History Main / DramaticTimpani

* ''Film/ANewHope'' features one during the trench run, as the technicians aboard the Death Star prepare to fire the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Super]][[FrickinLaserBeams laser]] the second time.

* Parodied in ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' as Spaceball 1 is transformed into (BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM)...'''Mega Maid'''.: The dramatic timpani are played by an ''actual'' timpanist in the spaceship itself. And in case you thought that was a one-off gag, the timpanist [[BrickJoke is one of the evacuees]] when the SelfDestructMechanism is activated.

* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': the music of Magma Rock [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y628TBNTapg features timpani very prominently.]]

* In ''Disney/MakeMineMusic'', the hunters are represented by timpani.

* Accompanies the one-up fanfare in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog''.

* The first half of the opening credits of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' (the half which has FunWithSubtitles) is accompanied by a piece of stock music called "Ice Floe No.9", dominated by pounding timpani and enigmatic xylophone which combines with the white text on black background to create an atmosphere [[SoundtrackDissonance deliberately at odds]] with the comedy subtitles and the typical Creator/MontyPython absurdism that follows.
* Parodied in ''Film/WaitingForGuffman'': the overture from [[ShowWithinAShow "Red White And Blaine"]] features a dramatic timpani... but the dude who's playing it is also hitting an absurdly high trumpet note at the same time.

* Formerly used at the start of the BonusRound on ''Series/WheelOfFortune''...
** ...and at the start of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' when Art Fleming was host.

* In Music/AaronCopland's Symphony for Organ and Orchestra, the timpani pounding out the work's motto theme in the final movement would be more impressive were they not overshadowed by the organ playing at full power.

* In the first movement of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's Symphony No. 9, when the main subject returns after the development, it comes as a massive storm in the orchestra, with the timpani in particular hammering away long after the point when you think they could have stopped. The musicologist Susan [=McClary=] famously described this passage as having "the throttling murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release", although she toned it down when she published the same paper in her book ''Feminine Endings'', by which time she'd received a shit-storm of abuse from people who were under the impression that she was comparing Beethoven to a rapist.
** In the Scherzo of the same symphony, the timpani are tuned an octave apart from each other (an unconventional tuning, but also used in the finale of Symphony No. 8). The Scherzo's main theme begins with a descending octave, which the timpanist gets to play loud and unaccompanied several times.

* The first bar of Music/GeorgeGershwin's "Concerto in F" is a three-timpani flourish that forms half of the percussive ostinato of the opening section and becomes a recurring motif thereafter.

* ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 3}}'': present during the FinalBoss battle with the BigBad, [[spoiler: [[http://starmen.net/mother3/music/Mother%203%20-%20242%20Master%20Porky%27s%20Theme.ogg Master Porky's Theme]]]]

* Played with in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': The battle in the opera house against Ultros features a dramatic timpani...because the music is being provided by the orchestra.
** The rest of the soundtrack itself also has dramatic timpani in a few of the themes.

** Same holds true for Pokemon Black 2 and White 2

* The fourth movement of Music/DmitriShostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D minor starts and finishes with timpani solos.

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* Richard Strauss's "''Music/AlsoSprachZarathustra''" features this in its famous opening, "Sunrise." It never recurs in the remaining half-hour of the work.

** In his ballet "Billy The Kid," the timpani are used to depict the sounds of a gun battle.

* Featured in the "Baccanele" from Saint-Saëns' ''Samson and Delilah''.

* Richard [=Strauss=]'s "''Music/AlsoSprachZarathustra''" features this in its famous opening, "Sunrise." It never recurs in the remaining half-hour of the work.

* Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4 (''The Inextinguishable'') ends with a duel between two timpanists, placed at opposite sides of the orchestra. Yes, that is as spectacular as it sounds...
* The fourth movement of Music/DmitriShostakovich's Symphony #5 in D Minor starts and finishes with timpani solos.

-> ''BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-'''BUM!'''''

--> ''BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-'''BUM!'''''

* Music/GustavMahler was well-known for writing spectacular timpani flourishes into his symphonies; his Symphonies Nos. 1, 5 and 6 all provide dramatic timpani at climactic moments. The finale of Symphony No. 3 has the final cadence underlined by two timpanists pounding out "not with brute force--full, noble tones." The finale of Symphony No. 7 begins with a bravura flourish played on four timpani. A minimalistic but attention-getting timpani volley opens the third movement of Symphony No. 2.

* In Benjamin Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," the timpani get to lead the percussion section in their variation on Henry Purcell's theme after each of the wind, string and brass instruments have had their turn.
* The faster, even-numbered movements of Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta have some fairly dramatic bits for timpani, particularly the recapitulation in the second movement.

* Havergal Brian's "Gothic" Symphony begins with a short crescendo leading to a loud outburst from two timpanists. The timpani motif recurs at various points, but most impressively near the end of the symphony, "Non confundar in aeternum," which involves ''six'' timpanists.

* Parodied in ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': The dramatic timpani are played by an ''actual'' timpanist in the spaceship itself. And in case you thought that was a one-off gag, the timpanist [[BrickJoke is one of the evacuees]] when the SelfDestructMechanism is activated.

* ''Radio/AmericanTop40'': Used before Casey Kasem announced the No. 1 song of the week.

There's something about those deep-sounding drums tuned to play specific notes that evokes a visceral reaction out of anyone who hears it. Expect any bit of music with timpani in it to be played for maximum drama value. For extra awesome, add an ever louder roll.

* The fourth movement of Dmitri Shotakovich's Symphony #5 in D Minor starts and finishes with timpani solos.

* ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]'' features one during the trench run, as the technicians aboard the Death Star prepare to fire the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Super]][[FrickinLaserBeams laser]] the second time.

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* Parodied in ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': The dramatic timpani are played by an ''actual'' timpanist in the spaceship itself. And in case you thought that was a one-off gag, the timpanist [[BrickJoke is one of the evacuees]] when the SelfDestructMechanism is activated.
* In ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'', the soundtrack by Music/LeonardBernstein has the quiet title music followed by a pounding fugato for three drummers (though the third is actually on tuned drums rather than timpani).

* ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]'' features one during the trench run, as the technicians aboard the Death Star prepare to fire the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Super]][[FrickinLaserBeams laser]] the second time.
* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', when Taggart is going back home for the first time and still doesn't realize it's all real, as the bay doors of the ''Protector 2'' open and he sees the space vista, dramatic timpani music plays.
* The first half of the opening credits of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' (the half which has FunWithSubtitles) is accompanied by a piece of stock music called "Ice Floe No.9", dominated by pounding timpani and enigmatic xylophone which combines with the white text on black background to create an atmosphere [[SoundtrackDissonance deliberately at odds]] with the comedy subtitles and the typical Creator/MontyPython absurdism that follows.
* Parodied in ''Film/WaitingForGuffman'': the overture from [[ShowWithinAShow "Red White And Blaine"]] features a dramatic timpani... but the dude who's playing it is also hitting an absurdly high trumpet note at the same time.

* Parodied in Film/WaitingForGuffman: the overture from [[ShowWithinAShow "Red White And Blaine"]] features a dramatic timpani... but the dude who's playing it is also hitting an absurdly high trumpet note at the same time.

* Used after the opening of ''{{Concentration}}'', and before contestant introductions.

* ''SilentHillShatteredMemories'': Dramatic timpani drumming accompanies the Rawshock chases during Nightmare sequences.

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* [[http://youtu.be/IizWc4cJwbw Bugler's Dream]], the most famous theme of the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames.

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