Tolkien's Magical Music- A Deep Dive

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

0:00 Intro 1:20 Song of the Ainur 8:15 Luthien 14:13 Elves 16:02 Humans 17:49 Aragorn 19:30 Hobbits 20:47 Music in Language 21:45 Adaptation 22:57 Edith Mary Tolkien 25:08 Outtro

[@whiteknightcat]

As this video deals with music, are you familiar with the work of Clamavi de Profundis on this platform? If not, you should give their songs a listen - they sing the full versions as written in the books, and their deep voices just elicit goosebumps!

[@allisongliot]

I love how Tolkien says that the musical theme Morgoth introduced sounds like braying horns and that is exactly what all the Mordor music sounds like in the movies. Well done, Howard Shore.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

I kinda imagine the first melody of the Ainur as an ethereal Mozart or Tchaikovsky piece and Melkor's theme as Wagner or even Bartók. Still classical but somewhat dissonant / breaking the rules.

[@neodigremo]

Howard Shore ......... Ok everything in the Peter Jackson films is necessary for them to work, but the Music is perhaps the most wonderful element. It, more than anything else, is what transports you to Middle Earth and convinces you it is a real place.

[@florianlipp5452]

In the movie, the "fellowship theme" is a real piece of art: Every member of the the fellowship has his own instrument. Depending on which members of the fellowship are present, the theme is played with different instruments. It reaches the hight of its power and glory when the fellowship is marching south. After the death of Boromir and the breaking of the fellowship, the theme is never again played in full strength. Really a great piece of music. And very much in spirit with the music of the Ainur: each has his own voice and together they make a great music.

[@grokeffer6226]

I'd never noticed that. I'll have to take note of that next time I watch the movies.

[@KealohaHarrison]

I was really getting into the Gregorian chant, but right as it ended at 4:50 I got an ad with Smash Mouth’s cover version of I’m A Believer in it and the juxtaposition of those two pieces of music was too much for me lol I had to pause the video for like ten minutes just to collect myself

[@kathryngliot7147]

What I love about the songs in Tolkien's works is that they don't even need a tune to sound musical. You really hit the nail on the head, he finds musicality in regular words and in the words of the languages he created!

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

He is such a master wordsmith!

[@vexaris1890]

In some ways they do have a tune because they are metrical. The Song of Beren and Luthien is iambic, for example.

[@hyperhare0624]

My Mom is turning 60 this year, loved LOTR since she was a teen, and has been singing in choruses either in school or church for most of her life. She will love your video.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Oh that's delightful! I hope she enjoys!

[@papabearlives9995]

I just finished watching your other video on music and this one popped up. I enjoyed both of them . I really need to check out your older videos . I think I e only been watching them for about a year.

[@EmelieWaldken]

As a musician myself, I felt moved deeply several times during this video. Thank you.

[@brandonmshrock]

As a musician, this video really hit hard. There is a real magic in music

[@isomeme]

That was beautiful. I'm crying right now. I have always experienced music as magic, and I was overjoyed when I read Tolkien's books and discovered that he felt the same way. I've never been able to explain this, even to myself, as clearly and lyrically as you did in this video. Thank you. 💜🎵

[@crying2emoji5]

The Tale of Beren & Luthien, and the Tale of Aragorn & Arwen, always make me friggin cry dude.

[@tomhoornstra1954]

This is beautiful. Wish I could give it a hundred likes. Thank you.

[@t.j.armendariz354]

Gregorian Chant is actually Plainchant, a strict monophonic harmony, the second part of what you played is a rudimentary form of Sacred Polyphony, which would date to the late Middle Ages, Gregorian chant comes from the early-middle part of the Middle Ages around 800, whereas polyphony doesn’t come until near the Renaissance

[@Oakleaf012]

Absolutely love this, 100/10. I wanna say something like, smart, but I have nothing to add to your analysis except my heartfelt agreement

[@JaneXemylixa]

You forgot to mention what's left of Feanor's family: Maglor, the great singer, who's stuck with singing laments about what violent idiots they all had been, seemingly forever. I find it delightfully symmetrical how the Quenta Silmarillion begins with Yavanna singing the Two Trees to life, and ends with this guy.

[@patchup]

This subject. within the Tolkien works, has been of interest to me for a long while now. When I think of the origins of the EPIC Quest I think of the Iliad and the Odyssey. I think of these as written versions of the stories, poems, and song that bards and other entertainers might sing in some lord's hall or an Inn. As most did not read or write the voice was the instrument of lore and legend. So I like to think that if Tolkien was born back then his works would be sung.

