What section of The Fellowship of the Ring is your favorite, musically?

[Jay 37,374]

Yup! I love how Fellowship segues from section to section, something TTT and especially ROTK don't do as well.

[crocodile 8,020]

That's because Fellowship introduces and presents these elements as separate entities (in a way). Whereas the two other scores manipulate and merge it in different ways. At least that's what Doug Adams is telling us. That's what makes FOTR the most accessible score of the three.

Anyway,

[Incanus 5,716]

Yup! I love how Fellowship segues from section to section, something TTT and especially ROTK don't do as well.

Linear story is much more easy to connect than several different story threads I suppose. The aforementioned widening of the scope of the movies and scores makes the two sequels a bit different in their approach as well as the themes and musical ideas begin to mix and collide in earnest.

[Jay 37,374]

Totally. I'm not blaming Shore for being unable to do something he should have been able to do. I blame the change in nature of the storytelling, which necessitated a change in the way the score was written.

[Brónach 1,302]

My favourite film of the three is The Two Towers, but my favourite score is the first one, despite all the additions of the latter scores. It's more adventurous, while the two others are bigger, static, more epic.

But you've got to love the colosal sense of conclusion of the climatic cues of The Return of the King and onwards. It's like the music has changed so much, because it's been a long journey, but it still sounds like the music was always leading to be like that, to end in that uberlyrical, melancholical note. The drops of volume instead of big music accentuate this.

(Peter Jackson seems to be quite fond of this "less is more" concept, musically, while he does the opposite with the images.)

[Jay 37,374]

Well said!

[Incanus 5,716]

I'm sorry, did I use sarcasm and cynicism in a way you are not accustomed to? If only there was a way I could have warned you.

A dancing banana. Good idea. Better use that in the following posts to avoid confusion.

[Faleel 5,360]

Lothlorien. Silver Trumpets. 'Nuff said.

[Incanus 5,716]

Lothlorien. Silver Trumpets. 'Nuff said.

Well now that you mention it, that theme is another favourite of mine.

Shoot! I will be agreeing with everyone in this thread on their choices.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[paleo 63]

Lothlorien; especially the parts only heard in the extended edition, like the giving of the gifts or the first view of Caras Galadhon.... A little New-Agey in part, perhaps, but I love it :-)

[Red 75]

The battle at Amon Hen and the finale.

Mines of Moria shortly follows.

[Faleel 5,360]

I have to say I prefer the Isengard theme statements post-Lothlorien, than pre-Lothlorien

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Khazad-Doom sequence and the rest of Moria. I remember noticing the music back upon my first theatrical viewing and loving it.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I voted the journey down Anduin and the arrival at Parth Galen/Amon Hen.

And with the journey down Anduin, I enclose the farewell to Lorien there as well, since that is the beginning of that journey. Lyrical/ thematic/ dramatic/ cinematic music doesn't get better than "Farewell To Lorien".

I love the driving, pure travelogue music after that, when the Fellowship theme kicks in with the drums, and the deep string accentuations, and especially the yearning, melancholic horn/trumpet line after that.

"The Argonath" may very well be the best and most original choral music in Fellowship (next to Khazad-Dum), followed by the awe-inspiring, unique and poignant History Of The Ring theme.

I've always adored the little intro to the History theme that Shore oddly enough only used in Fellowship, so we have that; plus, the scene between Frodo and Boromir is scored in a great way, with lots of thematic subtext, followed by yet again a unique History theme statement and the seduction theme.

There is a lot of diversity there, and I think it's the most outright enjoyable portion of the score because it's kind of the build-up to the finale, and there are no specific emotions connected to it other than enjoyment. I have to be in the mood for "Lothlorien" or "Khazad-Dum", but I can listen to "The Great River" anytime, anywhere.

Of course Fellowship was a linear movie, and it gave Shore the opportunity to create some really long suites of sort, if you take Moria or Rivendell or Hobbiton as examples - those are all in their own soundscapes.

And Two Towers and Return of the King still have that, it's just broken up. And I think that's helps the narrative arc and the diversity of the score a lot.

Oh, and one more thing: if I could change two things in the score of ROTK, I'd put the original score back over the fall of Barad-Dur (instead of that horrible edit), and I'd use the short Fellowship statement over "The End", the one from the Rarities, that Shore originally wrote.

[Faleel 5,360]

I'd use the short Fellowship statement over "The End", the one from the Rarities, that Shore originally wrote.

I would have merged to alternate and the film version into one.

[gkgyver 1,645]

And I'd like to point out once more that if you combine "The End Of All Things", the alternate "Sammath Naur" and the second half of "The Crack Of Doom", the resulting 9 minutes rank in the Top 5 film score sequences ever written.

[Romão 2,274]

As some of you might know (or not), I am not fan of Peter Jackon's LOTR trilogy. My gripes with it are too numerous and out of place to list.

However, I will concede that in FOTR (which I agree, still is the best movie and score of the trilogy) there is a portion I find to be perfectly spot on in all leves, specially tone.

