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

[Jay 37,374]

I agree with you. While the OST IS a good listening experience and a pretty good summation of the score, it isn't perfect. The biggest downfall being too much emphasis on ringwraith music, and not enough emphasis on the main theme of the entire trilogy, The History Of The Ring theme, which only appears once on the OST. Another problem is jumping right fom leaving Rivendell to already being inside the Mines of Moria, skipping over some adventurous music that would have lended a nice balance to the CD.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,360]

It (TTT OST) kept The Wolves of Isengard... so its all good between me and the OST

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crocodile 8,020]

Actually I think TTT is the best album out there. It flows beautifully. And yes, I know it's a mess as far as the film score goes. Most of my highlights are on it.

Karol

[Faleel 5,360]

It (TTT OST) kept The Wolves of Isengard... so its all good between me and the OST

Except that the best part of the cue is edited out...

The best part of the cue is the part where the hardanger comes in, it IS dialed out in the OST, BUT it has choir "singing" the same line, so it still works for me.

[Jay 37,374]

I think the FOTR and TTT OSTS both flow beautifully and both cover the bulk of the highlights. I think the ROTK OST flows the worst and misses a lot of the highlights

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crocodile 8,020]

There's just so much material recorded for these films that you simply can't satisfy all people. And yes, opinions are all over the place as far as OST presentations goes. Now they are just a 3CD set of alternate bonus discs.

Karol - who doesn't like ROTK OST at all (not the music, but the sequencing and all that)

[Jay 37,374]

I can't put my finger on what it is about the ROTK OST that doesn't work for me exactly, but the CR was the biggest difference to me in appreciating the score... even though I overall like the FOTR and TTT score more, and their CRs more, I already liked their OSTs and scores in the film more.... with ROTK I went from thinking it was a disappointing finale to a solid finale with a lot of excess material and flow problems. I think the notes and annoted scores by Doug Adams played a part as well, explaining the intricacies going on with all the themes at the end

[Naïve Old Fart 9,554]

You never heard The Fly?

Or The Aviator?

Karol

"The Fly" is Howard Shore's best work by a country mile.

[avalanche 0]

I voted Moria.

And because of this thread, I noticed the expanded soundtracks are available again at Amazon (at least, in the U.S.) - of which I missed the first time around. So, order placed! I'll need to set aside a lot of quality time to digest all this music heading my way.

[tannhauser 101]

Eastern Promises is excellent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5yMR82F-Qg

so is The Departed

His work on Cronenberg's new film A Dangerous Method is very good too. Partly adapted from Wagner's Ring cycle, but arranged for piano and chamber orchestra. The album also includes Shore's full piano transcription of Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, performed by Lang Lang. Can't find any on youtube, but it's on itunes.

Other good ones are Silence of the Lambs, Twilight: Eclipse, and Ed Wood. Can't wait to hear what he's done for Scorsese's Hugo.

[Richard Penna 3,695]

FOTR OST "problems" are nothing compared to the atrocity that TTT OST is. It's almost like Shore decided: "Let's leave all the highlights out of the album, and let's just keep the underscore stuff". Über lame.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I thought TTT was by far the best arranged of the OSTs. No major storytelling gaps and a good portion of the Helm's Deep battle.

I wasn't a huge fan of RotK being essentially an album of suites, many of which omitted fairly key moments.

[Incanus 5,716]

FOTR OST "problems" are nothing compared to the atrocity that TTT OST is. It's almost like Shore decided: "Let's leave all the highlights out of the album, and let's just keep the underscore stuff". Über lame.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. I thought TTT was by far the best arranged of the OSTs. No major storytelling gaps and a good portion of the Helm's Deep battle.

I wasn't a huge fan of RotK being essentially an album of suites, many of which omitted fairly key moments.

Yes RotK OST is perhaps the weakest of the three. It probably has to do with the fact that the album had to be locked at a fairly early stage and Shore was still in the middle of the scoring process, leaving out major highlights because they were not recorded yet or were altered after the album assembly. Plus Shore wanted to create those tone poem styled suites of the material which in many cases left out the juiciest stuff. The track The Fields of the Pelennor is a case in point which omits the charge of the Rohirrim music altogether tip toeing around it. Plus there was truly an abundance of music to choose from so to compile a 70 minute album that satisfies everybody is truly difficult.

[gkgyver 1,645]

The main problem with the ROTK OST, at least from my perspective, is that the individual sequences were scored in very broad arcs that make sense and feel complete only when heard from beginning to end. And that is impossible with 70+ minutes.

It's great music by itself, but it doesn't do the score justice.

Also, the OST has to cover the important story points, and I think that many of the best musical moments happen outside of these story moments. Which is a negative factor in the listening experience because you think of the music that was cut out.