[@richardgoss4777]

I hope your channel grows. I've been suffering from anxiety lately and it's really helpful to escape into these videos. Keep up the good work!

[@apmclean]

What a beautiful analysis.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Thanks so much!!

[@Fontoflife]

Great job explaining the music of the Ainur. You have a great reading voice and your voice quality while explaining your points is outstanding.

[@rmsgrey]

I want to mention the game Outer Wilds (not to be confused with The Outer Worlds) - a game where you play as an exploring astronaut in a toy solar system. One of the things you'll discover fairly early is that, using your signalscope, you can detect signals coming from other astronauts, each of whom is playing their own musical instrument. What you'll maybe not notice immediately, is that all the astronauts songs have the same tempo and, if you manage to find somewhere you can line them all up in the same direction, when you listen to them all together, it creates one song.

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

Isn't it just the most beautiful thing that the inspiration for Tolkien's finest heroine (in my opinion) was his wife? That's love right there.

[@jallakka7149]

Thank you for this enlightening video. The music of the Ainur is a gripping start and the themes are all there continuing through the Silmarrillion.

[@AnnaSirena69]

Music is magic! 🎶🎵🌈 And also an universal language we can connect with each other, nature, universe.. It's rhythms of life. It's everywhere.🌌

[@lorivanunen652]

Thank you for your insightful explanation. It has helped me understand Tolkien's lore more clearly than ever before.

[@d.edwardmeade3683]

I can see how much you enjoyed this 😁.... I love these long form deep dives. You are a splendid talent!! You covered a great favorite of mine. I love the Silmarillion. It is a gorgeous, dense and rich narrative of which I never tire. Tolkien's Middle-Earth is a wonderful world with so many layers and archetypes. I will be happy to follow along with any video such as this if it explores his fascinating world. Thanks for another beautiful video, Jess!! You're the best! 😊

[@MacD1074]

Beautifully done, entertaining and educational. I'm glad you didn't stop after three minutes.

[@etienneporras7252]

Despite your doubt, you actually perfectly encapsulated the Gift of Iluvatar. Be proud, as *very* few people (Numenoreans included) have ever truly grasped that.

[@akostarkanyi825]

You understand, interpret and evaluate Tolkine's world incredibly well and beautifully, better than anyone I could find on KZbin or anywhere else.

[@Laurelin70]

If I could like this video multiple times, I would. You gained a subscriber.

[@fredkrissman6527]

Another great deep dive Jess! Glad you note the evidence of the import of music on Tolkien's work, as adapted for movie audiences, in PeterJ's LOTR films... Everyone that watches them acknowledges the power of HowardShore's scores! And of course we all experience music as magical.

[@earlschenk4343]

Jess, this was a beautiful description of music in Tolkien's works. As a musician and a music student, I found this very interesting and informative. Thank you for talking about Cantus Firmus and polyphony. I can almost hear the "music of the spheres" when you describe the creation from The Silmarilion. With Beren and Luthien, I think about the opera Dido and Aeneas . The story is a little different. If Tolkien's life had taken a different turn, I could picture him writing and scoring an opera with the magic and scope of Wagner's Norse mythological operas like The Niebulung or Tristan and Isolde.

[@charlesstanford1310]

This was inspired. I've been reading _The Master and His Emissary_ about the human brain and its hemispheres. It asserts that music came in human development before language, and I take this as truth, and I take Tolkien's mythopoeia as an intuitive reception and revelation of the truth of the primacy of music.

[@Loola-d9p]

The Pythagorean Pagans of ancient times also said that everything was created in the beginning with music

[@Astrobrewster]

This is beautiful. Thanks

[@PhantomFanatic0927]

This was wonderful!! Thank you so much for this analysis. I grew up with music and have always felt a magic in it. Now I work as a music therapist in hospice, to hopefully provide some solace for those nearing the end of their journey. Thank you ❤️

[@jassinfrederik7269]

Unbelievably Great video. Its fascinating how good you are at this :)

[@philiptaylor7902]

My most treasured Tolkien work is a copy of “The Road Goes Ever On”, a song cycle of poems from LOTR and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil by Donald Swann (who also composed The Hippopotamus Song, for those old enough to remember). The songs were authorised by Tolkien and he added some notes on the translation from the Elvish. You can find a link to a recording here. kzbin.info/aero/PLvInjZgihFikfvhKTQg68ZRvEZPmgvQu3

[@jhortasv]

Amazing video. I admire you. Thank you!

