LotR Symphony - Johan de Meij

[Estelyn Telcontar]

What a great experience, WaB? ! I'd love to watch him direct his work!

How about a movement by movement discussion of this work for those who are interested in it? I can post some of the thoughts that I collected for a lecture this past weekend, and you can join in with your impressions!

I'll start with the first movement: 'Gandalf'. It begins with a fanfare, a musical element that is usually heard when royalty or other VIPs make an appearance, or for special occasions (like the Olympic games). It reminds us that Gandalf is a very important person, a divine angelic being, even though his arrival in Middle-earth is not noticed by its people.

Then we hear Gandalf's theme, a motif which is repeated throughout the symphony when his presence is felt. It wanders through several keys, expressing his wanderings in M-e. Then comes a fast passage which characterizes Shadowfax and the Wizard's swift rides on the Meara. That is followed by a dignified hymn, an Expression of his personality, his origin and high standing as a Maia, and the loftiness of his task in the War of the Ring.

I remember reading an interesting detail somewhere, though I can no longer trace the source: Gandalf's theme uses those musical notes which are included in his name - G, A, D, F. (N and L aren't in the musical scale, of course.) I haven't had an opportunity to see the actual score, so I can't confirm that firsthand. Perhaps someone who has played it knows?

The first movement ends as it began, with a fanfare.

How does this music make you feel? Do you think it characterizes Gandalf well? I like it very much and find it uplifting. De Meij originally intended to use this movement as the third, but decided that since Gandalf's theme shows up in other movements, it needed to be at the beginning. It's fun to locate it later on!