(DAT) Timpani Part Editing - Part 2 - Part Revision Techniques - Page 6 - Editing Method

The next example (Nr. 2 - Dies Irae - bars 31-42) is more complex, since it involves an extended passage.

Here are the six questions again:

1. What is the bass line?
2. What is the harmony?
3. What does the low brass play?
4. What do the trumpets play?
5. What do the horns play?
6. Who is in the same octave?

Answering these questions for this example (I am not considering the choral parts in this analysis, but they should be considered, more on that later):

1. What is the bass line? - f,f,g,ab,c
2. What is the harmony? - b dim7 (2 beats), gm, b dim7 | c minor
3. What does the low brass play? - tuba - bass line, trombones - harmony notes
4. What do the trumpets play? - 1,2 harmony, 3 doubles the choral soprano part one octave down
5. What do the horns play? - 3,4 like trumpets 1,2 - 1,2 double the choral soprano part one octave down
6. Who is in the same octave? - 3rd trombone, cellos

This starts to get complicated, and also you start to get more alternate choices. The written part does not contain any dissonant notes at this point, but as the passage continues in a similar sequential manner - it will later on.

My solution is to play Fs (high fs) in the first bar and Cs in the 2nd. Lionel opted for the ink in the first bar and Cs in the 2nd. Mine has the timpani on a 7th of the chord on the 3rd beat, but sustains the line in the choral parts and brass, and gives more of a V - I feel. Lionel's alteration is more conservative, just altering one note. Here are the next two bars:












Here are the six questions again:

1. What is the bass line?
2. What is the harmony?
3. What does the low brass play?
4. What do the trumpets play?
5. What do the horns play?
6. Who is in the same octave?

Answering these questions for this example:

1. What is the bass line? - eb,eb,f,gb,bd,db
2. What is the harmony? - gb dim7 (2 beats), fm, gb dim7 | bb minor
3. What does the low brass play? - tuba - bass line, trombones - harmony notes
4. What do the trumpets play? - 1,2 harmony, 3 doubles the choral soprano part one octave down
5. What do the horns play? - 3,4 like trumpets 1,2 - 1,2 double the choral soprano part one octave down
6. Who is in the same octave? - 3rd trombone, cellos

Notice this is just the same music as the first example down a step, i.e., forming a sequence. So my solution is to follow the pattern, Eb in the first bar and Bb in the second. And in this case Lionel agrees with me. Perhaps he felt the pedaling was too complicated to play the fourth both times, but it isn't particularly difficult, although it does help to have a good Bb available on one's large drum.

The next two bars repeat the sequence down yet another step, so I follow them with Db and Ab. Lionel asks for the Ab but not the Db, again he probably figures the pedaling is too complex. I did notice in his part that such issues seemed to factor into his decisions. He may have been thinking of a more generic level of orchestra / timpani player, like a part-time group and perhaps a student orchestra.

The next 2 bars plus a downbeat (37-39) are interesting: