![AOLBS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/AOLBS.jpg)
An anvil is a
metalworking
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
consisting of a large block of metal (usually
forged
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it ...
or
cast
Cast may refer to:
Music
* Cast (band), an English alternative rock band
* Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band
* The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis
* ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William
* ...
steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher their
inertia
Inertia is the idea that an object will continue its current motion until some force causes its speed or direction to change. The term is properly understood as shorthand for "the principle of inertia" as described by Newton in his first law ...
, the more efficiently they cause the
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a
forging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which i ...
tool. Before the advent of modern
welding
Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...
technology, it was the primary tool of metal workers.
The great majority of modern anvils are made of cast
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
that has been heat treated by either
flame
A flame (from Latin ''flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...
or
electric induction
In physics, the electric displacement field (denoted by D) or electric induction is a vector field that appears in Maxwell's equations. It accounts for the effects of free and bound charge within materials. "D" stands for "displacement", as in ...
. Inexpensive anvils have been made of
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
and low quality steel, but are considered unsuitable for serious use as they deform and lack rebound when struck.
Structure
![Anvil, labelled en](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Anvil%2C_labelled_en.svg)
The primary work surface of the anvil is known as the face. It is generally made of hardened steel and should be flat and smooth with rounded edges for most work. Any marks on the face will be transferred to the work. Also, sharp edges tend to cut into the metal being worked and may cause cracks to form in the workpiece. The face is hardened and tempered to resist the blows of the smith's hammer, so the anvil face does not deform under repeated use. A hard anvil face also reduces the amount of force lost in each hammer blow. Hammers, tools, and work pieces of hardened steel should never directly strike the anvil face with full force, as they may damage it; this can result in chipping or deforming of the anvil face.
The horn of the anvil is a conical projection used to form various round shapes and is generally unhardened steel or iron. The horn is used mostly in bending operations. It also is used by some smiths as an aid in "drawing down" stock (making it longer and thinner). Some anvils, mainly European, are made with two horns, one square and one round. Also, some anvils are made with side horns or clips for specialized work.
The ''step'' is the area of the anvil between the "horn" and the "face". It is soft and is used for cutting; its purpose is to prevent damaging the steel face of the anvil by conducting such operations there and so as not to damage the cutting edge of the chisel, though many smiths shun this practice as it will damage the anvil over time.
![Ambos-ps hg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Ambos-ps_hg.jpg)
There have also been other additions to the anvil such as an upsetting block; this is used to upset steel, generally in long strips/bars as it is placed between the feet of the anvil. Upsetting is a technique often used by blacksmiths for making the steel workpiece short and thick, having probably been originally long and thin.
The ''hardy hole'' is a square hole into which specialized forming and cutting tools, called
hardy tool
Hardy tools, also known as anvil tools or bottom tools, are metalworking tools used in anvils. A hardy has a square shank, which prevents it from rotating when placed in the anvil's hardy hole.''The Complete Bladesmith'', p. 10 The term "hardy", ...
s, are placed. It is also used in punching and bending operations.
The ''
pritchel A pritchel is a type of punch used in forging, particularly in making nail holes in horseshoes. The horseshoe is heated and a hole is punched through 90 percent of the steel with a forepunch or drift punch. The pointed end of the tool should be kep ...
hole'' is a small round hole that is present on most modern anvils. Some anvils have more than one. It is used mostly for punching. At times, smiths will fit a second tool to this hole to allow the smith more flexibility when using more than one anvil tool.
Placement
![Craft blacksmiths anvil at Anson 6002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Craft_blacksmiths_anvil_at_Anson_6002.JPG)
The anvil is placed as near to the forge as is convenient, generally no more than one step from the forge to prevent heat loss in the work piece.
An anvil needs to be placed upon a sturdy base made from an impact and fire resistant material. Common methods of attaching an anvil are spikes, chains, steel or iron straps, clips, bolts where there are holes provided, and cables.
