion instrument. It is known about the existence of drums in ancient Sumer. During excavations in Mesopotamia, some of the oldest percussion instruments were found, made in the form of small cylinders, the origin of which dates back to the third millennium BC. Since ancient times, the drum has been used as a signal instrument, as well as to accompany ritual dances, military processions, and religious ceremonies. Drums came to modern Europe from the Middle East. The prototype of the small (military) drum was borrowed from the Arabs in Spain and Palestine.

Indonesian drum

Musicologists usually distinguish four classes of drums: 1) frame drums, 2) goblet-shaped, 3) cylindrical, and 4) cauldron-shaped (or timpani). But within these main classes there are a great many varieties that have become widespread on different continents, in different countries and at different times. We will talk about the drums used in a classical symphony orchestra.

Army drum with embossed ornament:
St. George the Victorious and the double-headed eagle

Drum (Italian) tamburo, cassa; French tambour, caisse; English drum; German Trommel) - a well-known percussion instrument, consisting of a wooden or metal cylinder, both holes of which are tightened with calfskin, fixed with two wooden hoops. Both hoops are interconnected by a cord stretched in the form of a zigzag. By pulling the cord tighter with the help of loops, you can make the tone of the drum lighter.

Y. Pyatkov, S. Korovyakovsky. Company drummer
Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment. 1812

Beater, stick, brush

On one side of the drum they strike with sticks (sticks covered with leather are used to play the big drum); on the other side, a vein string is tightly stretched. The vibration of one side is transmitted to the other, and from the constant friction of the latter on the gut string, the sound becomes crackling; without a string, the sound is short and muffled. The drum has no tuning and therefore, like other percussion instruments (except for the timpani), its part is notated only rhythmically. Drum roll is indicated, like the timpani, in the form of a trill.

big drum

snare drum

Tabor (Provencal drum) is a medieval instrument played during dances. It often happened that a musician held a drumstick in one hand and a flute in the other.

Of those commonly used in a symphony orchestra, the first should be named big drum(also called Turkish drum). It is bilateral, rarely unilateral. It is played with a massive mallet with a soft tip; its sound is strong, deaf and low. In addition to the beater, sticks, panicles, etc. are sometimes used. The main purpose of the bass drum is single beats (from pianissimo to like thunder fortissimo). By European composers, the big drum was first used in a military band; from the beginning of the 18th century - in the opera. The predecessor of the big one is the Turkish drum, which was used in "Janissary music". The bass drum is often used to imitate it, for example in Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio. By the way, Mozart wrote “Rondo in the Turkish style” for the finale of his piano sonata in A major (its other common name is “Turkish March”). Deliberately sharp chords in the left hand are performed in it in a special way - arpeggiated. This is done on purpose to imitate the sound of such a Turkish drum by means of the piano.

Darabuka - Egyptian drum-glass

snare drum- with two leather membranes stretched over a low cylinder. Strings are stretched along the lower membrane (4–10 in a concert drum and up to 18 in a jazz drum), which give the sound a dry, roaring, rolling rattling tone. When the strings are turned off with a special lever, this characteristic crackle disappears. The main technique of the game is a fraction, fast tremolo. It is played with two wooden sticks with thickened ends.

Master Distin designed a bass drum
for symphony orchestra

The snare drum was introduced into opera and symphony orchestras in the 19th century; often used in military scenes. His fraction emphasizes the rhythm of the music very well, sometimes enlivens it, and sometimes brings anxiety. Shostakovich introduced as many as three snare drums into the first part of his Seventh Symphony: they sound monotonous and ominous in the episode of the fascist invasion, and in the Eleventh Symphony, the snare drum beat depicts a picture of the execution on January 9, 1905.

Kalengo is a drum from Nigeria. The membrane is struck with fingers or a curved stick. By pressing on the strings, you can change the tension of the membranes and, consequently, the pitch

For all the importance of different percussion instruments in symphonic music, there is hardly any other instrument, besides the snare drum, that could boast of great, and most importantly, ingenious solo work in your repertoire. The snare drum has such a masterpiece - it is "Bolero" by M. Ravel. Here it sounds continuously throughout the piece, clearly beating the rhythm of the Spanish dance. Usually, during the performance of this work, the percussionist takes a place on the proscenium next to the conductor. Just like a soloist.

Tsuzumi - two-sided Japanese drum
with a narrow middle part of the body

The sound of the drum is so characteristic that it has given rise to a number of proverbs. They can be found in the dictionary of V. Dahl: You can't lure a hare onto a drum. To another, thunder is not thunder, but a terrible drum. Give under the drum(i.e. soldiers). For the rich devils beat the drums.

