Jones 1

No instrument family is as vast as that of the percussion. When looking at the history of
percussion instruments in the Baroque and Classical eras, the timpani are at the forefront. Borne
curiously out of the ceremonial needs of the Austro-Hungarian imperials in the early 16th century
(and also those of Henry VIII, as it applies to us in the Anglophone world), these sets of large
drums, prone to come in pairs, serve as the patriarchs of our Western orchestral percussion
tradition. It is thus appropriate to complete a comparison between modern timpani and their
Baroque and Classical ancestors, examining differences in construction, performance practice,
and usage.
To initiate this comparative investigation, several scholarly and authoritative sources are
being utilized. Brown and Sadie1 provide general information on the changes between the
Baroque and Classical periods, but do not discuss timpani and percussion specifically. Carter and
Kite-Powell2 bring wonderfully detailed looks into timpani practices from the period, especially
the German system of ornamentation. Jeremy Montagu3 provides a solid primer for each of the
major orchestral instruments and their historical roles during the time period. Blades and
Montagu4 present a thorough essay on the history and period-specific techniques of several
percussion instruments. Steven Schweizer5 delivers a brilliantly detailed case study in the
performance practices of the historical timpanist, using representative works from the literature
to describe proper approach from the perspective of the player. Ben Harms6, a percussionist
specializing in historical timpani performance, skillfully provides a knowledgeable look at the

1

Howard Mayer Brown and Stanley Sadie, Performance Practice, 2 vols. (New York: W.W. Norton, 1990)
Stewart Carter and Jeffrey Kite-Powell, eds., A Performers Guide to Seventeenth-Century Music, 2nd ed.
(Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2012)
3
Jeremy Montagu, The World of Baroque and Classical Musical Instruments (Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press,
1979)
4
James Blades and Jeremy Montagu, Early Percussion Instruments: From the Middle Ages to the Baroque (London:
Oxford University Press, 1976)
5
Steven Schweizer, Timpani: Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music (London: Oxford
University Press, 2010)
6
Ben Harms, The World of Historical Timpani, Early Music America XIV/2 (Summer 2008), 29-36
2

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subject with his article. The works by Carter and Kite-Powell, Schweizer, and Harms provide
very detailed information on timpani construction and performance in the period. The other
sources provide more general information relevant to the eras.
The construction of timpani from ca. 1600-1880 was largely a German venture, and it
was done with masterful craftsmanship. An amalgamation of the combined artisanship of
coppersmiths, steel workers, and parchment makers, these fine instruments were fitted with
animal-skin heads, and were smaller than todays drums (period timpani ranged 18-24 inches in
diameter, whereas modern drums are 20-34)7. They also lacked the foot pedals of modern
timpani, instead being tuned by hand using tuning keys around the head of each bowl. These
German drums were also fitted with trumpet-like bells, mounted inside the bowl, perpendicular
to the floor, with the flare of the bell facing upward toward the head. This bell, called a
Schalltrichter, acted as a resonator for these early instruments8.
Baroque and Classical performance practices affected the timpani just as much as, if not
more than, any other orchestral instrument of the period. This, firstly, applied to the selection of
performance implements. Due to the construction of these instruments, their best sound is
achieved with hard wood or leather-wrapped mallets (softer, felt-wrapped mallets like those seen
today did not appear until the time of Berlioz)9. The standard tuning (as established by Purcell
and Bach) consisted of the tonic and its immediate lower dominant10. This tuning would later be
expanded by Beethoven, who wrote more difficult, soloistic parts requiring more ability from the
timpanist11. During the Baroque period, a tasteful amount of ornamentation and some