From the moment Bilbo sneaks up from his party to Bag's End, where he is greeted by Gandalf, up to the moment right before the ride to Rivendell (minus some of those stupid Merry and Pippin antics), the movie really soars. The sense of foreboding, the danger and temptation of the ring, the acting, the wonderful camera angles, the rythm of the scenes, the ominous score. Just fantastic stuff. The rest of the trilogy never lives up to this, not in the slightest, in my view

[Henry B 50]

The journey from Rivendell to Moria, although they're basically all amazing. I love that track, "The Ring Goes South," and the expanded version in "Gilraen's Memorial." There's something about it that recalls antiquity as well as the tradition of Hollywood fantasy films. Nostalgia. It's true of the whole film and score, too. I feel like Fellowship of the Ring is the grand culmination of the 70s, 80s and 90s blockbusters, while The Two Towers and Return of the King are thoroughly "2000s" films. They lack a certain innocence.

[Incanus 5,716]

"The Argonath" may very well be the best and most original choral music in Fellowship (next to Khazad-Dum), followed by the awe-inspiring, unique and poignant History Of The Ring theme.

I've always adored the little intro to the History theme that Shore oddly enough only used in Fellowship, so we have that; plus, the scene between Frodo and Boromir is scored in a great way, with lots of thematic subtext, followed by yet again a unique History theme statement and the seduction theme.

I have always felt that the History of the Ring theme in the Argonath sequence fulfils several tasks. It marks the significant passage of the Ring to Gondor, another phase in the story, it underscores the weight the Fellowship feels hovering over them as they pass the enormous statues, it imparts some of their antiquity in its melodic form and most of all is a cruel reminder of the tragic fall of Isildur and what the Ring's evil is capable of. All this part of the Ring's History.

And I agree that the extended History of the Ring theme with that sly and rather weary opening phrase before the melody is one of my favourite things in this score. It is almost a musical trigger. When it creeps into the score you know it is a harbinger of something ominous and evil. It indeed adds a great amount of subtext and anticipation to the Frodo and Boromir scenes in Parth Galen.

[Luke Skywalker 1,796]

concerning hobbits.

though mines of moria is cool.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

No idea what the tack is called, but it's the bit where Bilbo announces his departure, puts on The Ring, dissappears, and (presumably) runs up to his home, invisible. The string arpeggios are lovely.

[crocodile 8,020]

Interesting to note that a lot of people like the Hobbiton and Mines of Moria sections. Looks good for The Hobbit.

Elves are also in the film, aren't they.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Richard Penna 3,695]

Very tough question. The entire score means so much to me, and like others, Fellowship is by far my favourite score of the three.

I won't repeat what Jay said, but it has a cohesiveness and such a thorough grounding in the changing cultures and landscapes, that due to endless re-editing and diverging stories, the sequels don't have.

I think TTT still merges very nicely, but the separated journeys start the 'okay, done with that location, now let's go here for a track' routine so that one track doesn't really lead to the next in the way that it does in FotR.

And by the time you get to RotK, the hectic composing schedule doesn't help things. While I would never actually do it, I agree with Jay that some cues could be shaved off to make the listening experience a bit better. It's like 3 or 4 scores have clashed together with the pace of up to the minute changes not allowing enough room to really make them meld as one score.

I still think RotK is a great score - it's just more a collection of outstanding pieces with some dead wood here and there.

Soooo... back to the question...

I'm torn between the Rivendell - > Mines area, and the final Amon Hen sequence with by far my favourite cue of the entire trilogy: The Breaking of the Fellowship.

I'm going for the former. You've got them leaving Rivendell, the Pass of Caradhras, the Watcher sequence, the cave troll battle and the bridge sequence... yes I know that's two options. Fuck it. It's a near flawless sequence of music. It also happens to be the longest stretch of the score that wasn't on the OST. The CR was an absolute godsend.

(In keeping with the rules though, I voted for Moria)

[Incanus 5,716]

It is really tough to decide isn't it since every part contains something outstanding to love and appreciate whether it is mood or thematic development or action piece or dramatic underscore.

Moria certainly stands out as a singular entity, composed first and encapsulating the Dwarven musical world.

[Jay 37,374]

Wow, great responses everyone, thank you so much. I love this discussion.

It certainly is a very hard questions to answer, as Shore really nailed every section of the film independently and made them all connect to each other perfectly as well.

I think at this point we have multi-paragraph explanations for why each section is so great except for one: The music in Bree, and the journey from there to Rivendell.

You've got the ominous tones as the hobbits sit in the Prancing Pony, not knowing what to do, and the introduction of Aragorn's Theme as he watches them. THe most powerful yet choral Nazgul music as they enter Bree, and the brilliant "into the wild" cue, in both theatrical and extended edition forms. The entire Weathertop sequence, including the dropped music for the Shadow World Frodo sees when he puts on the ring, our first long-form appearance of the Isengard Theme. Then Arwen's Theme as she shows up, followed by the multiple versions of the "Flight To The Ford" sequence. What do people think of that section?

