Photo/Illutration A performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Kobe in December 2016 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Sounding like a roll of thunder from the very back of an orchestra, timpani, or kettledrums, are percussion instruments that command a powerful presence.

But because they literally remain in the background much of the time, they remind me of supporting actors with great personalities, and I have always wanted to get to know them better.

"As musical instruments, you can certainly say timpani are on the clumsy side," said Takaaki Kondo, 66, a longtime member of the New Japan Philharmonic and the author of "Tinpanisuto Kaku Katariki" (Thus spoke the timpanist).

"Their range is limited, and if you make a mistake during a concert, there's no way you can cover it up," Kondo added.

Born and raised in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Kondo was a first-year junior high school pupil when he went to a Berlin Philharmonic concert and resolved to become a musician.

But he was already a bit too old to start learning the piano and string instruments. He tried the trombone, but his lips became swollen from an allergic reaction to the metal. Eventually, he settled on timpani.

Upon graduation from the Tokyo University of the Arts, Kondo went to study in Germany, where he learned everything about making timpani, from lining the drumheads with calfskin to making timpani sticks.

"During a concert, just a single stroke of a timpani stick on a drum can instantly unite all the orchestra's members emotionally," Kondo noted, explaining that the stick is sometimes called "the second baton" because its power to command is second only to the conductor's baton.

After hearing this, I listened with fresh ears to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Holst's "The Planets," where, according to Kondo, timpani play a prominent role.

The drums can whip up a violent storm, but also make exquisitely delicate sounds evocative of a gentle breeze or rippling waves. A gradual crescendo can be likened to the throbbing of the heart.

The drums' range of expression is far wider than expected.

In Japan, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is a year-end favorite, and is now being performed around the nation.

If you have a chance to catch a concert this year, I trust you will thoroughly enjoy the timpanist's deliciously unrestrained performance in the second movement.

The instruments "speak out" like a giant who is usually reticent.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 19

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.