Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

I like the very beginning of the track the most. The choir, the brass and the drums are growing the tension towards a climax and then - a sudden silence. Plus, the first note of this piece, the long low e, is beautifully played by the cellos(?). I think this particular exctract sounds somehow better just as music without the film stealing all attention.

Originally Posted by Enca

The music in this track skips around, I suppose so it flows nicely. Still, it's kind of confusing.

Yes, it's interesting that they have mixed the order of the themes. The result suonds really nice to me, though.

[Lathriel]

I really like the harmonies in this song. In general I think one of Howards Shore's strongest pieces are the ones with a choir, or another vocal part.

[The Tennis Ball Kid]

Shore's re-arrangement of the music for the album can be....interesting. Here the connection seems to be music from scenes with The White Rider in them. (obviously )


The use of Old English (Rohhiric) for the Rohhirim, along with the fiddles, definitely gives them their own sound throughout the film, moreso than Gondor had one in ROTK....




ttbk

[Encaitare]

Sindarin lyrics:

Naur vi eryn,
lanc i dalaf.
Mathach vi geven?
Nostach vi 'wilith?
Mâb le i nagor,
Bâd gurth vi ngalad firiel.
Dorthach vi mar han?
Dagrathach go hain?


'The woods are burning,
the ground lies bare.
Do you feel it in the earth?
Can you smell it in the air?
The war is upon you,
Death moves in the fading light.
Are you part of this world?
Will you join their fight?'


Word-for-word translation:

'Fire in forest,
naked [is] the ground.
Feel-you [it] in earth?
Smell-you [it] in air?
Takes you [or you are taken by] the war,
Goes death in light fading.
Dwell-you in land this?
Will-make-war-you with them?'

I like how the music starts off low and menacing. It almost has a woodish sort of feel, like the creaking of branches. The voices come in like whispers through the woods. My favorite part begins at 0:54, when the solo instrument is accompanied by the percussion. I'm not sure what the instrument is, though I think it's a double reed, which would be appropriate for the whole wood theme.

Around 2:18 it changes again, with the strings entering and the percussion becoming louder. I'd really like to know what kind of percussion was used in this section, though they might have just been tapping away on wood blocks for all I know.

I'm not sure where all these lyrics come in; I suspect that just a few lines are used. Even so, I like them. I think it's cool how the lines "Do you feel it in the earth? Can you smell it in the air?" mirror Galadriel's opening lines in FotR.

[Lathriel]

I like this track but at times I think it is a little to dark. But reading the lyrics I understand why it is so dark. This track is partly showing the anger that Treebeard feels towards Saruman.
In the book it is Treebeard who says "I can feel it in the earth, I can smell it in the air" So it is very appropriate that those words were put in the lyrics. I like that of most of the lyrics in LOTR. Often you can find small qoutes from the book in them.

[Encaitare]

In the book it is Treebeard who says "I can feel it in the earth, I can smell it in the air" So it is very appropriate that those words were put in the lyrics. I like that of most of the lyrics in LOTR.

Ooh, yes, I'd forgotten that. Thanks for pointing that one out -- it fits the track even better.

[Lathriel]

Track 11:The Leave Taking

I get the honour of bringing in the next track since Encaitare won't be here.

So we begin with the Rivendell theme although this version is not so vigorous as the one we heard in Fellowship. And it melts into the Lothlorien theme as Elrond "talks" to Galadriel about the ring. Which then brings us to Frodo and Sam and we hear the ring theme at 2:56. I myself call it the fate theme since everybody is becoming connected to the ring or is involved and thus the ring becomes part of their fate.

In this track you can hear the connection between the Rivendell and Lothlorien theme. They both are wistful and there is a sense of a growing darkness. This music has a certain melancholy to it that I find very fitting for elves.

I really like this track since there is a bit of quiet before the next track which is louder and faster. This way there seems to be more variety throughout the CD.

Of course the choir is beautiful and I like the fact that the ring theme is played by and oboe since the oboe has a melancholy sound but at the same time it is also very cold and clear exactly like the ring itself.

[Kitanna]

For Treebeard~

Originally Posted by Encaitare

It almost has a woodish sort of feel, like the creaking of branches.

I like the woodish feel at the beginning of the track. The first thirty seconds is very mysterious, much like Ents are very mysterious. I also love how the music keeps picking up, then suddenly it drops into the percussion and the wind solo.

[Kitanna]

For The Leave Taking~

I like this track. The Rivendell theme always puts me in a calm state of mind and that's probably why I like it. Then at 1:15 on the track it goes from Rivendell to the Lorien theme (also a lovely theme).
The Rivendell theme is very peaceful and very homely. Then the Lorien theme is more mysterious. Then there's the Ring theme around 3:11 which more played for Gollum and the prolouge from FOTR.
So this is really three themes in one and I like those tracks the best because of the contrast.

[Lathriel]

Track 12: Helm's Deep

This track begins much faster. Obviously this announces conflict. The choir joins in at 0:56 and seems to add an urgency to the track.

Then the music slows down so that it can bring in the Rohan theme in war mode. I call it that because as the Hardinger is playing you can hear the drums in the background.

It ends slowly with a soprano, which I think represents the sorrow Eowyn feels because Aragorn is lost.

I really like this track and I think the vocal parts give it a nice sweeping feel.