Bells (orchestral)

Since ancient times, the ringing of bells has called people to religious ceremonies and holidays, and also announced misfortunes. With the development of the opera, with the appearance of historical and patriotic plots in it, composers began to introduce bells into the opera house. The sounds of bells in Russian opera are especially richly represented: the solemn ringing in "Ivan Susanin", "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", "The Maid of Pskov" and "Boris Godunov" (in the coronation scene), the disturbing tocsin in "Prince Igor", the funeral chime in " Boris Godunov. In all these operas, real church bells sounded, which are placed behind the stage in large opera houses. However, not every opera house could afford to have its own belfry, so composers only occasionally introduced small bells into the orchestra - as Tchaikovsky did in the 1812 overture.

bells

Large church bells deserve, of course, a separate story. But in this case we are talking about the so-called orchestral bells, that is, about the tool that imitates the sound of real bells. They are constructed as a set of steel tubes made of brass (nickel plated) or steel (chrome plated) suspended from a frame (its height is about two meters). Usually in such a set there are from 12 to 18 pipes-cylinders tuned according to the chromatic scale. Thus, bells belong to the category of percussion instruments with a fixed pitch.

The sound is produced by striking the pipe with a hammer in the form of a mallet with a barrel-shaped head covered with leather. These pipes hang freely without touching each other, since they must be able to vibrate when struck with a hammer; like real bells, they sound only as long as the pipes vibrate when struck. But for the same reason, the instrument has a so-called damper device, with which the sound of pipes can be stopped.

The fact is that the use of real bells in musical works can be complicated by their too long sounding, if it is not possible to stop it artificially: large bells, due to their large mass, retain the inertia of vibrations for a long time. This duration of sound (that is, long lasting, albeit very rich in overtones, but one tone) can clash with the more rapidly changing harmony of a given musical episode and thereby create unwanted dissonances.

Naturally, in the already named orchestral works, in the absence of real bells, a set of orchestral bells is used. They also sound in G. Puccini's opera "Tosca", in R. Wagner's opera "Parsifal", in "The Poem of Ecstasy" by A. Scriabin, in S. Rachmaninov's vocal-symphonic poem "The Bells", in S. Prokofiev's oratorio "Alexander Nevsky ". S. Prokofiev replaced the pipes with long metal bars.

bells

Bells (Italian - campanell, fr. - jeu de timbres, German - Glockenspiel), sometimes they are called glockenspiels in the German manner - a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. The instrument has a light-ringing timbre in piano, brilliant and bright - in forte. Bells exist in two varieties: simple and keyboard.

bells

Simple bells are a set of metal plates tuned to a chromatic scale, placed in two rows on a trapezoidal wooden frame. The arrangement of the records on them is similar to the arrangement of white and black piano keys. Applicable range of bells - from before third octave to before fifth. Ordinary bells are played with two small metal hammers or wooden sticks.

Hand bells that make sounds of different pitches,
known since the 12th century.

In keyboard bells, the records are enclosed in a case, like a small piano, where there is a simple mechanism of hammers that transmits blows from the keys to the records (this mechanism is similar to the celesta mechanism). However, this chain of mechanisms is not very well reflected in their sound: it is not as bright and ringing as on ordinary bells. Nevertheless, yielding to hammer bells in the beauty of sound, keyboards surpass them in technical terms. Thanks to the piano keyboard, rather fast passages and polyphonic chords are possible on them.

Bo-chung is a Chinese bell, considered a symbol of fertility.
The sound was extracted from it with a special stick.
The bell was hung on a chain.
Jewelry in the form of sharp protrusions

Since the 19th century, bells have often been used in a symphony orchestra. Notes for bells are written two octaves below their actual sound; in the score, their part is written under the part of the bells, above the part of the xylophone.

King David playing the bells with mallets.
Miniature from the Bible of the XIII century.

The timbre of the bells is silvery, gentle and sonorous. They sound in The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart when Papageno exits, in the aria with bells in the opera Lakme by L. Delibes, in The Snow Maiden by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, when Mizgir, chasing the Snow Maiden, sees the lights of fireflies, in "Golden Cockerel" at the exit of the Astrologer. Tchaikovsky used bells in the Italian Capriccio. And although the bells do not seem to fit in with our impetuous and muscular age, they were used both by S. Prokofiev in his First Piano Concerto and by P. Hindemith in the Clarinet Concerto with Orchestra.

Dishes

It is generally believed that cymbals came to European music from Turkey. This opinion is based on a number of historical evidence confirming the extraordinary popularity of this percussion instrument in Turkish military use.