7

Harms, Historical Timpani, 29-36

Ibid.
9
Montagu, The World, 106-7
10
Blades and Montagu, Early Percussion Instruments, 4
11
Montagu, The World, 106-7
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improvisation was normal and quite standard for timpanists, and written parts were not a
guaranteed commodity. Ornamentation was particularly common at cadence points12. In the
German tradition, these ornaments were defined much in the same way that the Italians had
defined vocal elaborations (such as passagi), and were grouped into three primary categories:
Schlagmanieren (beating embellishments), Schlge (strokes, mostly for visual effect), and
Zungen (tonguings, specific rhythmic groupings used to define roll-type figurations)13.
Additionally, in stark contrast to modern technique, Baroque timpanists often employed doublestroke rolls when playing (two strokes per hand motion), whereas modern timpani technique
(since ca. 1800) utilizes single-stroke rolls exclusively14.
The final part of this comparison examines the usage of timpani by composers in the
Baroque and Classical periods versus that of today. As alluded to earlier, timpani ultimately
arose out of drums used for ceremonial purposes (both warfare and heraldry). By the late
Renaissance/early Baroque period, composers had noticed the musical capabilities of these
drums and incorporated them into a wider variety of musical works15. Bach, in particular, used
timpani in many of his compositions to add a sense of drama and an uplifting affect; for example,
in his legendary Mass in b minor, the somber Kyrie is without timpani, while the spirited Gloria
has a very noble and active timpani part16. Because of the timpanis historical partnership with
trumpets on the battlefield and in royal courts, timpanists were members of trumpet guilds and
they often contracted work together17. This partnership led to the age-old practice of having the
timpani act essentially as a bass trumpet within the Baroque and Classical orchestra, playing

12

Blades and Montagu, Early Percussion Instruments, 65-6

Carter and Kite-Powell, A Performers Guide, 161-4
14
Schweizer, Timpani, 80
15
Harms, Historical Timpani, 29-36
16
Schweizer, Timpani, 88
17
Montagu, The World, 106-7
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the exact same line, and this orchestration technique remains in use to this day (although to a
much lessened extent). Around the time that the Classical Era began, so to speak, there was an
increasing movement toward public concerts as private and court orchestras began to decline,
leading to larger venues (particularly opera houses) and more concert hall-type compositions18.
This influenced timpani as well as anything else as larger genres such as the symphony grew in
scope and prominence. These classical works used two timpani to emphasize cadential moments,
as in works by Haydn or Mozart19. Later, as the line between the Classical and Romantic periods
would begin to muddle, Beethoven would write virtuosic, soloistic timpani parts utilizing tones
outside of the tonic and dominant, as mentioned earlier. Beethovens shift in style would
precursor modern timpani parts, where composers use five (or even more) drums to perform
complicated supporting and melodic lines with myriad tuning changes and extended techniques.
In looking over this investigative comparison, it is clear that the timpani, like any other
instrument, have changed significantly over the past few centuries; however, the foundation and
base ideals remain largely the same. Even though the drums grew larger and louder to
complement the massive orchestras of the past century and the parts grew more and more
complex, composers and timpanists alike still seem to appreciate these fine instruments for the
same reasons as those of the Baroque and Classical impact, drama, and effect. Still, the ways of
yesterday are not gone yet, as many orchestras still use Baroque-style timpani to perform pieces
from the period, as these marvels of craftsmanship are still prized for their pure sound and clear
articulation20. This is all the more proof that the antique and the modern can coexist, and rather
peacefully at that.

18

Brown and Sadie, Performance Practice, 217

Schweizer, Timpani, 151
20
Harms, Historical Timpani, 29-36
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Works Cited
Brown, Howard Mayer, and Stanley Sadie. Performance Practice. 2 vols. New York:
W.W. Norton, 1990.
Carter, Steward, and Jeffrey Kite-Powell, eds. A Performers Guide to SeventeenthCentury Music. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2012.
Montagu, Jeremy. The World of Baroque and Classical Music Instruments. Woodstock,
N.Y.: Overlook Press, 1979.
Blades, James, and Jeremy Montagu. Early Percussion Instruments: From the Middle
Ages to the Baroque. London: Oxford University Press, 1976.
Harms, Ben. The World of Historical Timpani. Early Music America 14, no. 2
(Summer, 2008): 29-36.
Schweizer, Steven. Timpani: Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical
Music. London: Oxford University Press, 2010.