Music that 'takes me closer to the legendarium'

[Lúthien]

My apoligies for the clumsy title. I could not think of a better one so soon.

I mean to say - that there is music that 'seems to open doors' inside me, or maybe doors to somewhere else, for instance, to the Tolkien legendarium.
It is often words that do that, but also pure music sometimes picks me up and takes me somewhere.

I wondered if someone else has that too.

Maybe it is a bit trivial to mention Howard Shore's film score in this respect, but nevertheless, I should. Especially the parts 'A Elbereth' and 'Lothlórien' .. and also 'into the west' hits me like a ton of bricks every time again.

Other music that does something similar to me ..

- Turangalila-symphony by Messiaen
I first heard this a couple of years ago and was like a hypnotised bunny in the headlights. It generates very profound images and takes me into them. It is mostly a moving upward through ever thinning and darkening air, with chaotic whirls and eddies all around me, that at given moments "straighten out" or "crystallise" into (I think) planes, while the stars shine ever more brightly above in a deep indigo sky.

- Perpetuum Mobile by Henk Badings
I heard that while driving home one night alone, in a radio program about microtonality: music with smaller intervals then the western 12 tones in an octave, like some music from India. The piece is writen in the 31-tone system and it is, well, unusual. It took me to a very alien place, very wide, far, dark grey. Or like opening up into another realm, where there is "more space".

- Saturn, Uranus and Neptune from The Planets by Holst
association or whatever, I don't know, but it is amazingly 'remote'.

- film music from 'close encounters of the third kind'
probably also by association, not purely the music itself. But I loved that movie instantly when I saw it a couple of years ago

- film music from 'Jules et Jim' (francois truffaut)
this is quite different, not distant/blue/starry but very sunny, personable, warm, engaged. I mention it because it has, especially in two short moments, a sort of intense blossoming up of a great unselfish (like non-dualistic) feeling of love

- some pieces by Claude Debussy
especially "prelude a l'aprés-midi d'un faun", and also a very rare early choral piece called "salut Printemps" (song to welcome the Spring)
and the final scene of the opera "pelleas et melisande". But he wrote a lot of amazingly flowing and enchanting music.

- To the memory of an angel - Alban Berg
this is also pure transcedental.

- some songs by Ella Fitzgerald
at times she can sing so pure and selfless that something opens up (for instance, "with a song in my heart")

- and a lot more I suppose.

[Calantirniel]

Wow, I haven't heard of very many of those!  Aikanar has some links on the Ma.gnolia site that even have downloads!  Over time, I have collected a few things as well!

I really like Carvin Knowles "The Fellowship" Project, the album called "In Elven Lands."  Their song "Tir Im" is on our website, as well as their MySpace link if you want to listen to other songs.  "Elvenhymn" by the musical group Anois is just wonderful, and I think they are from the Netherlands!

Also, the Tolkien Ensemble, Helen Trevillion (will check spelling), Iluvamil, and a couple of unknown others have done music inspired that I really like.  After awhile, I decided to create a CD with over 140 minutes of music to play whenever I need that, even if it is in the car hehehe!  I think some of that is available for private members here, if Aikanar doesn't have it now, he will because I am ready to send him some stuff hehehe!

In the meantime, I totally believe there needs to be a new "genre" of music, called Elven Music, just like how there are other specialties like Celtic Music, Pagan Music, etcetera! 

[Lúthien]

Wow, I haven't heard of very many of those! 

maybe I can upload a couple of them today.

I really like Carvin Knowles "The Fellowship" Project, the album called "In Elven Lands."  Their song "Tir Im" is on our website, as well as their MySpace link if you want to listen to other songs.  "Elvenhymn" by the musical group Anois is just wonderful, and I think they are from the Netherlands!

Also, the Tolkien Ensemble, Helen Trevillion (will check spelling), Iluvamil, and a couple of unknown others have done music inspired that I really like.  After awhile, I decided to create a CD with over 140 minutes of music to play whenever I need that, even if it is in the car hehehe!  I think some of that is available for private members here, if Aikanar doesn't have it now, he will because I am ready to send him some stuff hehehe!

I will check those, thanks!

In the meantime, I totally believe there needs to be a new "genre" of music, called Elven Music, just like how there are other specialties like Celtic Music, Pagan Music, etcetera!  

I find it so striking that I find this 'elven' quality in music across a lot of genres.

I am, however, really interested to know if music that I feel has this quality does the same thing to others. I'll try and find to upload some of that music.

[Lúthien]

I put some of this on yousendit to download.

