Enclume

As Printed on a Score

French for anvil, printed in full on a percussion line. Strokes are written as ordinary notes on a single line; if several anvils of different sizes are wanted, the part may show approximate pitches or separate lines.

How Composers Use It

A hard, ringing clang, tied to images of forge and labour since Verdi’s Anvil Chorus and the Nibelheim scenes of Wagner’s Das Rheingold. Genuine anvils are heavy and rare in orchestras, so players often substitute a steel bar or a brake drum; describe the sound you want — bright or heavy, high or low — and accept some variation between performances.

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