are there any chapters of this that might be considered as a possible feature-length presentation? like Beren and Luthien perhaps?
1:30 seems pretty standard, though... all of those I posted were right at, except Westworld and Game of Thrones both ran a little bit over, between 1:40-45. I don't think we'd have any trouble staying in that window, it would just be a matter of selecting what goes in it, and this seems like it would be among the final touches
but the art factor, the hidden things it contains, and its relevance to the episode can make an intro enjoyable to watch, although this depends on the music as much as anything. my nephew has always liked the Game of Thrones intro: he calls it 'that part' and makes me watch it over and over - and honestly I don't mind for two or three times, but when I'm rewatching, I tend to skip, because it is a bit on the long side.
but if each episode were unique, and something difficult to fully unravel in one sitting, like the Westworld intro (I must've watched that a dozen times back-to-back, trying to spot all the stuff they crammed in there) - not to do all of this for the sake of credits alone, but as a prelude, and as a hook for the show itself - it could be well worth the effort
even though sitting here listening to myself, what I'm really thinking is more like 'what I think it deserves', or 'what I've always wanted to see'.
I guess my whole notion is, assuming people recognize it when it comes on, why should it be that if you've seen one intro, you've seen them all? what Game of Thrones did was really cool, adding new locations as they come into the story, but even that was only good for one play.
there is already something of a theme here that we could seize upon and develop, being that all of this is already played out, from beginning to end: and all we're doing by watching, listening or reading further is revisiting, and getting down into the details, like the Ainur themselves. it could be a brief opportunity to see events through the perspective of a Vala - like a vision of our own. you get the preview, and then you get the full experience, which includes more than you probably noticed; and when you go back and watch/listen again, you find out what was there all along... just as Ulmo, Manwe and Yavanna did, with clouds and ice, and the eagles, and the shepherds of the forest.
we could bury things throughout, were we so inclined - things no one would catch until they'd watched the entire series, even. I just love stuff like that.
but I wonder how many themes could be developed from the timeline itself, and to what extent could we "recreate" the Music that's described?
while it isn't from the Music itself, I'm imagining this from literally the first paragraph:
"And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Iluvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony."
we could totally create this very effect throughout the series, musically and visually; this would be different from actually depicting the Ainulindale, but the Ainulindale could obviously play into this, which is really the whole idea - to expound on what was only briefly covered before. the intro music could gain complexity as each season progresses (combining themes, adding or substituting instruments, etc) until it culminates with the end of each age, and the following season begins with something new
but we would need to consider the possible themes of each season and each episode, to take that approach.