The most common base traditionally was a hard wood log or large timber buried several feet into the floor of the forge shop. In the industrial era, cast iron bases became available. They had the advantage of adding additional weight to the anvil, making it more stable. These bases are highly sought after by collectors today. When concrete became widely available, there was a trend to make steel reinforced anvil bases by some smiths, though this practice has largely been abandoned. In more modern times, anvils have been placed upon bases fabricated from steel, often a short thick section of a large
I-beam
An I-beam, also known as H-beam (for universal column, UC), w-beam (for "wide flange"), universal beam (UB), rolled steel joist (RSJ), or double-T (especially in Polish language, Polish, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Spanish language, Spanish ...
. In addition, bases have been made from dimensional lumber bolted together to form a large block or steel drums full of oil-saturated sand to provide a damping effect. In recent times, tripod bases of fabricated steel have become popular.
Types
There are many designs for anvils, which are often tailored for a specific purpose or to meet the needs of a particular smith. For example, there were anvils specifically made for farriers, general smiths, cutlers, chain makers, armorers, saw tuners, coach makers, coopers, and many other types of metal workers. Most of these anvil types look similar, but some are radically different. Saw maker anvils, for instance, are generally a large rectangular block of steel that have a harder surface than most other anvils due to hammering on a harder steel for saws. Bladesmith anvils tend to be rectangular with a hardy and pritchel, but no horn. Such designs have originated in diverse geographic locations. Several styles of anvils include, Bavarian, French Pig anvil, Austrian, and Chinese turtle anvil.
The Bavarian style is known for the sloped brow. The brow was first used in medieval times to make armor on the church windows below the brow. Common manufactures include, Söding Halbach and Holthaus. This style of anvil is known not to sway in the face due to the extra mass with the brow.
The common
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
's anvil is made of either forged or cast steel, forged wrought iron with a hard steel face or cast iron with a hard steel face.
Cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
anvils are not used for forging as they are incapable of standing up to the impact and will crack and dent. Also, cast iron anvils without a hard steel face do not have the rebound that a harder anvil would and will tire out the smith. Historically, some anvils have been made with a smooth top working face of hardened steel welded to a cast iron or wrought iron body, though this manufacturing method is no longer in use. At one end, the common smith's anvil has a projecting conical ''bick'' (''beak'', ''horn'') used for hammering curved work pieces. The other end is typically called the heel. Occasionally, the other end is also provided with a bick, partly rectangular in section. Most anvils made since the late 18th century also have a
hardy hole
An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
Anvils are as massive as practical, because the higher th ...
and a
pritchel hole where various tools, such as the anvil-cutter or hot chisel, can be inserted and held by the anvil. Some anvils have several hardy and pritchel holes, to accommodate a wider variety of
hardy tools and
pritchel A pritchel is a type of punch used in forging, particularly in making nail holes in horseshoes. The horseshoe is heated and a hole is punched through 90 percent of the steel with a forepunch or drift punch. The pointed end of the tool should be kep ...
s. An anvil may also have a softer ''pad'' for chisel work.
![Steam hammer anvil, Blaenavon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Steam_hammer_anvil%2C_Blaenavon.jpg)
An anvil for a
power hammer is usually supported on a massive anvil block, sometimes weighing over 800 tons for a 12-ton hammer; this again rests on a strong foundation of timber and masonry or concrete.
An anvil may have a marking indicating its weight, manufacturer, or place of origin. American-made anvils were often marked in pounds. European anvils are sometimes marked in kilograms. English anvils were often marked in hundredweight, the marking consisting of three numbers, indicating
hundredweight
The hundredweight (abbreviation: cwt), formerly also known as the centum weight or quintal, is a British imperial and US customary unit of weight or mass. Its value differs between the US and British imperial systems. The two values are distingu ...
, quarter hundredweight and pounds. For example, a 3-1-5, if such an anvil existed, would be 3×112lb + 1×28lb + 5 lb = 369 lb ≈ 168 kg.
Cheap anvils made from inferior steel or cast iron and often sold at retail hardware stores, are considered unsuitable for serious use, and are often derisively referred to as "ASOs", or "anvil shaped objects". Amateur smiths have used lengths of railroad rail, forklift tines, or even simple blocks of steel as makeshift anvils.
