Ainulindale
Op.52 is a tone poem portraying events in J.R.R.Tolkien's work "Ainulindale, or Music of the Ainur". The abridged text I used is in the .txt file below.
My tone poem portrays Tolkien's words that describe the earth being created as an act of musical composition by the Ainur or 'holy ones' who were offspring of Iluvatar. First we hear 'the void' (low strings), then Iluvatar (solo piano) creates offspring who play individually or in small groups. Iluvatar then calls them all together and plays a great theme to them. They respond with variations of his first theme, played nobly as more instruments join in the song. Melkor (Trumpet 1) gradually corrupts the first theme (changes its original form), and sways others (brass, woodwinds) to his own theme. Then Iluvatar plays a second theme to restore the song, but it too is corrupted by Melkor. Iluvatar plays a third theme which is also corrupted, but gradually changes all the various themes by every section of the orchestra/chorus, until Iluvatar plays chords that silence them all. Then the original theme starts anew but uncorrupted, and every section of the orchestra/chorus joins together in harmony, eliminating the discord of Melkor's influence, as he too (Trumpet 1) echoes the original theme at the end.
Files are accessible below.
Ainulindale, Music of the Ainur - Tone Poem (Op.52)