[@Nienna_Asyare]

I have become enamoured with this channel since the moment I discovered it!

[@JasonV_DM]

This is a great video. Im prepping to run a roleplaying game for some huge Tolkien fans. Your videos are really helping me get ready.

[@annalisalundberg4561]

Probably not so important...but the word "enchantment" comes from the same root of the word "chant"...it's the same also in Italian, it derives from Latin, and indicates a magic that had to be sung...

[@demetrinight5924]

I loved reading and eventually hearing the songs from The Hobbit like "Chip the glasses and Crack the plates" better known as "That's What Bilbo Baggins Hates." And of course "Misty Mountains Cold" Thank you for sharing more music from Tolkien's writing and his connections to music.

[@neodigremo]

I had a friend who hated the Hobbit movies. Genuinely hated them. I see it more as a missed opportunity/they tried too hard to be epic. But we all agree "Misty Mountains Cold" is possibly the best moment in the films.

[@KimGibsonfiberlover]

Nicely done!

[@bigboy8338]

This was beautiful, thank you.

[@wmlemerise2331]

Another great video. Thanks

[@Glorfindel_117]

I've a very strong bond to music myself, despite not being very.. trained in it, especially it's theory. But I grew up loving to sing at chapel, learned to play the guitar as a kid (which I've sadly since stopped..) and helped sing in and lead groups for a yearly choir camp for a number of years. I've more recently begun to put more stock into trying to sing well, after gaining some confidence in my voice (choir was nice, because nobody listening would hear *me*). And I have to say, the songs of the lotr movies were what caught me most. And once I started the books, his poems and songs were what made me fall in love with the rich history, and I have as a result grown up with an immediate love for any song who's lyrics tell a tale or a story, or explain the trials or events of a persons life. Our world was created by God's voice and command, and Tolkien beautifully spins the use of language to tell a tale of creation by song instead. But he doesn't do it by writing a song. As you mention, he makes beautiful, masterful, melodic use of plain and ordinary grammar to do it. He never wrote sheet music, or contracted a composer to perform or transpose his pieces. He writes with the flowers of language to allow us to imaging what themes or melodies it would best be sung by. And I love how his works can be translated into so many different musical tellings because of it.

[@charlygestern6556]

This is a beautiful video!

[@ThomFoolery12]

Lovely video!

[@BecauseOfDragons]

Fascinating - looking forward to seeing that Tom Bombadil video!

[@mattyladd]

I Love This! Great video

[@scottjackson1420]

Guessing that you are no stranger to the soundtrack CD's, Jess. Yes, I have them, too.

[@billsvoboda4459]

Beautiful and insightful-well done!

[@bsirta5824]

Hello (or Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo...). You show a great erudition and sensitivity in this analysis, after all about the Ainulindalë and the polyphony. What a fascinating topic ! In answer to your question about the difference between mortal and immortal music, I assume that the Elves consider music and poetry almost as a part of the field of dream, and Human as far closer to reality. The hymn performed by Arwen to Elbereth in Imladris for example, in the first volume of LOTR, was quite oneiric. Hobbits are definitely not ready for that, except maybe Bilbo Baggins, but Elvish musical critics are so fierce... Sam Gamgee sang the same words in front of Shelob, but he was not aware of his own words. Anyway, the Elves are able to dream in the real world... By the way, I've just found a nice short version of the musical main theme of The Fellowship. The soprano is definitely not Elvish, and not good enough for Rivendell, but maybe she could be tolerated... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGLKkoidZqxpqc0si=3YSBpHkZzaHFLnzW

[@brethilnen]

I love Tolkien's poetry

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I use to sing Gregorian chant as a child but not so beautifully. There is a woman ...Hildegard of Bingen. She was a mystic of the 12th century, she wrote some of the most beautiful chant I've ever heard. There is no music so perfect for meditation as Gregorian chant. I have a book of Tolkien's poems and songs written in musical notation (?) It was published, I think, in the 1970s and It's very old and cat chewed (why do cats like to chew book covers?Maybe that is why Tolkien didn't like them? ) but very precious. I found I had no aptitude to learn even the recorder (I love medieval music!) but I'll always keep the book. I had a 33 record of the same music but I foolishly gave it to the library when we retired. NOT sure why, except that the media had changed three times within my life (Records, CD, now digital) and I didn't even try to hook up my old record player. gave it away, also. I think I intended to buy on CD - we replaced most of our record collection with CDs over the years. I've never quite gotten used to Digital but I have digitized most of my CDS.