[Jacob 0]

I thought TTT was by far the best arranged of the OSTs. No major storytelling gaps and a good portion of the Helm's Deep battle.

The one change I've made to the OSTs is to swap the placing of Isengard Unleashed and Forth Eorlingas.

I find it more satisfying to have "ride out and meet them" as the climax before Samwise the Brave.

[Richard Penna 3,695]

I like it how it is. In the film, it switches very effectively from the Ent attack to Frodo's walk (and hence Sam's monologue), and I think the placing of those tracks reflects that.

Although I just noticed that it means the triumphant 'ride out and meet them' moment happens before the Elf is 'shot' and everyone runs inside... can't have everything.

[Brónach 1,302]

The main problem with the ROTK OST, at least from my perspective, is that the individual sequences were scored in very broad arcs that make sense and feel complete only when heard from beginning to end. And that is impossible with 70+ minutes.

It's great music by itself, but it doesn't do the score justice.

This. The structure is more complicated than FOTR for example.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[crocodile 8,020]

Yeah it's a very odd piece in the context of the rest of music. But I really like it. It makes me wonder what kind of cool monster music he had up his sleeve for King Kong.

Karol

[alicebrallice 134]

I have to say Lothlorien is actually probably my favourite of them

mine too!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not mine.

[gkgyver 1,645]

Lorien is definitely a contender, but only the full CR version. Its album presentation is way too short.

Amon Hen and the finale can't be beaten.

[mrbellamy 6,293]

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.

Where else was it going to be used in ROTK?

[Incanus 5,716]

I have to say Lothlorien is actually probably my favourite of them, contrary to Jason, and that whilst the Mines of Moria music is very good (especially the Dwarrowdelf) its probably the bit I listen to the least. Though my ultimate highlight of the film and the score is definitely the Argonaths, sends chills down my spine. Does anyone else find the watcher in the water bit rather uncomfortable to listen to, I know thats the idea though.

The Watcher in the Water section is just brilliant in a scary chaotic sort of way. I think Shore perfectly captures the horror and confusion of the attack in the swirling chaos of strings and brass work and the driving rhythms that pulse underneath.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Faleel 5,360]

I might have to change my vote...if possible.

[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.

Where else was it going to be used in ROTK?

If you have the ROTK CR, all its uses are re-instated there even though they were dropped from the film. Off the top of my head I think one it was intended to go over a short of Frodo/Sam/Gollum traveling, and a second time when Sam was heading towards the tower. I'm sure they're mentioned in Doug's book.

[Faleel 5,360]

Uh, the only theme that I know of that was dropped in those sections of ROTK, is Dangerous Passes...

[Jay 37,374]

Oh yea you're right, I was thinking of Dangerous Passes the whole time. My bad!

[Faleel 5,360]

Journey there, does play as they are leaving the tower though.

[gkgyver 1,645]

And as they're travelling through Gorgoroth.

[KK 3,307]

Journey There actually has quite a few appearances throughout the film.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Jay 37,374]

The Strider theme plays when we first see him in Bree, then when he shows up with fire on Weathertop, then when he leads the group out of Moria after the troll fight

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,374]

Wow I never connected that TTT bit to Strider's Theme before!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,374]

Yea and it also plays in Bree

[Faleel 5,360]

I think it would be nice to have mockups of the thematic material to listen to, especially for the harder to hear stuff.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,374]

Strider's Theme appears in the Bree track literally as the camera shows him for the first time. It's the timestamp notated in the booklet that came with the CR.

BTW, this abandoned project of mine should help immensely:

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11861

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Jay 37,374]

It's here, and HORRIBLY outdated (9 years old!)

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5203

[gkgyver 1,645]

I think it would be nice to have mockups of the thematic material to listen to, especially for the harder to hear stuff.

Quick mockup of Strider's theme (from Prancing Pony):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8as3ekdbahA

Basic mockup of Aragorn's theme (Amon Hen):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MM0iwp5IGA

[Quintus 5,399]

Strider's "theme" you all say? Nonsense!

I remember when themes used to have intros, bridges and reprisals. Back when all this was just fields.

It's a motif at best, and even that's stretching it.

[Incanus 5,716]

Strider's "theme" you all say? Nonsense!

I remember when themes used to have intros, bridges and reprisals. Back when all this was just fields.

It's a motif at best, and even that's stretching it.

Yeah this has to be one of the most nebulous motifs in Shore's LotR catalogue. Also the whole intro, bridge and reprise doesn't quite fit the LotR way of employing leitmotifs. It is more Wagnerian that way, where the themes really form a constantly developing net of ideas that is ever present.