Timpani are the “heartbeat” of the orchestra. A copper (or aluminum) kettle with a stretched head struck with large felt mallets. A pedal smoothly adjusts the tension of the membrane — and thus the pitch — while playing.
Timpani arrived in Europe from the Middle East via Turkey in the 15th century. Beethoven gave the timpani a particularly dramatic role: in the Ninth Symphony they deliver almost solo phrases. Mahler expanded the section to four–six kettles. A legendary passage is the piano–timpani duet in Bartók's Second Piano Concerto. In Ukraine, timpani are present in every opera and symphony orchestra, and performers regularly take part in international percussion competitions.
