Grieg for Gimli, Schumann for Saruman

[Kransha]

You people have good taste. As I've always been a bit of a classical afficionado, I'll just input my two sense, quite centsibly....or is that, my two cents, quite sensibly. Pity I can't provide any links. Just look 'em up, you'll find 'em. All of these are relatively well-known and widespread.

Molto Vivace, Symphony #9, Ludwig Von Beethoven
Very much Merry and Pippin for me. It's a bit minor, a bit major, and always switching if you notice. It's never sad, or too grand. Just right. Very jumpy, very spritely, somewhat comic at times, but with resonating seriousness and conscious undertones (does that make any sense whatsoever, hmm?).

Slavic March (March Slav), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
This is, of course semi-patriotic, but only in a very dreary way. For most of the piece, it is simply dreary, but two sections are quite the opposite. Contrary to being uplifting, though, the two sections are more happy in a way associated with conquest, resonating the Russian's penchant for remaining in the minor key. This seems ideal for many baddies. I would vote for the theme of Mordor, or at least it's orcs. It has the grand scale of Sauron's wroth with the steady, resilient, and forceful beat of an orcish march.

Egmont Overture, Ludwig Von Beethoven
Gondor, or just Denethor. Hard to say. It's not really creepy or evil enough to be Denethor, so I vote for Minas Tirith. It has all the triumphant, resounding chords of a grand city, set in with the eerie minor of Mordor's shadow. Some parts of it are either too eerie or too tranquil, but Beethoven was writing before Tolkien, so I'll cut him the adequate amount of slack. He was quite a composer, and this is one of my favorites of his (overtures at least). If the 5th Symphony weren't already a stereotype on it's own, I'd nominate that too.

Dies Irae, Requiem, Wolfganf Amadeus Mozart
Though this was cast as having the diabolicability of Saruman, I think it is far more apt for the Nazgul. If you listen to Howard Shore's composition for the Nazgul ('The Revelation of the Ringwraiths') the undertones of this are more than a little apparent. As one of the three most famous requiem/durges in history, this has a 'special' place in my heart as a long time favorite. Even though Mozart has better works (operatic and symphonic), this has all the passion of his last months of life, a kind of passion that most are unable to understand. Also, at this time, Mozart, according to conspiracy theories, was on death's door and pouring the last ounce of his being into this (I dunno, but it's a theory). Just the thing for corrupted kings, fallen from grace.

Overture, Water Music Suite, George Friedrich Handel
Maybe too grandiose, but this really feels like Rivendell to me. Maybe Elrond. It's very epic, very sweeping, very big, but not pockmarked by too much staccato. It's just long and soothing enough to be Elven, just the right mix. Also, the semi-baroque style seems fitting for the House of Elrond. Also, when I hear this, I think of Gondolin, but that's more from the Silmarillion.

Morning Mood, Peer Gynt Suite, Edvard Grieg
This is, almost certainly, a Shire piece. It's more than a little catered to it. It seems like a generic hobbit theme, but might be particular. If anything, it might be Sam's or Bilbo's music, at least at the beginning of The Fellowship. It is calm, homely, and reeks of gardening and happy birdsongs, so it seems rather apt for Samwise Gamgee. It's not boisterous enough for Merry, Pippin, or the Gaffer.