[crocodile 8,020]

You know, it's funny you mention Bree and all that section. I'm not a fan of this part of the score simpy because I think Shore overdone a bit the Ringwraith material in FOTR. It takes away from the mystery of the riders, I think. It's ok for TTT and ROTK where it fits very well into the whole operatic sequences, but in the first film it's a bit too much too early. Or maybe I feel that way because the OST presentation seemed to feature this theme in grand choral fashion in way too many tracks.

Karol

[Jay 37,374]

Right, the OST features Shore's original intentions which feature louder and more prominent choir. For the final cut of the film the choir was reduced, and that change is reflected on the CRs

[Ricard 2,245]

Where is the option "I have no favorite section whatsoever"?

[Jay 37,374]

Have you ever given the OST a shot?

[Ricard 2,245]

Are you serious?

[Jay 37,374]

Yes. I don't know if you gave it a fair shake or if you dismissed it after hearing it in the movie or what.

[Ricard 2,245]

And why are you doubting that?

[crocodile 8,020]

I find his lack of faith disurbing.

Karol

[Jay 37,374]

I just didn't know as all - I wasn't doubting you I just asked a simple questions.

 

I'm sorry to hear you gave it a fair shot and just can't get into it. I find it to be some of the best film music ever written.

[crocodile 8,020]

"Best ever" is too much, I think. "The most ambitious undertaking and most complicated structure"? Yes, certainly.

Karol

[Jay 37,374]

Well, to me its some of the best ever. Not the "some of" - I'm not saying it is "THE" best. But yea, for me, its some of the best, some of my favorite. I listen to it as much as I listen to my favorite Williams and Goldsmith scores. AND, I never get tired of it. Probably because every time I listen, I discover something new, and because of the length, I tend to go a while between listens anyway (other than nonstop periods when each CR came out, of course)

[crocodile 8,020]

I find many of his underscore tracks to drag a little. I know there is much going on in them, but for some reason some chunks of it sound a bit dull. But then again there absolutely gorgeous sequences as well.

So what it is that makes Shore's music tick? I'm curious.

Karol

[Jay 37,374]

I have no idea. Outside of LOTR and SUN, I haven't heard any of his scores

[crocodile 8,020]

You never heard The Fly?

Or The Aviator?

Karol

[Jay 37,374]

No, I haven't.

[Romão 2,274]

There are two great themes composed by Shore for the LOTR trilogy. One is the History of the Ring theme (I remember liking that melody when listening to the score to be very pleasantly surprised when I was watching the movie for the first time, right in the opening titles, to discover it was a full fledged theme).

The other theme I have absolutely no idea what it represents, and I think (though I'm far from being certain, as I cannnot sit through the CR's), that it is only heard twice in the entire saga, both times in FOTR and both renditions are included in the original cd. The theme can be heard at the 0:35 mark of Treason of Isengard and and at the 3:53 mark of Lothlorien. It is a gorgeous, nostalgic theme that I wish it was used more often.

[crocodile 8,020]

It's a general travelling theme, if I remember correctly. Can be also heard at the beginning of ROTK.

Here at 0:09:

Karol

[Ricard 2,245]

You never heard The Fly?

No, I haven't.

Now I am sorry to hear that!

[Jay 37,374]

There are two great themes composed by Shore for the LOTR trilogy. One is the History of the Ring theme (I remember liking that melody when listening to the score to be very pleasantly surprised when I was watching the movie for the first time, right in the opening titles, to discover it was a full fledged theme).

The other theme I have absolutely no idea what it represents, and I think (though I'm far from being certain, as I cannnot sit through the CR's), that it is only heard twice in the entire saga, both times in FOTR and both renditions are included in the original cd. The theme can be heard at the 0:35 mark of Treason of Isengard and and at the 3:53 mark of Lothlorien. It is a gorgeous, nostalgic theme that I wish it was used more often.

Doug Adams calls that theme "The Journey There", and its also used throughout ROTK, though its uses there were dropped from the final finished film.

[Romão 2,274]

It's a general travelling theme, if I remember correctly. Can be also heard at the beginning of ROTK.

Here at 0:09:

Karol

It sounds better when the melody's resolution is played on the woodwinds, instead of the strings like in that clip. Still, good stuff. Too bad it is followed by the Fellowship theme, and theme I find utterly pedestrian

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Richard Penna 3,695]

Right, the OST features Shore's original intentions which feature louder and more prominent choir. For the final cut of the film the choir was reduced, and that change is reflected on the CRs

I also think the OST puts too much emphasis on that section of the score. There are 3 tracks in a row that prominently feature the Ringwraith music, and I really I feel one would have been enough, with more attention given to other areas.

Particularly, the album does a good job showing the transition from the hobbit music to the darker material as they leave the Shire, but it then jumps straight from the adventurous and bold forming of the fellowship, to the dark and dirty environment of the mines - we don't get any of the buildup nor any of the reasoning for them even venturing into the mine.