THE ROLE OF TURKISH PERCUSSION IN THE HISTORY AND ...

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to head than it was in diameter. Unlike the modern orchestral bass drum with its large heads and relatively thin, cylindrical body, other accounts record the dimensions of the Turkish bass drum to be generally equal in ratio of diameter to depth. With heads on both sides of the drum, the skin heads were tuned by rope-tension. The rope or cord passed through holes on the counter-hoops and across the shell in a “V” formation, and was tightened by leather braces. This type of tuning system produced a powerfully low sound of indefinite pitch. During its military use, the bass drum was often carried on the back of one person and played by someone else marching behind. In other cases, as seen in Figure 2, two different types of beaters were used. Figure 2. Long drum with beaters. Reprinted from James Blades, Percussion Instruments and Their History (London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1984), 128 One hand struck the head with a wooden stick and the other struck the opposite head with a switch most often made of twigs, called a ruthe. 2 The drummer would play the beat to aid in proper marching with the stick, and then play a supplemental measured pulse with the switch 2 Other names for the ruthe include switch, rute (German), verga (Italian), or verge (French). 10
that was often doubled on the triangle. Prior to the bass drum’s entry into the orchestra, its playing position often involved the placing of sling ropes over one’s head that allowed the drum to rest comfortably over the abdomen. A wooden beater sounded the accented beats and the ruthe sounded the unaccented beats on the other head, consistent with the original Turkish playing technique. When parts were extant, this “stick and switch” method of play was indicated through the use of down and up stems, corresponding respectively to the beater (down stems) and switch (up stems). 3 Musical examples notating this performance practice are included in Chapter 3. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the style of play required of the Turkish bass drummer was unique. In addition to the traditional beater usually played by the right hand, he would supplement this sound with the ruthe in his left hand. The beater and the ruthe were customarily assigned to separate heads of the drum. The player could strike the ruthe directly onto the drum’s head, or strike both the head and the rim of the drum simultaneously. The latter style of play created a rim shot effect that produced a high pitched “tock” sound which contrasted the low “boom” of the wooden beater. 4 The location on the bass drum struck by the ruthe was determined by the timbre of sound desired. The ruthe was most likely made of bound bundles of switches, birch branches, or strips of split bamboo, as determined by the strength of sound desired. 5 3 Michael Bayard, “Timpani Clinic: The Neo-Janizaries,” Percussive Notes (1987): 37; Moore, “How Turkish Janizary Band Music Started Our Modern Percussion Section,” 10; Nicholas Ormrod, “The Ruthe in Authentic Performance,” Percussive Notes (1995): 65; The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2 nd ed., (2001), s.v. “Bass Drum.” 4 Michael Rosen, “Terms Used in Percussion: Die Rute,” Percussive Notes (1979): 49. 5 Peinkofer and Tannigel, Handbook of Percussion Instruments, 138. 11
Page 1 and 2: THE ROLE OF TURKISH PERCUSSION IN T
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF FIGURES 1. Turkish bass dru
Page 7 and 8: ABSTRACT The fascination of eightee
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER 1 DESCRIPTION AND INTRODUCT
Page 11 and 12: not addressed in the monograph beca
Page 13 and 14: Before the influence of Turkish ins
Page 15 and 16: The trend to incorporate percussion
Page 17: Figure 1. Turkish bass drum. Reprin
Page 21 and 22: the Turkish word for “cymbalsmith
Page 23 and 24: opinion will be further discussed i
Page 25 and 26: Figure 5. Triangle similar to one u
Page 27 and 28: and as seen in Figure 6. The novel,
Page 29 and 30: Figure 7. The tambourine. Reprinted
Page 31 and 32: to the pianoforte as an optional at
Page 33 and 34: Figure 8. La Scala seating arrangem
Page 35 and 36: Early works that precede the use of
Page 37 and 38: Gluck’s use of cymbals for specia
Page 39 and 40: “stick and switch” passages of
Page 41 and 42: Figure 14. “Military” Symphony
Page 43 and 44: Figure 16. Die Ruinen von Athens by
Page 45 and 46: Figure 17. Symphony No. 9 (movement
Page 47 and 48: As seen in Figure 18 from Rossini
Page 49 and 50: the beater and the ruthe as the tim
Page 51 and 52: Figure 20. Overture to Preciosa by
Page 53 and 54: Figure 21. Modern orchestral bass d
Page 55 and 56: situations in the life of a young m
Page 57 and 58: Figure 23. Grande Messe des Morts b
Page 59 and 60: Figure 24. L’Apprenti-Sorcier by
Page 61 and 62: Figure 26. Le sacre du printemps by
Page 63 and 64: it was through the abundant and inn
Page 65 and 66: color of his composition. He calls
Page 67 and 68: Smaller triangles were used to achi
Page 69 and 70:
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in his Capr
Page 71 and 72:
Figure 33. Symphony No. 4 (movement
Page 73 and 74:
Figure 34. Scheherazade by Rimsky-K
Page 75 and 76:
The Turkish crescent is only briefl
Page 77 and 78:
the opposite head with a switch mos
Page 79 and 80:
2. With rare exception, percussioni
Page 81 and 82:
Rossini, Gioacchino. Il barbiere di
Page 83 and 84:
Duckles, Vincent H., and Michael A.
Page 85 and 86:
Corkhill, David. “The Unique Func
Page 87 and 88:
APPENDIX CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF M
Page 89 and 90:
1911 Stravinsky Petrouchka xylo., b
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