Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

[Lathriel]

Thanks for your support because next year I'll be going to university so I have to really pick what I want to do.

About track 8

It's one of my favourite tracks on the FOTR soundtrack.Of course the intor always takes my breath away. For me the rinwraith theme isn't the biggest part. I like the part where the trumpets sound announcing that the waters in the Ford have rissen. That part of the son isn't actually in the movie but I like it because I can simply see the horses in the wave as I listen to that part.

I also like it that the song starts very subtle. That it isn't a couple of voices that begin to sing but that it is just one voice and that slowly as you see more of Arwen in the movie more voices are added to make the dreamlike image more compact untill you see Arwen completely. I like it when a composer gets the music spot on with the image without being cheesy or overdoing it.

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

Ah, this is a very beautiful piece. I like the lyrics at the beginning:
Tinúviel elvanui
Elleth alfirin [0.00-0.40]
(Tinúviel elven-fair
Immortal maiden)

It's nice how the lyrics sang during the first appearance of Arwen refer to Luthien. It is very calm and dream-like song until the brass come along. The soft ending ties the piece nicely together.
I had this impression that Peter Jackson actually played the gong himself in some of the tracks but I can't remember if it was this one. I think they showed it on one of the EE DVDs.

Just watched the LOTR symphony DVD and it was excellent. Makes me wish I was good enough to be involved in something like that.

Yeah, tell me about it! Despite I play in a very decent youth orchestra at the moment, there's no way I could get a profession out of that.

[Encaitare]

PJ played the gong when Eowyn is standing in front of Meduseld, then Aragorn looks away and when he looks back she is gone.

Thanks for pointing the elvish lyrics out; that's a nice tie-in with Luthien.

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

Oh, right, now I remember. So the gong was in TTT then.
About track 8 and it's Elvish aspect... apart from the lyrics, I don't think it's particularly elven-like. But that doesn't really bother me. On screen there's emotionally a lot going on. There's this creepy feeling that the Ringwraiths are close and they might just jump out behind the nearest bush. Frodo is convulsing and gasping and it doesn't seem probable that Aragorn & co. could manage to escape.

But then: the next thing we know there's this elf lady in her fluffy gown looking, sounding and acting like an angel. I think this piece doesn't refer to Rivendell or Mordor as much as the emotions during Arwen's first scene. Of course there are clips from different themes but in the film the track (in my opinion) rather emphasizes emotions than reveals any new cultural matters. For me it works really well.

[Encaitare]

And so we enter the lovely world of Rivendell, fa-la-la-lally, down here in the valley.

Fortunately there is no silly rhyming, just pretty music.

We have a women's choir and strings, and even a harp which can just be heard underneath them. It all sounds very ethereal. The choir, I was delighted to learn, is singing "A Elbereth Gilthoniel," albeit only the first part:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna miriel

O Elbereth Star-kindler
(white) glittering slants down sparkling like jewels

Complete lyrics can be found here.

The Rivendell theme is played by an English horn (neither English nor a horn ) at 0:28. I may have said this earlier or in some other thread, but interestingly, the first ascending notes of this theme are repeated in several different pieces. They are almost identical to the first four notes to the vocals in Gollum's Song, and to those in Aragorn's song at his coronation, when he says "sinome maruvan." Just a little something I've noticed.

Then the strings come in with the Shire theme, which is continued by a clarinet. In all this magical, floaty music, the clarinet sounds a little more down-to-earth, fitting with Frodo's meeting with Bilbo and his realization that he misses home more than he ever thought he would. It also sounds sadder than any of the other times we have heard the hobbit's theme, showing how Frodo is changed already.

At 2:06, the Rivendell theme is played by a flute (yay!), segueing once more into a full string version of the Shire theme. These two themes keep slipping into one another; the fate of the hobbits will be decided at Rivendell.

[Lathriel]

This is the first time in this soundtrack that this theme is heard. I lIke it how it has this flowing feel to it.
First the theme is alien to you but then you hear the Hobbit theme and it puts you at ease. There are no longer any threatening ringwraiths to be heard.
This song also begins to set the tone for the second half of the CD I think. Since we now depart from the ringwraith theme we get to know a whole bunch of new themes. In fact we don't hear the ringwraith theme untill ROTK.

Since we left the last track with Frodo being sick and a quiet, sad ending it is nice to here the beginning of this one. It is completely different and the music tells me that things are going well, and that we no longer have to fear for Frodo. This track along with the council of Elrond is really a short relief (As in the book) from evil. So not only the characters recover but the listener (reader) as well.

What I also like about this song is the title cause its taken straight from the book.In fact I like that about many of the titles on these soundtracks. Over 50% are of the names are titles from chapters.

I didn't know they sang Elbereth Gilthoniel. Thanks for telling me that Encaitare

This spiece of music also goes very well with the movie. It adds a feel of magic to the scene. It is really one of the last parts that is truly bright in this movie. After Rivendell evrything gets darker which you can clearly hear in the music.

[Encaitare]

The track opens with strings playing a more toned-down version of the Rivendell theme. Then, the lovely Enya has her first appearance on the soundtrack:

O môr henion i dhû:
Ely siriar, êl síla.
Ai! Aníron Undómiel.

Tiro! Êl eria e môr.
I 'lîr en êl luitha 'úren.
Ai! Aníron...


From darkness I understand the night:
dreams flow, a star shines.
Ah! I desire Evenstar.

Look! A star rises out of the darkness.
The song of the star enchants my heart.
Ah! I desire...

Very fitting for Aragorn and Arwen's little scene of romance.

The second half of the track is at the actual Council, with the Fellowship theme beginning to build up. As soon as the transition is made, around 2:15, the strings play a bit of the Rivendell theme briefly, but then switch to that of the Fellowship, with more and more instruments being added. First there are strings, to which are added brass as Gandalf, Aragorn, and our other larger heroes join. When Sam joins them, we hear the Shire theme with its tin whistle (2:55); and then there are full strings playing the same them when Merry and Pippin join. Quickly, it becomes the Fellowship theme once more, with full strings, brass, and timpani... and doesn't that cymbal crash at the end sound so triumphant?

This is the first time we hear the Fellowship theme in full, and the last time we will hear it this way for a while.

Not much analysis here, I know... but I liked doing this one. It's very complex thematically.