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Berlin Kettle-Timpani! |
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»The Sound-Ideal in best Tradition« At the end of the 1950‘s, the Berlin timpani constructed by master-craftsmen like Guenter Ringer had nearly reached perfection. The instruments handcrafted by these artisans quickly became famous worldwide and are still prized today for their remarkable sound and quality. Sadly, as demand grew, industrialization became necessary. Hand-hammered copper kettles were substituted by machine-made bowls in order to decrease production expense. Unfortunately, the original unique sound was lost, as it was no longer possible to produce fine kettles with an homogeneous thickness, using these new techniques. Today, those original handcrafted Berlin timpani are still in great demand. After years of extensive investigation and development, we have reached our goal. With pride we can now offer you Berliner timpani, which not only deliver the same high quality, but surpass the legendary drums crafted by the masters of the 1950‘s. The "heart" of our timpani is the copper kettle. We have found a family of copper smiths, which, in their fourth generation, still practices this rare artistic craft and has been doing so for over 100 years. Even for the most experienced coppersmiths, the creation of precise, hand-raised timpani bowl presents a difficult challenge, which calls on skills learned long ago, then mastered over generations. Our kettles begin as flat copper sheets, and through countless hammer strikes slowly take on the characteristic Berlin kettle shape. Special tools and time-honoured techniques help the master-craftsman in the manufacturing process. Each kettle is a hand-made original, hammered to an evenly thin surface. A final polish gives the instrument a warm and shining glow. The end result is an a copper kettle with a warm, rich timbre, typical of the classic Berlin timpani sound. |
Furthermore, our frame and pedal mechanism are made with the same refinement and precession are our bowls. For instance, we have updated the classic Berliner ratchet-pedal-system by adding 30% more teeth, thus allowing for easier, more precise tuning, while preserving the time-proven, maintenance-free design. The other mechanical parts are built and finished with the same exacting detail, then assembled with absolute precision by our craftsmen. The frame base, struts, and star are cast in a special aluminum-silica-alloy, then polished and varnished by hand. Each frame is built in such a way that the frame and kettle become a perfectly matched pair. The care with which the bowl is matched to the support ring allows for maximal resonance to be transmitted from the bowl to the frame, then directly to the concert podium. The end result is a kettledrum with the optimal sound imaginable. As words can hardly describe the quality of our timpani, we invite you to hear the sound. |
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The easy perceptibility of the tuning-gauge on a level with the tension-ring, showing white letters on black ground, is appreciated specially in opera-orchestras
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The maintenance - free ratchet-segment of the old Berlin timpani has been refined by 30 % and makes tuning more easy. The complete pedal construction is designed to give the timpanist a maximum of touch for the head tension - and consequently the pitch.
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Prof. Rainer Seegers
After years of doing without, there is finally an instrument that betters the sound quality of the old Ringer timpani. Range, volume and tone color all meet my ideal of the Romantic timpani. The mechanism has been improved in many details such as the ratchet pedal locking system with smaller increments and exact fine tuner. This allows the timpanist to bring out the finest nuances in tuning. It is a pleasure to make music on these instruments.
Prof. Alexander Peter (Principal-Timpanist, Dresdner Philharmonie, Highschool for Music Weimar)
I have played timpani from Christoph Dorfler over a period of years not only in my own concert-hall, but also on tour. The instruments, through the balanced kettle, have given me the possibility to get every tone-color I have wanted, even in differing acoustics. The comfortable pedal mechanism with its fine increments is especially well done and allows quick retuning without resetting the pedal. The traditional set of five DORFLER Timpani has never let me wanting special sizes. Based on his own experience as a timpanist, Christoph Dorfler has fulfilled every wish of the professional timpanist.
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Prof. Oswald Vogler
Already during his studies with the me at the Conservatory of Arts and the time he spent playing with the Berlin Philharmonic, Christoph Dorfler was thinking about perfecting the Berlin Timpani. I was very interested in the development and progress that he made, and in ´97 I went to play one of his new instruments with a sense of joy and excitement the result was exactly what I had hoped to find in an instrument developed "by musicians, for musicians" in the mechanical and above all the f antastic sound quality. The homogenous tone in the entire range of the set especially impressed me.
Erich Trog
Wieland Welzel
Finally an instruments with huge sound without unnecessary details - instruments from musicians for musicians. The timpani manufactured by Christoph Dorfler are undoubtedly among the highest quality instruments on today's market.
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DORFLER Orchestra Pedal Timpani are available in 10 different sizes: Kettlesize cm / inch 50 / 19,5 54 / 21 58 / 23 60 / 24 64 / 25 66 / 26 72 / 28 74 / 29 78 / 30 80 / 32 |
- german or international formation - extreme fine ratchet pedal arrestment - handhammered copperbowls - al timpani high 83 cm / 32,5 inch - tuning gauge - finetuner - color redbrown or blueblack - head protector - individual kettle sized upon request |