Page 59 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

Listening Cue
Instruments of the Orchestra: Brasses
what to listen for: The distinctive timbres and techniques of the brasses watch . . . an Active Listening Guide of the brasses online.
The timpani (Figure 3.7) is the percussion instrument most often heard in classical music. Whether struck in single, de- tached strokes or hit rapidly to produce a thunderlike roll, the function of the timpani is to add depth, tension, and drama to the music. Timpani usually come in pairs, one instrument tuned to the tonic and the other to the dominant. Playing only these pitches, the timpani feature prominently at the beginning of Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathus- tra (see second Listening Cue, Chapter 1).
Figure 3.7
Tympanist Jonathan Haas of the American Symphony Orchestra
listen to . . . the timpani, snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals streaming online.
The rat-a-tat-tat of the snare drum, the dull thud of the bass drum, and the crashing ring of the cymbals are sounds well known from marching bands and jazz ensembles, as well as the classical orchestra. None of them produces a specific musical tone.
Listening Cue
Instruments of the Orchestra: Percussion
what to listen for: The distinctive timbres of some percussion instruments watch . . . an Active Listening Guide of some percussion instruments online.
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