'Elven Music in Our Times', Mira Sommer

[Gwathagor]

Since Elves are ultimately earth-bound creatures, perhaps otherworldly music doesn't fit them? Unless you just mean otherworldly in contrast to historical. (In which case I agree with you.)

[Bêthberry]

Sorry for the delay replying, Gwathagor; I was away most of yesterday.

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Since Elves are ultimately earth-bound creatures, perhaps otherworldly music doesn't fit them? Unless you just mean otherworldly in contrast to historical. (In which case I agree with you.)

Right you are that elves are bound to the earth, yet they may leave Middle-earth for Aman, which after the sundering is no longer reachable by men. So it can be argued that they can attain something that is otherworldly.

But perhaps more to my point are the characteristics of elves which make them more in tune with ethereal world, even while in Middle-earth. As Bilbo says to Frodo of Rivendell, "Time doesn't seem to pass here; it just is" ("Many Meetings").
And their ability to inform both a material body and a spiritual essence. Frodo, striken as he is after Weathertop, sees that spiritual essence of Glorfindel in "Flight to the Ford".

Suddenly into view came a white horse, gleaming in the shadows, running swiftly. In the dusk its headstall flicered and flashed, as if it were studded with gems like living stars. The rider's cloak streamed behind him, and his hood was thrown back; his golden hair flowed shimmering in the wind of his speed. To Frodo it appeared that a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil.

And before Frodo passes into unconsciousness after crossing the river, he has this strange vision, of the flood and of a white figure, which could also be Glorfindel.

Dimly Frodo saw the river below him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on their crests and he half fancied that he saw amid the water white riders upon white horses with frothing manes. . . .

With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran samll shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world.

I think that probably fits your contrast to historical.

[Faramir Jones]

It might be interesting for people to see the two main definitions given by The Oxford English Dictionary of 'otherworldly'.

First is 'Devoted to spiritual matters or life; ascetic, spiritual; (more generally) unworldly. Also as n. [noun] (with the): ascetic, spiritual, or unworldly people as a class (with pl. concord)'.

Second is 'Of or relating to a world other than the actual or material; esp. of or relating to a mystical or fantasy world'.

Do people think that we include the Elves in Tolkien's world under both definitions? Every race there (including Man) is part of a fantasy world, created out of an author's imagination; so all come under the second definition. But is it that Elves are supposed to live for so very long (though they are not immortal), and have gone where Man cannot follow, hanging around with the Valar, that make us also think of them, above all other races, as coming under the first definition?

[Nogrod]

I'd say the elves and the West do present themselves as the "other reality" in contrast to humans of the ME and thus I'd say they are more of the first definition. But I'm not sure if the word "unworldly" can be used in relation to them. The West is an odd mid-stop between "the world of men" and "the world beyond"...


Let me offer another possible POV for organising one's thoughts about the elven music.

In the Pythagorean / Boëthian tradition from Antiquity we have three different kinds of "music" (spheres of it, notions of it, mode of being of it) which I'd guess the prof. was aware of with his classical education.

The pure music was the "music of the spheres", the non-audible cosmic music of the reality itself (musica mundana by Boëthius).

Then there was the music of a living being (well a "learned human" in this real world of ours) in structural harmony with the universe and its principles (musica humana for Boëthius).

The third one is the music we can hear as the music we normally think of as music; sounds and rhythms to be perceived, and to be played with instruments/human voice (musica instrumentalis for B).

The first one is quite easy to identify with the music of the Ainur and the third with the music we people make (or any other ME creatures?). But the question becomes, is there the middle one? Is it the music of the Valar and Maiar (and elves?) in the West; eg. not the primordial music of the universe only Eru could organise (even if it included the Valar) but the music the purer forms of existence could have produced in the World and to teach to the elves there in the West? And thus the elven music in the ME would resound something of that purer form of music being at the same time in a way compromised by getting thus far away from the original (both being further developed by "mere elves" and being farther away from the source)?

Needs to think. The thought came faster than I could think it through...

[Gwathagor]

I think we've got two kinds of "otherwordly" here, the first being simply part of Elvish nature and the second having its ultimate source in Aman. Elves like Thranduil, Legolas, and Thingol display the first kind, elves like Galadriel, Glorfindel, and Elrond display the second kind.

For the first kind, "hypernatural" or "extranatural" might be better terms than "otherworldly." It is, in its essence, earthy. Celtic-ish music would suit this well.

The second kind, is literally otherwordly, and appears in Elves who have had contact with the Valar/Maiar or who wield artifacts imbued with their power. This group would doubtless produce the sorts of ethereal music you describe, Bethberry.