Meaning & Performance
Der Allarm (alt: Alarme) or Feuer Alarm signalled an alarm to the army – either 1) the enemy is attacking, take up arms and form by company or 2) a fire has broken out.
How to Beat
Der Allarm is beaten by the Orderly or Guard Drummer and taken up by all other Guard Drummers.
Based on Austrian and Prussian drum manuals, the beating is performed with dynamics ONLY to signal a fire.
- Start fortissimo (very loud)
- Decrescendo to piano (soft)
- Crescendo to fortissimo
- etc.
Hessian Regulations, 1767, p. 512-3
Drum Beatings
Winter’s MS describes a series of aggressive rolls used to signal the alarm. They contain dynamics, crescendoing and decrescendoing throughout.
The Long Roll as an emergency or fire alarm was also used by the Americans and Swiss; the Austrians used a series of Ruffs, which would have had a similar effect.
To read more about the American use of a Long Roll for the Alarm, check out my blog post “The Alarm: A Long Roll or To Arms?“.
Fife Tunes
No fife tune accompanies this beating.
Hecken Feuer – “Fire by Rank”
Beaten by the Orderly Drummers in the rear ranks.
On the Command “Man wird auf Hecken chargirent! Chargiret!”, drums beat the Allarm. They continue beating until an order to cease firing by rank.
Hessian Regulations, 1767, p. 128-133
Prussian Feuer Alarm
Interpretation for Hessian Use
Drum beating is ‘Feuer Alarm’ from Winters (1777).
To learn how to play the other major Prussian duty calls, check out:
Have more information about Hessian or Prussian music, contact me or comment below.