A metalworking
vise
A vise or vice (British English) is a mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever.
A vise grip is no ...
may have a small anvil integrated into its design.
History
![Enclume](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Enclume.jpg)
Anvils were first
made of stone
"Made of Stone" is a single from The Stone Roses' eponymous debut album.
The band made their debut on national British TV by performing this song on the BBC's ''The Late Show'' in September 1989. A minute into the song, the power went out, pr ...
, then
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
, and later
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...
. As
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
became more readily available, anvils were faced with it. This was done to give the anvil a hard face and to stop the anvil from deforming from impact. Many regional styles of anvils evolved through time from the simple block that was first used by
smiths. The majority of anvils found today in the US are based on the London pattern anvil of the mid-19th century.
The wrought iron steel faced anvil was produced up until the early 20th century. Through the 19th and very early 20th centuries, this method of construction evolved to produce extremely high quality anvils. The basic process involved forge-welding billets of wrought iron together to produce the desired shape. The sequence and location of the forge-welds varied between different anvil makers and the kind of anvil being made. At the same time cast iron anvils with steel faces were being made in the United States. At the dawn of the 20th century solid
cast steel anvils began to be produced, as well as two piece forged anvils made from closed die
forging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which i ...
s. Modern anvils are generally made entirely from steel.
There are many references to anvils in ancient Greek and Egyptian writings, including
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
's works. They have been found at the
Calico Early Man Site
The Calico Early Man Site is an archaeological site in an ancient Pleistocene lake located near Barstow in San Bernardino County in the central Mojave Desert of Southern California. This site is on and in late middle-Pleistocene fanglomerates ( ...
in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
Anvils have since lost their former commonness, along with the smiths who used them. Mechanized production has made cheap and abundant manufactured goods readily available. The one-off handmade products of the blacksmith are less economically viable in the modern world, while in the past they were an absolute necessity. However, anvils are still used by blacksmiths and metal workers of all kinds in producing custom work. They are also essential to the work done by
farriers.
In popular culture
![Tohmajärvi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Tohmaj%C3%A4rvi.vaakuna.svg)
Firing
Anvil firing
Anvil firing (also known as ''anvil launching'' or ''anvil shooting'') is the practice of firing an anvil into the air with gunpowder.
In the United Kingdom, the term refers to a method of testing anvils. Black powder was poured onto the top of ...
is the practice of firing an anvil into the air using
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
. It has been popular in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, the
eastern United States and the
southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, much like how
fireworks
Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...
are used today. There is a growing interest in re-enacting this "ancient tradition" in the US, which has now spread to England.
Television and film
A typical metalworker's anvil, with horn at one end and flat face at the other, is a standard prop for
cartoon gags, as the epitome of a heavy and clumsy object that is perfect for dropping onto an antagonist. This visual metaphor is common, for example, in
Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
' ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. '' and ''
Merrie Melodies
''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
'' shorts, such as those with
Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Anvils in cartoons were also referenced in an episode of ''
Gilmore Girls
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...
'', where one of the main characters tries to have a conversation about "Where did all the anvils go?", a reference to their falling out of use on a general scale. ''
Animaniacs'' made frequent gags on the topic throughout its run, even having a kingdom named Anvilania, whose sole national product is anvils.
Books
Dwarves were blacksmiths who used anvils for metalworking on
C.S.Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...
's ''
The Chronicles of Narnia
''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been adapted for radio, telev ...
'', most iconically on ''
The Magician's Nephew
''The Magician's Nephew'' is a fantasy children's novel by C. S. Lewis, published in 1955 by The Bodley Head. It is the sixth published of seven novels in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956). In recent editions, which sequence the books ...
'' and ''
Prince Caspian''; as well as on
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
's ''
The Hobbit''.
Music
![Tuned Anvils from Emil Richards Collection](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Tuned_Anvils_from_Emil_Richards_Collection.jpg)
Anvils have been used as
percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
s in several famous
musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called ...
s, including:
*
Louis Andriessen
Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Although ...