However, in fairness, priority in the use of this very effective percussion instrument must be given to the Ancient World. In particular, plates were known to the Assyro-Babylonians. There is an assumption that they were already used in ancient Egypt. The Greeks of the times of Hellas believed that the sound made by the cymbals deprived the evil spirits of their miraculous charms. In ancient Rome, cymbals were beaten at festivities dedicated to Persephone. These festivities were distinguished by gloominess and severity. One could also talk about the use of plates in the East.

It may seem surprising, but in Europe, cymbals were known long before they took an important place in symphonic music: cymbals were known even before the 15th century, but then they were forgotten. This continued until the 17th century, when wars with the Ottomans arose. It was from this time that cymbals became strongly associated with the music of the Janissaries, that is, they became a symbol of "Turkish music". In this regard, it is necessary to mention the name of Michal Kleofas Ogiński, the author of the famous Farewell Polonaise (commonly known as Ogiński's Polonaise).

;

The fact is that for some time he lived in Constantinople and wrote the opera “Zelida and Valcour, or Bonaparte in Cairo”, which opens with an overture (“Asian Overture”) that requires an unusual orchestra - it includes plates under their Turkish name, written according to - French: zyle(zil). In order not to be misunderstood, the composer gave an exact description of this instrument and the way it was played: “zil is a Turkish instrument in the form of a flat plate made of sonorous brass, which is struck in time with one another.”

The very way of playing the cymbals is impressive and attracts attention: it is necessary to play them while standing, because the cymbals sound good and bright when, after being struck, they are widely spaced in different directions (on the outstretched hands of the drummer). In this case, the bright sound of the cymbals spreads over the entire orchestra and at the climax produces an unusually exciting impression. In symphonic music, this is very common and, according to the apt definition of the greatest connoisseur of instrumentation D. Rogal-Levitsky, "makes a very elegant impression."

This way of eating plates is the main one. However, like other instruments, there are other features of sound production on cymbals, in particular, playing with sticks. But in this case, the cymbals themselves perform the duties of a “sound generator”. Sometimes a free-hanging cymbal can be aroused by striking a soft stick from the timpani. It turns out a bewitching effect, especially in piano. When combined with other percussion instruments such as the drum, tambourine and triangle, the cymbal sound produced in this way becomes almost imperceptible. K. Debussy used this technique absolutely amazingly in his symphonic sketches "The Sea". Here, a cymbal left unaccompanied (a rare case of a solo of this instrument) gives the impression of a cloud of golden dust hanging in the air ...

The section is very easy to use. In the proposed field, just enter the desired word, and we will give you a list of its meanings. I would like to note that our site provides data from various sources - encyclopedic, explanatory, word-building dictionaries. Here you can also get acquainted with examples of the use of the word you entered.

The meaning of the word timpani

timpani in the crossword dictionary

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

timpani

timpani, unit timpani, timpani, w. (meaning Ukrainian politaurs are explained from Greek poly - many and taurea - drums) (music). Percussion musical instrument in the form of two hemispheres covered with leather.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.

timpani

Avr, unit -a, -s, w. Percussion membrane musical instrument - hemispheres covered with leather. Beat in l. (also trans.: triumph over victory, success; usually ironic).

adj. timpani, th, th.

New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

timpani

pl. Percussion musical instrument in the form of two hemispheres covered with leather.

Wikipedia

timpani

""" Timpani """ is a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. They represent a system of two to seven metal cauldron-shaped bowls, the open side of which is covered with leather or plastic, and the lower part may have a hole.

Examples of the use of the word timpani in literature.

Having stopped the horse, one of them, the eldest, bearded, beats with the handle of the whip in timpani, shouting: - The people of Moscow!

Another privet beats in timpani, continuing the speech of the first: - And now Nikon is not a patriarch, but you will know, but a monk of the Ferapontov monastery, his name is Anii-ka!

A walking biryuch is cheaper - weather is four rubles, a horse is much more expensive - a horse, timpani, wand and boyar clothes.

He stopped, raised his hand - at the porch they hit in timpani, and the voice of Chikmaz loudly shouted: - Hey, guard!

The governor, collecting the disheveled cavalry, did not pursue them - the Razintsy slowly, in order, plunged into the plows, leaving the wounded, banners and timpani taken by the ataman on Ilovla from the royal courts.

sparks from hands timpani jumped into the dark, cloudy sky, and returned from there with arrows of lightning.

But nothing he had ever experienced could compare to the feeling of power when he touched timpani and evoked music.

