The Drums
The Drums
As an introduction to the aspects of the timpani which will be discussed in this paper, below is a list of the instruments each timpanist I spoke with uses in their orchestra. All drum sizes are in inches.
Frank Aarnink : Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Reykjavik
Adams Philharmonic (~1998) - 32, 29, 26, 25, 23, 20 - calf skin, Dresden pedals
Adams Philharmonic (~1998) - 32, 29, 26, 25, 21 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Dresden - 26, 23 - calf skin, machine timpani
Ringer (~2000) - 29, 26 - calf skin
Fausto Bombarderi : Hadyn Symphony Orchestra, Bolzano
Ludwig Ringer (1994) - 32, 29, 26, 23 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Ludwig Chicago (1974) - 32, 29, 26, 23 - white plastic skin
Baroque timpani (2003) - 29, 27 - calf skin
David Corkhill : English Chamber Orchestra, London
Ludwig Professional Symphonic (2002) - 32, 29, 26, 23 - white plastic skin, balanced action pedals
Dieter Dyk : Tonhalle Orkest, Zürich
5 machine timpani (Kolberg, Dresden, G. Ringer) - 32, 28.5, 25.5, 23.5, 20.5 - Renaissance skins, Kolberg pedals
4 pedal timpani (Kolberg, Dresden, G. Ringer) - 31, 28.5, 25.5, 23, 20.5 - calf/goat skins, Kolberg pedals
Richard Ludwig (1895) - 27, 24 - calf skin
Wunderlich/Lefima (~1900) - goat skin, originally hand tuned, rebuilt as machine timpani by Kolberg
Dresden (~1900) - 26, 23.5 - goat skin, originally crank timpani, rebuilt as pedal timpani by Kolberg
Kolberg (1993) - 27, 24 - calf skin, machine timpani
Kolberg (1987) - 30, 28, 26, 25 - Renaissance skins
Schnellar (1998) - 30, 27, 24, 22 - goat skin, machine timpani, manufactured by Wiener Schlaginstrumenbau
Gerald Fromme : Radio Symphonie Orkest, Wien
Ringer (1970) - 33, 31, 28, 26, 2x23 - Renaissance skins, only middle pair of drums have pedals
Dresden (1940) - 2x31, 2x28, Renaissance skins, Dresden pedals
Aenhelt (1990) - 34 - Renaissance skins, bass timpano
Hochrainer (1970) - 2x28, 2x26, 23 - goat skin, machine timpani
Jim Gordon : Holland Symphonia, Amsterdam
Adams Philharmonic (1998) - 32, 29, 26, 25, 23 - Renaissance skins, Dresden pedals
Adams Professional (1993) - 32, 29, 26, 23 - Renaissance skins
Baroque timpani (~19th century) - 29, 26 - calf skin
David Searcy & Mike Quinn : Teatro Alla Scala, Milano
Ringer (~1960) - 32, 29, 26, 23, 20 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Dorfler (1990) - 32, 29, 2x26, 24 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Kolberg (1995) - calf skin, hand tuned
American Drum Co. (2002) - Renaissance skins, Dresden pedals
Peter Offelder : Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landessinfonieorchester, Flensburg
Hardtke (2002) - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Ringer (~1950) - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Dresden (~1993) - Renaissance skins
Guido Rückel : Munich Philharmonic
Ringer (1971) - 32, 29, 26, 23, 20 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Winkelman (1984) - 32, 29, 26, 23, 20 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Aehnelt (~1980) - 34, 31, 29, 26, 25, 23 - calf skin, Berlin pedals
Dresdener - goat skin, set of 4 - two pedal/two machine timpani
Lefima - calf skin, Baroque timpani
Louis Sauvetre : Orchestra della Svizzera
Ludwig Ringer - 32, 29, 26, 24 - Renaissance skins, Berlin pedals
Ringer - 32, 29, 26, 24 - calf skin, Berlin pedals - outer drums Gunter Ringer, inner drums Ludwig
Wolfgang Schuster & Roland Altmann : Vienna Philharmonic
Schnellar (1921) - 29.5, 27, 25, 22.5, 21.5 - goat skin, machine timpani
Hochrainer (1953) - same sizes as above - goat skin, machine timpani
Schuster (1982) - same sizes as above - goat skin, machine timpani
Adams - Renaissance skins, pedal timpani
Maarten van der Valk : Orchestra of the 18th Century
George Potter & Sons (1993) - 27.5, 26, 23, 21.5 - calf skin, hand tuned
A. A. van den Hoek (1993) - 27, 24 - calf skin, machine timpani
Baroque timpani (1993) - 25, 22 - calf skin
Nick Woud : Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
Adams Philharmonic (2001) - 32, 29, 26, 23, 20 - calf skin, Dresden pedals, Marinus Komst model
Schnellar (~1895) - 28, 25 - calf skin, Dresden pedals
Schnellar (1898) - 28, 25 - goat skin, machine timpani
Van den Hoek (~1960) - 28, 25 - calf skin, machine timpani
Adams Professional (1988) - 32, 29, 2x26, 23, 20 - balanced action, white plastic skins
Schenllar (~1895) - 18 - calf skin, rotary piccolo timpano
© Scott Weatherson 2011