[@neilbiggs1353]

This was a really cool video, thank you so much for putting it together! As a thought, have you considered doing a companion video (or videos) about music inspired by Tolkien? For example, the English band Mostly Autumn (sort of Pink Floyd crossed with folk music) did a whole album of songs based (at least loosely) on the book, and I think a few bands in the 70s may have done songs here and there. I have a vague collection that the Beatles wanted to do a film with themselves as the hobbits, and either William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy did a song called Bilbo... It may be quite a variable rabbit hole to journey down!

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

That's a super fun idea! That may make it onto the list. I love digging into the history of Lord of the Rings in modern culture, and music is such an important part of that.

[@neilbiggs1353]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire At the very least, do the Bilbo song - if you can suffer through the Russian version of LOTR, at least this is a shorter dose of poison... :-p

[@HiopX]

You could also make another video talking about music that was inspired by Tolkiens works. Blind Guatdians album nightfall in middle earth singing about the events in the Silmarillion. Artsts and bands calling themselves Amon Ammarth Burzum, Marillion, Gorgoroth or David Arkenstone

[@DavMat007]

I don't think Melkor's discord was a deviation from the plan. Without that discord I don't think creation would know change or growth. And I think Ilúvatar both knew and wanted that. But that's entirely speculation.

[@thedarkdane7]

I personally do not think Tolkien saw it that way. One of the basic tenants of Christianity is that evil is purely negative. Christianity sees evil as something that can be twisted back on itself and used for good, but is completely unnecessary to goodness. Evil is not the opposite of good; it is only a parasite, unable to exist on its own and only able to twist and pervert good. According to ancient Hebrew thought (out of which comes Judeo-Christian thought) a thing can be perfect, and then grow and grow to higher and higher levels of perfection. So, according to Christian thought evil is unnecessary for growth.

[@Shadowace724]

This is wonderful :)

[@MountainFisher]

Tolkien would have read the verses that in Lucifer's creation God made musical instruments a part of Lucifer's being. I'm sure Lucifer wasn't the only musical being one would guess. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherubim who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones." Ezekiel 28:13-14 NKJV [New King James Version] The Bible in many places talks about the music of Creation and I'm sure it influenced Tolkien's song of the Ainur. I mean how could it not?

[@krikorajemian8524]

It is interesting that both Tolkien and his friend C.S. Lewis used song as the means by which their fantasy worlds were created. In "The Magician's Nephew", Aslan sings Narnia into being.

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

I wonder if that's a theme present in Christian theology, and that's why it appears in both?

[@DavidMacDowellBlue]

I think a lot of what you seem to be struggling with is revealed in "Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth" which is in MORGOTH'S RING. In a nutshell, men ultimately have the power to un-marr Arda itself by (in effect) the Resurrection of the Body, to purge the effects of Melkor amid the Second Music of the Ainur in which they (and presumably Elves) will also take part. I find thinking about that, and about the importance of Nienna--the "goddess" in the Legendarium not of Romantic Love but rather of Pity or Compassion, who wept amid the Music for all the suffering in the world. Small wonder to me that Gandalf was her student, and it is interesting she is accounted among the Queens of the Valar. I think she and the souls of men will have a crucial role to play in the Second Music, when Arda shall be remade un-marred, when the Children of Iluvatar shall find a special harmony with each other, not least in the vast store of memories the Eldar possess, coupled with the hard-won spiritual power of Men in the Last Days.

[@Laurelin70]

Not exactly Men, but rather Iluvatar himself who will enter his own creation assuming a material body and so un-marring the body of Arda and restoring the original plan for Men, i.e. "death" as in "ascension to heaven" in body + spirit. The "Athrabeth" was where Tolkien approached the most the Christian theology to insert it in its sub-creation and to make this latter a sort of "pre-history" of our world. But he never expanded the idea, because it was "too much an allegory".

[@DavidMacDowellBlue]

@@Laurelin70 I interpreted that Eru would enter the world to show Men the way, via the Resurrection of the Body. The story pretty explicitly has Finrod figure out what we can assume is more-or-less Eru's plan.

[@williampalmer8052]

What do you think about Tom Bombadil? I didn't notice you mentioning him here. As the Oldest, did his music come from somewhere else, beyond the Song of the Ainur? Oh - never mind, I just got to the end of the video. I'll leave the comment though, to maybe help the algorithm...