Until I figure it out for sure timpani I will still rattle, as this gives picturesqueness to the night march.

Cuddy Hedrig, a wretched plowman in the service of Your Grace, at least with the consent of his old mother, will not make faces or, as they say, kneel in the house of prelates and parish priests, and will not gird himself with a sword to fight for their cause under any circumstances. timpani, not to the organ, not to the bagpipes, not to any other music.

The horsemen of Claverhouse stopped at the crest of the hill, and their trumpets and timpani they sang a daring and warlike voice, in which there was a threat and a challenge: it swept over this desert and wilderness like the piercing cry of an angel of destruction.

Having agreed with both, he asked everyone to drink, and drunken Cossacks, including several people, threw them right into the square, where they stood tied to a pole. timpani, in which they usually beat the collection at the Rada.

And the enemy army was already coming out of the city, thundering in timpani and trumpets, and, akimbo, the pans rode out, surrounded by innumerable servants.

Hurry up, beat in timpani, dispersed the people with whips, but why were they in a hurry?

Above the head of Ievlev, on the tower, music began to play, small timpani, as if horns hummed, - then Menshikov's watch, bought by him in London, prepared for battle.

He himself will only overturn the cup with the Rhine, Like trumpets and timpani regurgitate his toast in triumph.

kettle drums) - a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. They represent a system of two to seven metal cauldron-shaped bowls, the open side of which is covered with leather or plastic, and the lower part may have a hole.

timpani
Range (and build)	Timpani Range Individual.JPG Range of timpani in various sizes
Classification	Percussion instrument, Membranophone
Related Instruments	Gosha Nagara
Timpani at Wikimedia Commons

Story

The timpani is an instrument of very ancient origin. In Europe, timpani, close in form to modern ones, but with a constant system, became known already in the 15th century. In the treatise “The Arrangement of Music” (“Syntagma musicum”, part II “De Organographia”, 1619) by Praetorius, the timpani are referred to as “ungeheure Rumpelfässer”. Since the 17th century, timpani have been part of orchestras. Subsequently, a tension screw mechanism appeared, which made it possible to rebuild the timpani. In military affairs, they were used in heavy cavalry, where they were used to transmit combat control signals, in particular, to control the formation of cavalrymen. Modern timpani can be tuned to a specific pitch using a special pedal.

There are solo timpani in many musical works. So, for example, Richard Strauss' Burlesque for Piano and Orchestra begins with a timpani solo.

Timpani device

The body of the timpani is a cauldron-shaped bowl made most often from copper, and sometimes from silver, aluminum, or even fiberglass. The main tone of the instrument is determined by the dimensions of the body, the diameter of which varies from 30 to 84 cm (sometimes even less). A higher tone is obtained with smaller instrument sizes.

A membrane made of leather or plastic is stretched over the body. The membrane is held in place by a hoop, which is in turn fastened with screws used to adjust the instrument's pitch. Modern timpani are equipped with pedals, pressing which easily rebuilds the instrument and even allows you to play small melodic parts. Typically, each of the instrument's drums has a fifth to octave range.

The timbre of the instrument is determined by the shape of the body. So the hemispherical shape creates more sonorous sounds, and the parabolic one - more deaf. The quality of the body surface also affects the timbre.

Sticks for playing the timpani are wooden, reed or metal rods with round tips, usually covered with soft felt. The timpani player can get different timbres and sound effects using sticks with tips made of different materials: leather, felt or wood.

Timpani playing technique

Timpani playing consists of two main performance techniques: single strokes and tremolo. Any of the most complex rhythmic constructions are made up of single beats, using both one and several timpani. Tremolo, which can reach an enormous frequency and is reminiscent of thunder, can also be played with one or two instruments.

Huge gradations of sound can be achieved on timpani, from barely audible pianissimo to deafening fortissimo. Among the special effects is the muffled sound of the timpani, covered with pieces of soft cloth.

The characteristic sound of the timpani can be heard in various

The variety of percussion instruments is amazing! A percussionist is a real human orchestra, in his arsenal are a variety of drums, triangles, bells, cymbals, timpani and many others. If most of the instruments are familiar to everyone, then what the timpani is is not very clear. There is a misconception that this is a cymbal-like instrument. There is such an expression as "timpani ringing". Like it or not, we will try to understand this issue.

Classification of percussion instruments

Percussion instruments are the oldest first available to mankind. The variety of forms and sounds allows us to divide them into groups according to different criteria.

