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

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