Musical instruments in Middle-earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 02-29-2008, 07:09 PM

If you're talking about the Rankin/Bass animated version, oh, yes, they had at least pieces of a surprising number of songs. I'm not sure Tolkien would've approved of them (some of them make me think of an old, old American TV show "Sing Along with Mitch"), but at least they didn't ignore them entirely. And in at least one case, rather than have all the verses literally sung, they had John Huston recite many of them, which, when one considers that "song" did not always mean "words set to music," it wasn't entirely inappropriate. Most of the songs in the R/B Hobbit at least came from the book (with one notable exception, that I can remember; it's been a LONG time since I saw the thing). One can't say the same for R/B's eminently forgettable attempt at RotK. *shudder*

Estelyn Telcontar · 03-20-2008, 04:40 AM

My attention was drawn to a book which analyzes musical affect in Shore's LotR soundtrack: Projecting Tolkien's Musical Worlds. Those of you who have read and posted here may be interested; I certainly am!

02-29-2008, 07:09 PM	#1
Ibrîniðilpathânezel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Back on the Helcaraxe Posts: 733	If you're talking about the Rankin/Bass animated version, oh, yes, they had at least pieces of a surprising number of songs. I'm not sure Tolkien would've approved of them (some of them make me think of an old, old American TV show "Sing Along with Mitch"), but at least they didn't ignore them entirely. And in at least one case, rather than have all the verses literally sung, they had John Huston recite many of them, which, when one considers that "song" did not always mean "words set to music," it wasn't entirely inappropriate. Most of the songs in the R/B Hobbit at least came from the book (with one notable exception, that I can remember; it's been a LONG time since I saw the thing). One can't say the same for R/B's eminently forgettable attempt at RotK. shudder __________________ Call me Ibrin (or Ibri) :) Originality is the one thing that unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. — John Stewart Mill

03-20-2008, 04:40 AM	#2
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	My attention was drawn to a book which analyzes musical affect in Shore's LotR soundtrack: Projecting Tolkien's Musical Worlds. Those of you who have read and posted here may be interested; I certainly am! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'