By sound quality:

• With a certain pitch. That is, instruments for which you can accurately determine the sounding note. These include, for example, xylophone, metallophone, bells.
• With an indefinite pitch. The exact pitch of the sound cannot be fixed. Such instruments include large and snare drums, cymbals, tambourine, tam-tam.

For sound production:

• Membranophones. Instruments whose sound is produced by a stretched plastic or leather membrane. Tambourine, drums, for example, belong to this group.
• Idiophones. The sound is emitted by the entire body of the instrument. Such, for example, are the triangle, xylophone, marimba.

Idiophones are divided into:

• Metal: metallophones, triangles, bells.
• Wooden: xylophones, box.

Surprisingly, the piano also belongs to percussion instruments. After all, the sound production of this instrument is based on hammering the strings with hammers, therefore, such a common instrument is a percussion instrument.

What are timpani in terms of classification? The answer will surprise many. The timpani instrument is a membranophone with a certain pitch. This unequivocally dispels the myth about the similarity of the instrument with cymbals, and also shows the meaninglessness of the expression "timpani ringing", it is outdated (initially ringing was not necessarily associated with metal). Now a metal idiophone can ring, but not timpani.

Timpani device

As an instrument, it is a bowl on which a leather or plastic membrane is stretched. Depending on the size, the timpani have different heights, the instrument is tuned to a certain tone.

Often a system is used that includes from 2 to 7 tools. You can get acquainted with the sound of the instrument in this video. That is why the word "timpani" is more often used in the plural.

V.Shinstin Timpolero

By the XV century, the modern look of the instrument was formed, a permanent system was formed. And already from the 17th century, timpani began to be part of the orchestra. Technique of playing the instrument - single strokes and tremolo.

The use of the instrument in the work of composers

What is a timpani for a composer? This is a bright, spectacular instrument, which often emphasizes the special showiness of the moment. A variety of dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo also provides rich opportunities for composing music. Sometimes there are even solo episodes for timpani, for example, Richard Strauss wrote Burlesque for piano and orchestra, which just begins with a solo of this amazing instrument.

Burlesque for piano and orchestra, performed by Denis Matsuev.

Symphony No. 103 by Joseph Haydn

The timpani tremolo is reminiscent of thunder. As a rule, the sound is associated with anxiety, which often occurs during a thunderstorm.

One of the most famous works that begin with the sound of the timpani is the London Symphony with timpani tremolo by J. Haydn.

The brilliant composer, the father of the symphony (J. Haydn is the "record holder" in this genre. He wrote 104 symphonies, and it was in the work of the Viennese classic that this genre was formed) created this brilliant work that expresses a deep philosophical meaning.

Tremolo timpani, as well as the introduction in the lower register, personify the gloomy beginning of a person's life. After all, hardly anyone can have an absolutely cloudless, peaceful life. But already at the very beginning of the symphony, its idea is laid down: whatever the conflict, it must be removed, which happens with the appearance of the main party.

Part I

The second part of the symphony reveals the idea in a slightly different way: it shows that life is beautiful in its diversity. And, written in the form of double variations, during which the mysterious, gloomy and solemn themes converge, it is a vivid confirmation of this. Especially when you consider that the themes are written on the same folk basis.

Part II

The third part reveals another amazing facet of the optimistic worldview. A clumsy, comic minuet shows that many situations in life can be treated with humor.

The finale of the symphony, solemn and life-affirming, sums up. He confirms that optimism must prevail, and only by such principles one must live. This is certainly a worthy conclusion to the tremolo timpani symphony.

To summarize, what are timpani? So, this is an amazing tool. It has a certain pitch of sound, which is created thanks to the membrane stretched over the bowl. It is necessarily a part of the symphony orchestra, expanding its capabilities to create unique images.

timpani(Italian timpani) is a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. They are a system of two or more (up to seven) metal cauldron-shaped bowls, the open side of which is covered with leather or plastic, and the lower part may have a hole.

Story

The timpani is an instrument of very ancient origin. In Europe, timpani, close in form to modern ones, but with a constant system, became known already in the 15th century. In the treatise “The Arrangement of Music” (“Syntagma musicum”, part II “De Organographia”, 1619) by Praetorius, the timpani are referred to as “ungeheure Rumpelfässer”. Since the 17th century, timpani have been part of orchestras. Subsequently, a tension screw mechanism appeared, which made it possible to rebuild the timpani. In military affairs, they were used in heavy cavalry, where they were used to transmit combat control signals, in particular, to control the formation of cavalrymen. Modern timpani can be tuned to a specific pitch using a special pedal.

There are solo timpani in many musical works. So, for example, Richard Strauss' Burlesque for Piano and Orchestra begins with a timpani solo.