Thanks for the info!

I’m thinking of recording a The Fall of Gondolin audiobook for fun and for friends. Any suggestions of appropriate selections for title music and underscoring? Not necessarily anything Tolkien-inspired. Perhaps a cello concerto — something by turns muscular and melancholy?

As a cellist myself, I think your suggestion is certainly a good one! There are plenty of concertos both muscular and melancholy, particularly those of the Romantic era. Elgar is an obvious choice, especially since it's English. Schumann is a particular favorite of mine. Dvorak, Herbert, Lalo, Saint-Saens...

Thanks, I’ll dive into Elgar first. Specific favorites?

I personally think audiobooks are best without music, especially with Tolkien's style of writing. Who could really make music that could match Ainulindalë's descriptive text for example? Having said that, I am a music lover and Elgar's Cello Concerto is one of the best in the genre! Du Pré all the way!

these recordings really show how deeply Tolkien’s world has inspired composers across different eras and styles. Howard Shore’s scores are iconic, but Johan de Meij’s symphony is an absolute gem too. It would be amazing to see a curated Spotify playlist that brings all these Tolkien-inspired works together in one place for fans to explore.