[@Elentirion]

At 8:30, are you arguing that the Flame Imperishable is divided into different parts, corresponding to the themes? I always saw the Flame Imperishable more as soul/free will which only Eru can bestow. Hence when Aulë made the Dwarves they didn't have a proper free will/soul yet until Eru gave them the Flame Imperishable. And if the Flame does correspond to the different themes then what kind of Flame would the Dwarves have, given that they weren't part of the original themes of the Ainur? Could the Dwarvish Flame be seen as an offshoot of the Ainu one, given that they were created by Aulë? Interesting idea though I always just read the Flame Imperishable as being one thing, free will/soul which is given to all life created by Eru (and hence why Tolkien couldn't reconcile the idea of Morgoth creating orcs, as they couldn't have proper free will without Eru as their source). As to the Gift of Ilúvatar, I always read it as boiling down to death. Humans are able to (briefly) escape Arda's predetermination (the history planned out in the themes) while they are dead. This escape isn't permanent as we know that human souls can be called back, as with Beren and Túrin (for Dagor Dagorath, to kill Morgoth) and once the world is remade after the Dagor Dagorath I think a load of humans will also be resurrected. Admittedly, it's been a while since I read the Silmarillion and I haven't read HoME, UT or Nature of Middle Earth yet so I might be missing things! I'd argue humans exist beyond the themes/song of the Ainur while they are dead but that after resurrection, they return to creation (and predetermination). To the best of my recollection, humanity's deeds etc are covered by the themes but the Ainur don't recall everything as they each had their own parts on which they focused and some knowledge was lost once they entered the physical realm/Eä and bound themselves to it. Anyway, very interesting deep dive, never really thought about death as being a temporary way of escaping Arda's causality for humans and a way for them to gain some limited autonomy. Looking forward to the next one, keep it up!

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

I probably wasn’t super clear in the video, but I view the Flame Imperishable as one indivisible creative power, possessed and wielded by Iluvatar, in order to bestow the gift of soul/will to his creations. The Ainur had a special blessing, in that they were granted sub-creative power by Iluvatar, who was wielding the Flame Imperishable. Thus, the things they made in the Ainulindale had will and life. When Aule made the dwarves, they didn’t have the same will that the elves did as they were not part of the first creation. Aule only had subcreative power, so until Illuvatar came and blessed the dwarves, they didn’t truly have will. So I think I view it as something that only Illuvatar can grant, which flows in a secondary way, into the Ainur, who bestow it upon people like Luthien, who are their descendants. I think I just repeated what you said in a less concise way, lol, but just so you get where my head was at. (This has also gotten me thinking about the music of the dwarves, and its implications, so thank you for the video idea!) I absolutely see what you’re saying about the Gift of Illuvatar. I see the Song of the Ainur as a sort of statement of fate, so when I say that the Elves, (and anyone that isn’t human) are within the song of the Ainur, it means that they’re tied to the fate of the world. Men, however, have souls that aren’t tied to the world that was first created, and this lack of “fate” in their lives grants them more freedom of will and action than the elves. The Ainulindale tells some of their story, but ultimately, not the final chapter of their souls. It’s such cool stuff. Thanks so much for watching, and for such a thorough reply! There’s so much to think about, and I’m definitely not done trying to wrap my head around this part of the lore. Your input is greatly appreciated!

[@nehakale6686]

Can someone please mention the music playing in the background at 1:45 ? It's Ethereal!

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

I beleive that is The Traveller by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen. I got it off of Epidemic Sound and it is indeed beautiful!

[@jasonknight8581]

This is almost like time traveling.

[@palle3071]

That was utterly beatiful! I wonder if Tolkien was aware if the string-theory that was emerging in the scientific realm about the same time he wrote the silmarillion. Maybe it was the scientists who got the idea from Tolkien!