: ''
De Materie
''De Materie'' (''Matter'') is a four-part vocal and orchestral work by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen, written over the period 1984 to 1988.Arnold Whittall, "CD Reviews: Material Issues" (June 1997). ''The Musical Times'', 138 (1852): pp. 38–3 ...
'' (Part I), which features an extended solo for two anvils
*
Kurt Atterberg
Kurt Magnus Atterberg (, 12 December 188715 February 1974) was a Swedish composer and engineer. He is best known for his symphonies, operas, and ballets.
Biography
Atterberg was born in Gothenburg. His father was Anders Johan Atterberg, engineer ...
:
Symphony No. 5
*
Daniel Auber: opera ''Le Maçon''
*
Alan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer and conductor of film and television scores. He has been associated with director Robert Zemeckis since 1984, composing music for all of his feature films including the ''Back ...
: ''
The Mummy Returns''
*
Arnold Bax:
Symphony No. 3
*
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
: "
Maxwell's Silver Hammer" makes prominent use of the anvil. Their roadie
Mal Evans played the anvil.
*
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
: ''
The Burning Fiery Furnace
''The Burning Fiery Furnace'' is an English music drama with music composed by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 77, to a libretto by William Plomer. One of Britten's three ''Parables for Church Performances'', this work received its premiere at the St ...
''
*
Aaron Copland:
Symphony No. 3
*
Don Davis:
''The Matrix'' trilogy
*
Brad Fiedel
Brad Ira Fiedel (born March 10, 1951) is an American composer of scores for film and television. He is well known for his collaborations with director James Cameron on ''The Terminator'' (1984) and its blockbuster sequel, '' Terminator 2: Judgmen ...
: ''
The Terminator
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...
''
*
Neil Finn: "Song of the Lonely Mountain," written for the end credits of ''
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey''
*
Gustav Holst:
Second Suite in F for Military Band, which includes a movement titled "Song of the Blacksmith"
*
Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper is a British film and television composer and guitarist. He has scored the award-winning BBC productions ''Land of the Tiger'' and ''Andes to Amazon'', as well as the TV movies ''The Girl in the Café'' and ''My Family and Other A ...
: ''
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince''
*
James Horner: Used it extensively in ''
Aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'', and his other films such as ''
Flightplan'', ''
The Forgotten'' and ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
''
*
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
: "
For Whom the Bell Tolls
''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...
"
*
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
: ''
Toy Story 3''
*
Carl Orff: ''
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & Roma ...
''
*
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' film trilogies. ...
:
''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy. Used predominantly for the theme of
Isengard.
*
Juan María Solare
Juan María Solare (born August 11, 1966) is an Argentine composer and pianist.
Education
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Solare studied and received his diploma in piano (María Teresa Criscuolo), composition (Fermina Casanova, Juan Carlos Zo ...
: ''
Veinticinco de agosto, 1983
''Veinticinco de agosto, 1983'' (''August the 25th, 1983'') is a chamber opera by Juan María Solare, to a Spanish language, Spanish libretto by Javier Adúriz based on the life by Jorge Luis Borges. Solare composed the opera from 1992 to 1993.
...
'' and ''Un ángel de hielo y fuego''
*
John Philip Sousa: ''
Dwellers of the Western World
Dweller may refer to:
* ''Dweller'' (film), a 2000 film by independent film icons the Polonia brothers
* ''Dwellers'' (film), a 2021 film directed by Drew Fortier
* ''Dweller'' (novel), a 2010 horror novel by Jeff Strand
* Dweller (Banks), a fi ...
'', in which the second movement, ''
The White Man
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
'', calls for two pairs of anvils, the one small, the other large
*
Johann Strauss Son:
Der Zigeunerbaron
''The Gypsy Baron'' () is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jok ...
(''The Gipsy Baron''; 1885): Ja, da wird das Eisen gefüge
*
Josef Strauss: ''
Feuerfest!
Feuerfest! ('Fireproof!'), Op. 269, is a polka-française composed by Josef Strauss in 1869.
