Chapter 1
The kings of the kitchen
Chapter 2
The mighty kettles that sing
Chapter 3
From battlefield to concert hall
Chapter 4
The physics of making a racket
Chapter 5
Stealing the spotlight
YOUR GOAL
Master of Thunder in the back row
Ch 3 · From battlefield to concert hall
maestro Jean-Baptiste Lully opens a door, revealing timpani and orchestral percussion instruments.
maestro Horseback musicians play kettledrums before French aristocrats in a luminous Renaissance fresco.
Fun Fact
Drumming laws: In 16th-century Germany, playing the kettledrums was a royal privilege, and unauthorized players could have their instruments confiscated by the state.
Glossary
timpani (noun)
A set of kettle-shaped drums of adjustable pitch, typically played by one performer in an orchestra. Once used as military signals, composer Jean-Baptiste Lully brought these drums into the orchestra in 1675.
A set of kettle-shaped drums of adjustable pitch, typically played by one performer in an orchestra. Once used as military signals, composer Jean-Baptiste Lully brought these drums into the orchestra in 1675.
Quiz
In which century did European royalty first start adopting horseback kettledrums from diplomatic missions?
Quiz
Which brass instrument was historically paired with the timpani to signify royalty and military triumph?
Quiz
Which military bands of the Ottoman Empire popularized mounted kettledrums that eventually evolved into timpani?
Quiz
Which melodic percussion instrument originated in Africa before developing in Central America and joining the orchestra?
Quiz
What is the name of the shallow, single-headed drum family that includes the Irish bodhrán and Arabic riq?