The Schnellar Pauken

The Schnellar Timpani, have been used by the Concertgebouw timpanists since 1910, are a rare breed of drums. Hans Schnellar experimented with the making of timpani and produced many different types of drums of which many are still being used and featured because of their sound quality. He initiated the concept of pushing the kettle upwards instead of pulling the rim down, and also the system of one flesh hoop with clamps is  his idea.

 

His crank operated instruments are still being used [in a revised version by Hochrainer] in the Wiener Philharmoniker. The RCO has the only pair of pedal drums [ mentioned in the instrumentation book of Berlioz/Strauss] with a pair of salon pauken and a rotary piccolo. Also we use the original Machinepauken that Mahler ordered for the New York Philharmonic.

 

Schnellar made also small timpani, named salon pauken or reise pauken. Later these were manufactored by the Wunderlich company in Altenburg, Germany. The Concertgebouw orchestra owns a pair (picture on the left), ordered from Hans Schnellar in 1911.

 

During the first world war copper was difficult to find and Schnellar experimented with wood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schnellar made various piccolo timpani, with the handle in the middle of the head and also this Concertgebouw rotary.

 

 

 

The Adams Schnellars, copies of our original ones

 

The Wunderlich topmodel was also designed by Hans Schnellar