History
The "Feuerfest!" (German for 'fireproof') polka was composed by Josef Strauss as a commission by the Wertheim company. 's company produced safes ...
'', op. 269 (1869). The title means "fireproof". This was the slogan of the Wertheim fireproof safe company, which commissioned the work.
[Scott, Derek B. (2008). ''Sounds of the metropolis: the nineteenth-century popular music revolution in London, New York, Paris, and Vienna'', p. 139. Oxford University Press, New York. .]
*
Edgard Varèse
Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse (; also spelled Edgar; December 22, 1883 – November 6, 1965) was a French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States. Varèse's music emphasizes timbre and rhythm; he coined ...
: ''
Ionisation''
*
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
: ''
Il Trovatore'', featuring the famous ''
Anvil Chorus''
*
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
: ''
Der Ring des Nibelungen'' in ''
Das Rheingold'' in scene 3, using 18 anvils
tuned in
F in three
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
s, and ''
Siegfried
Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace".
The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...
'' in act I, notably Siegfried's "Forging Song" (''Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert!'')
*
William Walton: ''
Belshazzar's Feast''
*
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
: ''
Jaws
Jaws or Jaw may refer to:
Anatomy
* Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth
** Mandible, the lower jaw
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker''
* ...
'', ''
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''
Wagner's ''Ring des Nibelungen'' is notable in using the anvil as
pitched percussion. The vast majority of extant works use the anvil as
unpitched
An unpitched percussion instrument is a percussion instrument played in such a way as to produce sounds of indeterminate pitch, or an instrument normally played in this fashion.
Unpitched percussion is typically used to maintain a rhythm or to ...
. However tuned anvils are available as musical instruments, albeit unusual. These are not to be confused with the "sawyers' anvils" used to "tune" big circular saw blades. Steel anvils are used for tuning for use as musical instruments, because those based partly on cast iron and similar materials give a duller sound; this is actually valued in industry, as pure steel anvils are troublesomely noisy, though energetically more efficient. The hammer and anvil have enjoyed varying popularity in orchestral roles.
Robert Donington
Robert Donington (4 May 1907 – 20 January 1990) was a British musicologist and instrumentalist influential in the early music movement and in Wagner studies.
He was educated at St Paul's School, London, and studied at the University of Oxfor ...
pointed out that
Sebastian Virdung
Sebastian Virdung (born c. 1465) was a German composer and theorist on musical instruments. He is grouped among the composers known as the Colorists. He studied in Heidelberg as a scholar of Johannes von Soest at the chapel of the ducal court. Af ...
notes them in his book of 1510, and
Martin Agricola
Martin Agricola (6 January 1486 – 10 June 1556) was a German composer of Renaissance music and a music theorist.
Biography
Agricola was born in Świebodzin, a town in Western Poland, and took the name Agricola later in life, a common practic ...
includes it in his list of instruments (Musica instrumentalis deudsch, 1529) largely as a compliment to
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos ( grc, Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος, Pythagóras ho Sámios, Pythagoras the Samos, Samian, or simply ; in Ionian Greek; ) was an ancient Ionians, Ionian Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher and the eponymou ...
. In pre-modern or modern times anvils occasionally appear in operatic works by Berlioz, Bizet, Gounod, Verdi, and Wagner for example. Commonly pairs of anvils tuned a third apart are used.
In practice modern orchestras commonly substitute a
brake drum
A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.
Background ...
or other suitable steel structure that is easier to tune than an actual anvil, although a visibly convincing anvil-shaped prop may be shown as desired. In ''Das Rheingold'' Wagner scored for nine little, six mid-sized, and three large anvils, but orchestras seldom can afford instrumentation on such a scale.
See also
*
Anvil Chorus
*
Diamond anvil cell
*
Anvil cloud
A cumulonimbus incus (Latin ''incus'', "anvil"), also known as an anvil cloud, is a cumulonimbus cloud which has reached the level of tropopause, stratospheric stability and has formed the characteristic flat, anvil-top shape. It signifies the ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Authority control
Heraldic charges
Lithics
Metalworking tools
European percussion instruments
Workbenches
Metallic objects