And that is not all.

The _Tuba Mirum_ necessitates an addition of thirty-eight trumpets and trombones, divided into four orchestras and placed at the four cardinal points of the compass.
Besides, there have to be eight pairs of drums, played by ten drummers, four tam-tams, and ten cymbals.
The story of this array of drums is rather interesting.

Reicha, Berlioz's first teacher, had the original idea of playing drum taps in chords of three or four beats.

In order to try out this effect, he composed a choral piece, _L'Harmonie des Spheres_, which was published in connection with his _Traite d'Harmonie_.

But Reicha's genius did not suffice for this task.