J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English writer, poet and philologist, best known as the author of «The Hobbit» (1937) and «The Lord of the Rings» (1954-1955). Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, he was a leading scholar of Old and Middle English whose academic expertise directly shaped the invented languages, mythology and history of his fictional world, Middle-earth.

Tolkien's work is not conventional music, but his books are woven through with original songs and poems performed by characters such as hobbits, elves and dwarves, including pieces like «All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter», «Errantry» and «Tom Bombadil's Song». These verses, along with narrated passages from «The Hobbit», have inspired countless musical settings, audiobook readings and folk-adjacent recordings, giving his writing an unusual second life as source material for composers and performers.

Despite mixed reception from some literary critics during his lifetime, Tolkien became one of the most widely read authors of the 20th century, topping multiple British polls in 1997 for the greatest book of the century. His influence on fantasy literature, world-building and, by extension, fantasy-inspired music and song has been immense and continues to shape adaptations across film, theatre and music to this day.