Scribd
Upload
55 views1 page

Timpani Tone and The Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music

The document discusses different techniques for holding timpani sticks and their effects on sound production. It notes that some recommend holding the stick with the thumb and first two fingers while others play with a German style grip holding the stick palms down. The German style produces a darker sound than the French style. The document also analyzes a section of Enesco's Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1, explaining that to achieve the composer's desired heavy, dark sound, the timpanist should use a larger stick, play palms down with a loose grip, and use a bounce stroke technique.

Uploaded by

FJRA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
55 views1 page

Timpani Tone and The Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music

The document discusses different techniques for holding timpani sticks and their effects on sound production. It notes that some recommend holding the stick with the thumb and first two fingers while others play with a German style grip holding the stick palms down. The German style produces a darker sound than the French style. The document also analyzes a section of Enesco's Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1, explaining that to achieve the composer's desired heavy, dark sound, the timpanist should use a larger stick, play palms down with a loose grip, and use a bounce stroke technique.

Uploaded by

FJRA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

of the drumhead and bowl.

Other timpanists, such as Saul Goodman,


Ernst Pfundt, Heinrich Knauer, and Otto Seele, recommend holding the
stick with the thumb and rst two ngersthe last two ngers free of the
stick except in loud rolls (Goodman 1948, 21, 33; Pfundt 1849, 9; Knauer
n.d., 9; Seele 1895, 7). This permits the timpanist to play lighter and, some
would say, more sensitively. The effect of playing in this manner is to pro-
duce a sound that emphasizes more of the upper partialsthe sound is
thinner and less colorful.
The German style of playing palms down produces a darker sound
than the French style.6 By varying the tightness of the forenger-thumb
grip and by changing the tightness with which the remaining ngers grip
the stick, the sound can be made lighter or darker, more legato or staccato.
As described above, there are times in which a timpanist may want to pro-
duce an extremely dark, heavy, legato sound. In those cases, timpanists
may want to use a German grip, holding the stick very loosely, and execut-
ing a bounce stroke. A good example is in Georges Enescos Rumanian
Rhapsody No. 1 (see example 1.5).

1.5. Tonal shading in Enescos Rumanian


Rhapsody No. 1

At rehearsal 19 the composer writes a rather perplexing part. Enesco


places tenuto marks over eighth notesseemingly contradictory. How
does a timpanist play an articulated, long note? Part of the answer to this
question can be found at rehearsal 12; he puts tenuto marks over dotted
quarter notes and asks the timpanist to play heavily. The tenuto marks in-
dicate that he wants a darker, heavier sound. The other part of the answer
to this question takes into consideration the musical context at rehearsal
19: Enesco calls for a very heavy, dark, somewhat articulate orchestral
sound. Given these two clues, it is clear that Enesco wants the timpanist
to produce a very dark, articulate sound. To execute this part, the tim-
panist can use a larger, heavier, more articulate stick, play palms down,
hold the stick very loosely, and use a bounce stroke. This produces a very
heavy, dark, somewhat articulate sound that is perfectly shaped to the mu-
sical context. Finally, beginning at rehearsal 19, the articulated eighth
notes beginning each phrase can be played in staccato fashion. This pro-
duces a very sharp, dark, big sound that supports the darker orchestral
sound. The tenuto-marked notes are played very broadly. See the compan-
ion Web site for a marked timpani part.

30 Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music

You might also like