See, for example, the Sanctus of Bach’s B-Minor Mass (see example 3.1).

At first blush, the timpani and violins appear to play a similar rhythmic
figure. The eighth note followed by the four thirty-second notes in the tim-
pani seem to square rhythmically with the dotted eighth followed by the

3.1. Interpreting rhythms in Bach’s Mass in B Minor

Part as Written and Played: Option 1 Part As Played: Option 2 Part as Played: Option 3

## œœ œ œ œœœ Ó œœœ œ Ó
Tpt 1 & c œ Ó
3 3 3

# œ œ Ó œ œœœ Ó œœœ œ Ó
Tpt 2 & # c œœ
3 3 3

#
Tpt 3 & # c œ œ Ó œ œ Ó œ œ Ó

3
3

Timp
? # # c œœœœœœ Ó œ œœœœœ Ó œ œœœœœ Ó

# œ . œ œ .œ œ .œ œ œ ‰œ œ ‰œ œ ‰œ œ œ‰œ œ‰œ œœ‰œ

Vln I & # c œ. œ‰ œ‰
3 3 3
3 3 3 3
3

sixteenth figure in the strings. The trumpets and choir are playing or
singing triplets. Did Bach intend to write a very awkward duple and against
triple figure? This has been a subject of debate. On the one hand, Gallant
style performance practice of the day suggests that these timpani and
string parts should be played as triplet figures. It was common for com-
posers to expect parts in duple meter to be played in triple meter when the
two occurred against each other (Donington 1974, 464, 467; Spitta 1951,
I: 563; Schweitzer 1966, I: 350). Therefore, timpanist Nicholas Ormrod be-
lieves the best way to execute this passage is to play the figure as part of a
triplet: a quaver and four semiquavers (Option 2). This approach would be
stylistically correct and rhythmically elegant—avoiding the disjointed feel-
ing that comes with a three against two rhythm.1 On the other hand, con-
ductor Helmuth Rilling believes that Bach intended to write a two against
three rhythm and concludes that it is best to play four semiquavers on the
last note of the trumpet’s triplet (see Option 3).2 As there is no consensus
among timpanists on how to interpret this passage, perhaps the best ad-
vice is to use your best judgment and the conductor’s interpretation of how
to execute this rhythmic gesture.
Timpanists need to be aware of the manner in which “inequality” can
be used to push a phrase forward. Inequality (notes inegales) refers to the
practice of lengthening the first of two notes, effectively shortening the sec-
ond or vice versa. The purpose of this practice was to make the rhythm and
melody more graceful. The lourer and couler are two common kinds of in-

70 Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music