[@Elentirion]

At 8:30, would you say that the Flame Imperishable (which I always viewed as a kind of free will/ soul) is split into different types? One for the Ainu, one for the Elves, one for Men, in accordance with the three themes? But given that the Dwarves were later endowed with the flame imperishable (as only Eru can bestow it) and they weren't part of the initial theme of the Children of Ilúvatar, would their part of the Flame Imperishable come from the Ainu type? Or does that refute the idea of splitting the Flame into different types? I haven't read HoME or Nature of Middle Earth yet and it's been a while since I read the Silmarillion so I might be overlooking something here but I always considered the Flame Imperishable to be a single thing, namely free will/soul which is given to all living beings by Eru. As to the gift of Ilúvatar, I think it boils down to death. Humans are part of the themes of creation but if we are to understand the themes as music translated into creation then in the moment of death humans move beyond the themes. So long as they live and exist within creation, they are part of the theme, when dead they escape its influence and predetermination. I vaguely remember that Túrin was supposed to deal the death blow to Morgoth during Dagor Dagorath so that would imply he only temporarily escaped the influence of the themes. After Dagor Dagorath the world is remade so humans are again part of the themes. Interesting idea though, I hadn't given much thought to human death as an escape from predetermination, a limited autonomy in Tolkien. Anyway, really interesting breakdown, recently stumbled across your channel and love the content so far.

[@fermintenava5911]

I'm not an expert, but from what is written, the souls of all sentient beings are from the same Flame Imperishable, that grants free will and autonomy, and the dwarves have (in theory) the same as Elves and Men - called Fëa. The bigger differences are in the physicality - Ainur were not designed to have a body, and the Elven and Dwarven bodies have a biology different from humans.

[@ice9snowflake187]

I've been imagining a Lord Buckley treatment of the story of "The music of the Ainur".

[@rodneymeadows7658]

Jess, remember Bilbo & Thorin's last meeting, where Thorin wished more people valued good food, people & cheer, over gold & "riches".

[@sulljoh1]

It's simply stupid that YT blocks LOTR music in videos like this. They could help more people appreciate the IP, adding value for the owners of said IP. Instead we all get a little bitter taste and negative association for what feels more like greedy, faceless corporations

[@RingsLoreMaster]

I stop the video @ 15:01, hoping I've not jumped the gun. The Elves music lacks the power of Luthien. Except for Galadriel. It is, as you know, Galadriel who on her own takes apart Minas Morgul.

[@albertbradfield1945]

Ah, The Planets ,by Holst

[@emanuelosorio9610]

Tolkien admitted he didn't know too much about music, but he was accurate about the brass section would be loud and bombastic and they would want to be the important ones lol

[@davidannderson9796]

It is not a testament to your insecurity. What happens before and after you add music to a video is a testament to your uncompromising cinematic instincts and the power in cinema of music. Or probably any other art form that contains music! There is a reason that John Williams and Howard Shore are the most famous people in Hollywood history who are neither filmmakers or actors! I love your pronunciation of the Elvish words!

[@greggorsag9787]

I have escaped into Middle earth since the early ‘70s, when my mom read The Hobbit, and then LotR, to me and my brother. I’ve read LotR over twenty times, and used to be able to quote large portions of it. I also read it to my sons, to one of them multiple times. And still . . . I find one of the great questions that one struggles with when reading the work to be: Do I read the elf songs, or skip them 😂 My rule has always been to read them when reading aloud, but I’ll admit to “skipping ahead” a bit (think Monty Python’s Holy Hand Grenade scene) when reading for pleasure alone. Blasphemous? Perhaps? But after 20+ readings, one feels a certain freedom.

[@sherab2078]

I like good music, I do. And the music in the LoTR movies is great. However, I don't know much about music, and all that stuff about harmonies, themes and so on unfortunately tells me nothing. Hence, while I generally prefer the book over the cinematic adaptation, I was never really convinced about the songs and music as they are described by Tolkien. I was even less convinced by the creation story in The Silmarillion. Don't take me wrong, I find the elves' and humans' love of the music quite fitting to the setting and 'medievalish', so to speak. I just don't find personally a song and music as a convincing medium in the written language.

[@vincentpuccio3689]

You said you wish you can live in the world more like middle earth. But you do. Tolkien s works compels your creativity and love of expression. Middle Earth and all of the characters are alive and live in your heart.

[@chocolatemonk]

your videos are like Samwise's spice for LotR

[@Thraim.]

Choosing music as the base of all creation is genius, as music is universal in all human cultures. You might find people who never invented the wheel or the bow, but you'll never find a people that has no music.

[@emanuelosorio9610]

I think Howard Shore did a great job capturing the music of Arda

[@grokeffer6226]

👍👍👍

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

"While he may not have been the poster child of elven values" she says. In other words, "F*** Fëanor!"

[@channelnamepending8329]

🔥

[@nigelwillits7818]

The power of music comes from the same fundamental mathematics that govern the nature of reality.

[@leperface]

The best thing about LOTR is how hardcore it's fans are.

[@crbielert]

Damnit, Every time. :_)