Why does classical music (at least from the past) lack drums?

Question

I wonder why the great classical composers from history like Mozart, Beethoven, etc. didn’t make more use of drums or percussion in general?

I mean, they did write quite a lot of bombastic pieces and did all they could to make the parts that needed it to hit hard. So why did’nt they use more than one or two bangs on a kettle drum, giving the one who played them the most boring job in the orchestra?

Also I know that a drum-kit is a rather modern invention, but couldn’t they have used different guys playing different kinds of percussion?

Also maybe I’m completely mistaken and this turns out to be a list of classical music with some blasting in it..

Edit: I’m sencerely apologising to every classical percussionist, reading the answers I clearly underestimated your role

In: 4587

Answer 1

Percussionist here. Timpani evolved quite a bit but have been largely standard. Other percussion were, at best, a novelty if not unknown. We see a little bit here and there. You saw hints of it in the [Baroque period](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-pSRs6DLOk) as well in the Classical period by [Mozart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFbiw77_90) and [Beethoven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRCe86HVSJw) (around 22:00 in this clip).

At the time, we mostly saw percussion in the context of Turkish janissary music. A bass drum, tambourine and triangle were standard. Specifically the triangle and tambourine developed more in western music as a relative of the sistrum, or more elaborate versions often called the “jingling johnny”.

It wasn’t until the Romantic period in the mid to late 1800’s that composers like Berlioz really started to push the development of these instruments.

As an aside, classical percussion often gets a rap for seeming “boring” but the technical accuracy, musical flexibility, and consistency required are extremely challenging even if it isn’t immediately obvious to the listener. Auditions for positions in professional orchestras are highly competitive.

Finally, the Baroque piece by Jean-Baptiste Lully I linked to above is one that I absolutely adore and never tire of listening to.