Guido Rückel
Guido Rückel joined the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra as principal timpanist in 1997.
My thoughts about being a timpanist
Being a timpani player means being present in a musical and physical way, being always noticed by every member of the audience and the ensemble, being responsible for finding the correct balance, the perfect rhythm, the best sound color, the appropriate choice of which kind of timpani and sticks are required…
It also means being a soloist in the orchestra while downsizing your ego to a team player, rather than being wrong together with the others rather than being the only one, helping anybody else if your help is needed…
In addition, it means being the second conductor, producing more sound colors than anybody else, being able to be the softest … and the loudest, and sitting on top of the orchestra … it’s simply the best job in the world!
Career
Guido Rückel was born in 1971 in Düsseldorf and grew up in Berlin, Germany.
He attended the College of Arts in Berlin (teachers Thomas Lutz and Hans Ulrich), and continued his studies as an apprentice with the Berliner Sinfoniker.
During the concert season 1996/97, he was awarded a stipend for the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, his teachers at that time were Rainer Seegers and Franz Schindlbeck.
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras
In 1997 he became principal timpanist of the Munich Philharmonic under James Levine. He also performed with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Hessen Radio Symphony Orchestra, North German Radio Philharmonic, Super World Orchestra (Japan), Philharmonica Arturo Toscanini (Italy), and more.
Guido Rückel worked, among others, with Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Mariss Jansons, Christian Thielemann, Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Kent Nagano and Franz Welser-Möst.
Guido Rückel is also working for the Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival, teaching at the University of Augsburg, and giving masterclasses focused on Beethoven, Bruckner, Brahms, and Mahler.
My Timpani
Hardtke Berlin Classic with classic heavier bowls.
- Five sizes in cm: 78-72-65-65-60 cm
- (31″ 28″ 25,5″ 25,5″ 23,5″)
The Munich Philharmonic’s entire inventory of Hardtke timpanis:
- 81,81,78,72,72,66,65,65,62,60,58,56
Why I play Hardtke Timpani
In my opinion, the timpani by Wolfgang Hardtke are simply the best instruments built nowadays. Grown up in Berlin, the timpani sound of this city always was the sound of Günther Ringer-timps, and Wolfgang’s instruments are the only ones coming close to this sound of the so-called “romantische Orchesterpauke”.
I have been playing Hardtke timpani since 2006, the sound and the high-class workmanship are inimitable. The rich color of the sound, the resonant volume, and the enormous range of each timpani enthuse me every day.
My Mallets
Mallets I am playing: Breier, Kato, Kappert, Miyazaki, Rosenthal and Weisserth, Bamboo shaft.
Timpani Heads
I am playing on Kalfo heads all the time, only on open air concerts I am using Renaissance heads.