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And yet, freedom to change the Music is implied by Eru's statement that none may change the Music in his despite. He will allow changes to be made, if he permits it. If the fall of Numenor is not in the Music - which I don't think it is - Eru has permittted a change to occur - though not the one the Numenoreans desired or foresaw. The Music is then following a different course because of Men's actions, which were not part of the Music. We note that Eru didn't take away the Numenorean's freedom to assail Valinor, merely changed the result of that act. Of course Men cannot make a change which Eru does not permit - he could hurl a thunderbolt - but he has given Men the freedom to act outside the doom of the Music. Elves, Valar & Maiar can choose which of the themes they will attempt to bring into being - Eru's/the Valar's or Melkor's, but the Music is a fate to them. Men are not bound to choose either, Though within the World determined & defined by the Music, they are limited in what choices they can make - natural laws - however extensive those laws may be, will limit how far outside the box they can think & act, but it does not set a limit on their freedom or fate - which lies outside Arda anyway. It is one with this freedom that they remain only a little time within the world. Without one race who can act beyond the confines of the Music, there would not be much point in Arda having a physical existence at all, & everything could have been sorted out in Heaven, without all the pain & messiness.
I take your point on magic, but the 'Norm' in ME is not Magic, as most people can't do it. Those who can are rare, & their 'skill' in using it is limited & defined by whatever talents Eru has given them. So, if some beings can perform what we would call 'magical' acts, then actually it isn't magic, it is innate, natural ability. So, 'magick' in the sense that Magicans use the term is something 'unnatural', against their nature, & against Eru's will - who could/would have given them whatever abilities he felt they needed or had a right to. To take more power/magical ability than Eru has gifted them with, is to go against not only His will, but against their own nature. Saruman 'falls' because he is seduced into desiring & amassing power which he has no right to. In other words, he's not 'bad' because he can do magic, but because the magic he's doing in not part of his nature - so 'unnatural'. In that sense he is a magician, while Gandalf is not - even the Ring is given to him in order to help him in his task - so he doesn't 'take' it, & he only uses it in the course of performing the task he is sent to do. Saruman not only takes power he which is not natural to him, he rejects the task he was sent to perform, & takes on another task which is not his.
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