I am curious if they do the same thing to you as to me. I know that not a lot of people appreciate, say, that piece by Badings. It is very unusual. I mean - it is not like Howard Shore's LOTR movie music. I don't mean that I think one is better or whatnot than the other - I love them all equally and they all have the power to take me elsewhere. I just noticed that it does not seem to be accessible to a lot of people, not even people who are "into" classical music.

first file: alban_berg.zip contains the violin concerto by Alban Berg "to the memory of an angel"

[..]In the spring of 1935 he interrupted that project to write his Violin Concerto that [...] was directly inspired by the tragic, sudden death of Manon Gropius, the 18-year-old daughter of Alma Mahler and her second husband, the famous architect Walter Gropius. Berg usually composed slowly, but in this case he worked so quickly, to create a memorial for the dead girl (the concerto is dedicated "to the memory of an angel"), that the complex masterpiece was fully sketched out by July and completed on 11 August. It is one of the greatest of all violin concertos and one of the most moving of all 20th-century compositions. Its four movements are paired into two larger parts. According to the composer and scholar George Perle, the first part "was conceived as a musical 'portrait' of [Manon Gropius], the second as a representation of catastrophe and, finally, submission to death, and transfiguration". The vivacious second movement makes use of an Austrian folksong; the third contains the shattering climax that represents the girl's death; and the fourth, based on Bach's harmonisation of the chorale Es ist genug (It is enough), is a prayer for deliverance from earthly suffering. By scoring the chorale for woodwind, Berg creates an organ-like effect. There are two variations on the chorale melody and brief, touching reminiscences of the folksong and the chorale, and then the Concerto ends quietly, like a soul finding rest.

I find this music amazing. As it says above, 'transfigurative'.

second file messiaen_badings.zip
this is the hardest-to-get-to. It contains a part of the Turangalila Symphony (part 6) by Messiaen and that 31 tone piece 'perpetuum mobile' by Henk Badings, played on a strange instrument called a 31-tone organ - that has blue keys next to the normal white and black on its keyboard.

debussy.zip contains 'prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faun' and the last scene from 'pelleas et melisande'.

ella_jules.zip contains a song by Ella Fitzgerald "with a song in my heart" and part of the music score of that movie "Jules et Jim"
They are different in character than the others .. much more joyous, loving. But they have an equally strong effect on me - opening up doors to unknown places, or the blossoming up of something beautiful.

last file ..  holst_williams.zip
this is the last three parts of "the planets" by Holst, and the music of "close encounters" by Williams.

the links will remain active for seven days after now.

enjoy,
lúthien athariel

[Meneldur Olvarion]

Hi, I was not able to get to this message and download your music samples until today, and now the links have expired.

I'd like to hear them, if you could re-up them.

///Daver

[Lúthien]

hey - wasn't that the reason to use torrents (grin) ?

but np - I'll put them up again. Be sure to dl then within the week.

[Lúthien]

ok, put them up again. Good for another week.

[Niennildi Oarnen]

Dave hasn't been exposed much to classical, but I think he'll like Debussy's 'prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faun'.  I can't say that I've heard the other Debussy. I've always loved Ella (Dave thought he'd time travelled when I started playing some of her stuff one night  ).

It's been a long time since I've heard the score to Close Encounters, but I do remember that it was very moving.

How about --

Smetana-Die Moldau

Maurice Ravel-- Pavane pour une infante défunte or Bolero

George Gershwin's classical things--Rhapsody in Blue in particular for me.

These always have moved me.

[Lomelindo]

For those who are into metal music, I would recommend the band "Blind Guardian" particularly the album "Nightfall in Middle-earth" which is based on the Silmarillion. 

Lomelindo

[Coracle]

I heartily recommend Steve Roach's 4-CD collection "Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces," particularly the 3rd disc "Recent Future."

Music is my chief medium for trancework.

Brightest blessings,
Coracle

[Calantirniel]

I sometimes like to go to Jonathan Goldman's Site!

http://templeofsacredsound.org

Very versatile for me at times!

[Lúthien]

thanks all for the new suggestions!

Ninnieldi - yes, the Pavane from Ravel! That is exactly what I meant. And, now I think of that one symphony by Tchaikovski .. forget which one. But these two pieces always made me think of the sadness that I feel when the Eldar leave Middle Earth and, more specific, what's been written in the Appendix of LOTR on Arwen and Aragorn - about Arwen's passing.
That has always been particularly haunting .. when I think of it I almost want to paint it to capture the emotions. I've actually wanted to do something with that for a long time .. to make sort of an abstract animation (because it needs the music with it) that expresses that sense of loss.

And oh gosh, yes Gershwin. An entirely different feel, not about sorrow and loss, but wonder and joy

[Niennildi Oarnen]

I find it so striking that I find this 'elven' quality in music across a lot of genres.

While I myself wouldn't call this quality as 'elven' I do find many music genres provide modes of transportation to that 'other.' The people on this board may find that 'elven' best suits what that 'other' is. I find it fascinating that while my tastes run from classical, folk, and jazz; some of Dave's Tool can accomplish the same transporting effect --especially the pieces with long drum solos and interludes without song.

While most of what I've mentioned as what appeals to me for my 'taking away' are wordless, I can also find great experiences with simple --and I stress simple -- folk songs and hymns (chants if you will). One of my favorites is the Shaker song "Simple Gifts." I find that the lyrics are very symbolic of a spiritual journey and its repetition is wonderful for me.

[Lúthien]

The people on this board may find that 'elven' best suits what that 'other' is.

At least until I knew of all that is said, taught and told in here; this was the case for me.
It seems to be getting wider now.

[Eruannlass]

Have a great cd called 'The Sylvan Court" that I want to share, as soon as I can get all the songs uploaded to the share site...
                                                                                                                      Eruannlass
'Tis the epitome of Eldarin quality, and Rowan loves it.