The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

01-01-2006, 10:25 PM

Here's a section from the magazine "Music from the Movies", issue 42 - devoted (almost) to the LOTR soundtrack.

'Hope Fails' has a dark opening with low celli that evolves into a dark and ominous brass part. What does this music lead us to?
This track on the CD begins with the celli playing the music for 'The Army of the Dead' and there are certain motifs that I use for this. The choral music is performed with all-male singers; they are singing a part of the poem called 'The Dimholt Road' in Sindarin. (magpie: there are no voices on this track that I can discern... perhaps the interview preceded the final mix of the track or HS is speaking of that section of the movie... not just the CD.) The structure of the piece, the composition and the orchestration is unique to 'The Army of the Dead'. It's how I arrived at the counterpoint by using long and very fast moving lines. I used Tibetan hanging gongs; the lower extremes of the piano, contrabassoon, bassoons, and the bass clarinet were all used in very specific ways. The writing is modern and using clusters of sound within the voices. 'The Army of the Dead' is based more in the twentieth century than other parts of the score.

About one minute into this CD track there's a part I love which will be on the DVD, but it's not in the film. It's really what 'Hope Fails' was all about; it's a piece I wrote for a scene at 'The Black Gate'. It's a scene when Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin, and Gandalf approach the black gate, Sauron sends out one of his emissaries to meet the. He comes out and at one point of their discussion he takes out the mithril vest Frodo was wearing, and he implies that Frodo suffered greatly and he's dead.

My comments:
I've just checked my friend, Michael's, analysis of the ROTK TE and he says this about the Paths of the Dead scene (first part):

Released material: ROTK, 14, 0:01-0:41. Mostly unreleased, with some unreleased choral work as the Army of the Dead gathers around.

so the singing is in the movie but not on the CD.

I don't think the sound Encaitare is hearing at 0:19 is the gong. I wonder if it's the monochord although perhaps not. You might also try listening to the sarangi. Both instruments were used for Lothlorien/Elven music and I don't know that he would use it for such a dark purpose as well.

For a really, odd sound... listen to the sound made when that first Orc falls at Helm's Deep.

oh... and here's a link the article Chord of the Rings ... which I just got, btw (the pun - not the link)... had to think hard there a moment.

01-01-2006, 10:25 PM	#230
Magpie Guest Posts: n/a	Here's a section from the magazine "Music from the Movies", issue 42 - devoted (almost) to the LOTR soundtrack. 'Hope Fails' has a dark opening with low celli that evolves into a dark and ominous brass part. What does this music lead us to? This track on the CD begins with the celli playing the music for 'The Army of the Dead' and there are certain motifs that I use for this. The choral music is performed with all-male singers; they are singing a part of the poem called 'The Dimholt Road' in Sindarin. (magpie: there are no voices on this track that I can discern... perhaps the interview preceded the final mix of the track or HS is speaking of that section of the movie... not just the CD.) The structure of the piece, the composition and the orchestration is unique to 'The Army of the Dead'. It's how I arrived at the counterpoint by using long and very fast moving lines. I used Tibetan hanging gongs; the lower extremes of the piano, contrabassoon, bassoons, and the bass clarinet were all used in very specific ways. The writing is modern and using clusters of sound within the voices. 'The Army of the Dead' is based more in the twentieth century than other parts of the score. About one minute into this CD track there's a part I love which will be on the DVD, but it's not in the film. It's really what 'Hope Fails' was all about; it's a piece I wrote for a scene at 'The Black Gate'. It's a scene when Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin, and Gandalf approach the black gate, Sauron sends out one of his emissaries to meet the. He comes out and at one point of their discussion he takes out the mithril vest Frodo was wearing, and he implies that Frodo suffered greatly and he's dead. My comments: I've just checked my friend, Michael's, analysis of the ROTK TE and he says this about the Paths of the Dead scene (first part): Released material: ROTK, 14, 0:01-0:41. Mostly unreleased, with some unreleased choral work as the Army of the Dead gathers around. so the singing is in the movie but not on the CD. I don't think the sound Encaitare is hearing at 0:19 is the gong. I wonder if it's the monochord although perhaps not. You might also try listening to the sarangi. Both instruments were used for Lothlorien/Elven music and I don't know that he would use it for such a dark purpose as well. For a really, odd sound... listen to the sound made when that first Orc falls at Helm's Deep. oh... and here's a link the article Chord of the Rings ... which I just got, btw (the pun - not the link)... had to think hard there a moment. Last edited by Magpie; 01-01-2006 at 11:50 PM.