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#1 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lonely Isle
Posts: 706
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I'm starting a thread here on Heidi Steimel's '"Bring Out the Instruments!": Instrumental Music in Middle-earth', which I was glad to see in print; because I had wished to see and hear her present it at Oxonmoot 2008 when I was there, but was unable to do so.
![]() It was great, in reading the article, to not only have an overview of the many musical instruments in Tolkien's works, but to see Ms. Steimel's take on 'those who construct and play them, at the effect they have, and at their significance within the narrative'. (p. 91) I agree with her that the harp was 'the instrument most often mentioned in connection with Elves'; (p. 95) and that horns and trumpets were 'frequently mentioned instruments among Men' in LotR. (p. 96) While I also agree with her about the Horn of the Mark having in its description 'a marked similarity' to '"magical" ancient heirloom weapons', (p. 97) I would add that Boromir's horn, carried by generations of his family, was certainly one of the same, its magic being quite evident. Faramir told Frodo and Sam about this horn's particular magical property: 'it is said that if it be blown at need anywhere within the bounds of Gondor, as the realm was of old, its voice will not pass unheeded'. (LotR, Book 4, Chapter V) This was what had happened; when Boromir blew the horn before he was killed, it was heard by Faramir, far to the south. Since I read that, I've always been impressed by a horn that could be heard over such a distance! ![]() I particularly enjoyed her description of the concert held in Bag End by the dwarves at the beginning of The Hobbit. (pp. 100-104) As she rightly said, not only was it the 'one orchestral performance of which Tolkien writes in detail ' (p. 100) describing all the instruments and who played them; it was an extremely important musical performance in the history of Middle-earth: Bilbo felt within himself the spirit of the Dwarves and awakened to an understanding of their nature. This identitifcation with his guests made it easier for him to join in their adventure subsequently. The music had an important part in preparing him for what was to come. Without the music, there might never have been a "There and Back Again"! (p. 103) Well said, Ms. Steimel! ![]() Last edited by Faramir Jones; 02-09-2010 at 03:44 PM. Reason: There was a gap |
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#2 |
Guard of the Citadel
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxon
Posts: 2,205
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Indeed, well done Esty!
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#3 | ||||
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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I would be just stating the obvious if I was also only repeating how well written and informative this chapter is. Indeed, well done, Esty! But as to avoid being repetitive, and also to prove the point that there is always something to improve, let me be constructive here.
There is something missing in the chapter. *dramatic pause* Yes, well, that happens. It's a rather minor thing, but maybe I should now tell myself "Sam Gamgee, if you had been paying more attention when Esty was asking for help around here, you might have brought it up and prevented this incorrectness in the article!" ![]() Quote:
Quote:
Cirith Ungol was anyway a "musical tower" by itself. In the continuing adventures of Mr. Gamgee, we read that upon passing the Silent Watchers for the first time, Quote:
The bell of Cirith Ungol rings again when Frodo and Sam escape the Tower (and the gate with the Watchers is destroyed) and later, as they are running away, Quote:
In any case... I actually found this fascinating (I started originally with that one quote and thought of the rest in the middle of writing this), and hopefully it was also helpful - maybe, Esty, if you are at some point re-publishing your article or making a similar presentation elsewhere, this could give you a little more material to consider ![]() *I had no idea yet, when writing this, that I will be actually mentioning a bell itself in here as well ![]()
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
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#4 |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,500
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Thank you for adding that reference, Legate! I do appreciate thoughtful and knowledgeable readers! I did miss that orc passage and have noted it for future use.
It's a dangerous business, Esty, stating conclusions in a published work. You write them in a book, and if you don't keep your head, there is no knowing what you might miss. As to the bells, I left them out deliberately. I could find no passage (prove me wrong! ![]() More when I have time to do your post justice...
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#5 | |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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Quote:
![]() ![]() As for the bells, I have mentioned it mainly since you mention the bells in Minas Tirith (even though briefly) in there as well. But true, they were not really used otherwise than for signals.
