Dwarf music time!
First we have a men's choir, singing in what Gwaith-i-Phethdain calls "Neo-Khuzdul," since Tolkien did not provide many examples of the language. It goes as follows:
Quote:
Durin ku binamrad
Ugmal sulu addad ku ba
Abad ku ganaga
Tur ganad
Abanul Durin
Ku bin Amrad
Ku ba kana a na aznan
Un du abad
Ku gan aga aznan.
The full poem by Philippa Boyens is:
Durin who is Deathless
Eldest of all Fathers
Who awoke
To darkness
Beneath the mountain
Who walked alone
Through halls of stone
Durin who is Deathless
Lord of Khazad-dum
Who cleaved
The Dark
And broke
The silence
This is your light!
This is your word!
This is your glory!
The Dwarrowdelf of Khazad-dum!
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Some tentative strings and brass come softly over the choir, our Fellowship moving through the ancient Dwarf city, trying to be inconspicuous. Much of the first part of the piece really establishes the dark mood of the place.
Beginning at 2:06, one of my favorite bits of the score occurs: Dwarrowdelf. The music is no longer dark and mysterious, but beautiful and uplifting, a reminder of city's "glory days." It becomes more expansive, as if it is resonating throughout the great chamber even as we listen.
But alas, soon our marveling heroes are besieged once more. At 3:18, it quickly takes on an urgent pace. The fanfares of brass are the heroes trying their best to fend off the enemy. One thing that's interesting about this track is this little sound at 3:35 -- it sounds like a shake on a flute, but it reminds me of an orcish whoop or something.
While the music is very important, the decision
not to use music is equally important. I remember seeing FotR for the first time, and being surprised by the way the music just drops out when the Fellowship is fighting the orcs in the chamber of Mazarbul. Shore simply chose to let the sounds of battle do the job for him.