Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

[Encaitare]

The opening of this track is soft and gentle (like the peace after the battle), in sharp contrast to the horrors our heroes have just experienced. Strings are soon joined by the flute, playing music reminiscient of the Shire's. By 1:20, brass has joined in as well to perform the Fellowship theme -- it is, after all, the first time the Fellowship (except dead Boromir) has been together since the Breaking back in FotR. Upon Sam's entrance at about 1:47, the flute returns to play the Shire theme.

At 2:16, we are out atop Minas Tirith at the coronation ceremony; the music is gentle but majestic, and the horn plays the Gondor theme. At 3:46, we have Viggo's lovely solo:

Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta

Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world

The Fellowship theme returns briefly before Renee Fleming's solo, signaling the appearance of Arwen:

Tinúviel elvanui
Elleth alfirin edhelhael
O hon ring finnil fuinui
A renc gelebrin thiliol...

Tinúviel [the] elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast [her] night-dark hair,
And arms [like] silver glimmering...

The strings move this into another brief solo by Sir Galway; then the Shire theme is heard as the people of Minas Tirith bow down to our hobbity heroes.

By 6:42 we are panning out, and look, the city turned into a map! The music in this bit does not seem to follow any certain theme, but at 7:22, the Shire theme is repeated on flute yet another time. The music is similar to that at the beginning of the trilogy, with the soft beats underneath the melody. At 8:22, a fiddle plays a variation of the theme, too. Even though the same melody is repeated, it is much sadder and darker. This changes at 9:23, when Sam gets his little spurt of courage, and marries Rosie. The music takes a brief happy turn, quite like the original Shire music, but then moves back to a more sorrowful sound.

Only two more tracks left!