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
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#6 | |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 40
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Quote:
Which ties back nicely to the renaissance Italy analogy as the reason that Italian towns had such high church towers during this period was a) they doubled as watchtowers, helping watch out for enemies b) rining the bells in a certain way could be used to signal to the next village that help was needed. Also, at the time, church towers were often occupied by watchers whose job it was to keep their eyes strained for and signs of fire breaking out in the cramped streets of old cities. To assure citizens that the watcher was not asleep he had to play his trumpet at given intervals. The tunes they played were set and passed on from one generation of watchers to the next and so remained virtually unchanged for centuries. In Cracow such a watch still exists today although it is more for tradition as I assume other fire protection mechanisms now exist. Later, as clock-making arts improved, church bells were mechanised and so could play the tunes without needing a watchman. This coincided with improvements in the ways cities were built so reducing he risk of fire. Today tower chimes (as for example that of Big Ben in Westminster) thus hail to a much older tradition which would once have seen the tunes being played manually.
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#7 |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,500
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Interesting historical facts, shadowfax! Maybe a chapter on the use of bells in Tolkien's works would be a further project - though I'm not sure that there's enough written besides the mere mention of their use.
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' |
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#8 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lonely Isle
Posts: 706
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I agree with what Esty said here to shadowfax
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A second place is that of Dale, as described in The Hobbit. While Thorin spoke in Chapter 1 of its bells being used as a warning of Smaug's attack: 'By that time all the bells were ringing in Dale and the warriors were arming', that city is also later mentioned in Chapter 3 as being known for its bells, Elrond being 'grieved to remember the ruin of the town of Dale and its merry bells'. Last edited by Faramir Jones; 05-25-2010 at 02:24 PM. Reason: I left something out |
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#9 |
Banshee of Camelot
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 5,830
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I had already listened to Esty's lecture on this topic more than two years ago in Jena, and now enjoyed very much reading the essay in print (and extended to cover all of Middle Earth.)
I have nothing more to add, only that this was so much easier and more enjoyable to read than "A Speculative History of the Music of Arda" which I have read right before.
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#10 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 40
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I agree wholly.
I heard Heidi's talk at the Jena Tolkien Confeence in 2008 (?). I believe the article was developed from this talk. It provided me with a whole new insight on an episode about which I hadn't really thought much until then. The average Tolkien reader will probably start with The Hobbit, moving on to The Lord of The Rings and then the Silmarillion . In this respect, of the many songs and ballads that the reader will encounter on his journey through Tolkien's universe, the Dwarf concert at Bag End is the first and hence it is an introduction to what is to come. I don't have the text to hand right now but I think the text of the The Hobbit says that Bilbo particularly liked one of the lines. I can't remember which one it was now but I think it was an element that was repeated chorus-like throughout the song. The song also made him dream about distant treasures and adventures. So in a way we actually see some primitive analysis/appreciation of the ballad going on in Bilbo's head which is a sort of didactical device inserted by the author to introduce the reader (it's a children's book, remember) to poetry. So in a way the entire scene is a type of gateway or introduction leading us as readers into Tolkien's poetry (and music).
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#11 | |
Cryptic Aura
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 5,991
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Like Guinevere and Shadowfax, I know Heidi's chapter in its earlier incarnations, although for me in print rather than in lecture at Jena. This is as much a pleasure to read as the earlier versions were.
Heidi's writing is a delight for me, for she can provide rhythm, vary sentence length, add rhetorical asides, and develop exposition in a very entertaining way. Her writing has rhythm and movement, as one perhaps would expect of a musician. One thing in particular I want to point out is the very interesting style of her first sentence. Quote:
While I'm not a musician myself, I have had a course in drumming and wanted to add a few observations about the power of drums. They have a long history of military use, in both eastern and western warfare, so perhaps it is not surprising to hear of orcs and drums in Moria. Think of how those sounds must have reverberated in that deep chamber! Yet drumming is more than this, and more than simply keeping a beat. Drums and drumming have a therapeutic effect, inducing deep relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety. They also provide an experience of connectedness, creating unity and synchronicity. The experience Bilbo has of the dwarven concert is something I have experienced simply through drumming. It was a creative experience that brought the twelve of us who were drumming together in a very unique feeling. It is thus strange for me now to think of orcs drumming, for that must have been a powerful form of social connectedness for them. Or possibly for the Druedain also. I thought I'd add a comment, too, concerning Heidi's footnote about the Anvil Chorus in Verdi's Il Trovatore. I know she knows this, so it's not new to her, but perhaps will be to others here. Here's a rather entertaining version of The Anvil Chorus . Note, no beards! ![]()
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