Rings of Power Bear McCreary's The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

[Tydirium 1,402]

The absence of “The River-daughter” in the episode album makes me wonder if it might be the credits music.

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

I don't think that is the Harfoot rhythm. The Harfoot rhythm has a slightly different beat. 

 

The wooden percussion here sounds like it all belong to the Stoors' theme. To me it sounds very alike to one another, but I also think the key and tempo are slightly different, which makes me think it's not the same.

[Jay 39,762]

11 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

The absence of “The River-daughter” in the episode album makes me wonder if it might be the credits music.

 

I figured it's just from a future episode.  It's too short for the end credits.

 

I'm assuming we're getting Concerning Stoors as the end credits of episode 4.

 

 

EDIT: Hmm, maybe River-daughter could be paired with other music to fill out the end credits runtime... didn't think of that...

[DangerMotif 1,140]

Is there a timestamp for what we are calling the Ent theme?

[Stark 566]

River Daughter might be in a future episode, if the Tom Bombadil song wasn’t in this album either (I haven’t listened yet).

[Jay 39,762]

3 minutes ago, DangerMotif said:

Is there a timestamp for what we are calling the Ent theme?

 

https://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/34830-bear-mccrearys-rings-of-power-themes/&do=findComment&comment=2047084

[Tydirium 1,402]

36 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

I figured it's just from a future episode.  It's too short for the end credits.

 

I'm assuming we're getting Concerning Stoors as the end credits of episode 4.

 

 

EDIT: Hmm, maybe River-daughter could be paired with other music to fill out the end credits runtime... didn't think of that...

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Episode 4 score first introduces us to Tom’s theme, and then “The River-daughter” plays over the credits (possibly with additional music like you said, like “Concerning Stoors”).

 

My guess is that “Old Tom Bombadil” will be the Episode 8 credits music; I think the “reprise” will (obviously) be the in-episode rendition of the song, and then the Rufus Wainwright version will play over the end credits to close out the season. This would be in keeping with Bear’s Season 1 OST assembly, which put the Episode 8 credits song as the first track on the album.

 

10 minutes ago, Stark said:

River Daughter might be in a future episode, if the Tom Bombadil song wasn’t in this album either (I haven’t listened yet).

 

The Bombadil song isn’t on this album, but based on how the season OST seems to be going mostly in chronological order, I think we can expect another appearance by Tom at the end of the season.

[Stark 566]

I’m expecting the Tom songs to be in the same episode, with the one voiced by the actor in the episode and the “single” version in the credits.

[Jay 39,762]

I think that if Kinnear sings a song in episode 4, it'd be on the episode album. But that album has no songs.

 

I don't expect the Raya Yarborough version to be in a different episode the then one in which Kinnear sings it. Like how the Janet Roddick version of This Wandering Day was used as the end credits of the episode where Megan Richards sings it in character.

 

So, maybe Kinnear sings River-daughter in episode 5, 6, 7, or 8.

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

Old Tom Bombadil is the end credits of Ep. 4.

 

And what I thought was great is that Rory Kinnear sings the song throughout the episode. It's really fun.

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

And there was a moment we hear a woman's voice singing the song along him, but we never see her, and Tom claims there's no one else there. To me it sounded like Raya Yarbrough, so I wonder if she'll make a cameo at some point, since we know she sings a version of Bombadil's not yet heard on the show.

 

And now what plays in Forgiveness Takes an Age is confirmed to be a theme for the Ents. Worked beautifully in context, and I wonder if we'll hear it again during the rest of the season.

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

I did feel that the theme for the Ents is really more the percussion. And that the choral theme heard here was more of a lament of sorts. Since it doesn't really appear again.

 

But we'll see.

[Jay 39,762]

Huh. So Kinnear sings throughout the episode, and they chose to leave it all unreleased? Didn't see that coming!

 

The lament plays twice in the episode track. 3:28 and 5:40. Are those from two different scenes?

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Huh. So Kinnear sings throughout the episode, and they chose to leave it all unreleased? Didn't see that coming!

He's not really singing singing in the way Benjamin Walker does in Ep. 1. He's more sort of humming/singing it quietly to himself. It's not really a performance.

[Stark 566]

7 minutes ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

He's not really singing singing in tge way Benjamin Walker does in Ep. 1. He's more sort of humming/singing it quietly to himself. It's not really a performance.

Exactly what I was hoping for!

[Richard P 4,269]

I've got the episode on now and the first time we see Bombadil he's humming his theme quietly, then almost mutters his theme to himself between talking to the Stranger. I think it would sound very strange being included on the album.

[Jay 39,762]

46 minutes ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

He's not really singing singing in the way Benjamin Walker does in Ep. 1. He's more sort of humming/singing it quietly to himself. It's not really a performance.

 

Ah ok. So it's like Nori and Stranger singing a bit of Wandering Day in episode 1

[Richard P 4,269]

I'd say more subtle than that, I didn't notice anything in the music attempting to merge with those bits.

 

Although 'throughout the episode' is a stretch - Tom's in it for what 5-10 minutes? And most of that is dialogue with the Stranger. It really did seem to me just a few moments of him muttering the theme to himself.

[Jay 39,762]

Cool.  Hopefully i'll get a chance to see episodes 3 and 4 soon

 

Any other thoughts on any of the music in episode 4?

[Stark 566]

To be contrarian, the FOTR complete recording has both Bilbo singing along to the background and Bilbo singing aside from the background… but that was basically an isolated score.

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

I find quite interesting that the Estrid theme hasn't been heard in that same lyrical arrangement from the concert suite. We heard something similar in episode 3 but it was very brief, and most of the rest of the theme's iterations have been more subdued and even creepy. I also like how it acts as a sort of bonding theme for her and Isildur, and the underlying guitar motif is quite similar to Elendil and Isildur' guitar motif.

[Jay 39,762]

Still have 4 episodes to go for her theme to develop, potentially.

 

I'm surprised by how little Numenor material there is in the first half of the season.  And if they're not going to participate in the Battle for Eregion than there might not be much in the second half either

 

 

Oh, and I'm curious to learn the chronological order of the episode 4 album

[Stark 566]

I’m expecting season 3 and 4 to be numenor-heavy, wouldn’t mind them stepping back for season 2 so the other storylines can move more. We need the stranger to get more relevant to main event quickly.

[Jay 39,762]

Yes, if The Stranger isn't MUCH more involved in the main story by the end of this season, then the writers are insane

[Stark 566]

To be fair, the writers are already insane for trying to make a show out of the second age (not said as an insult)

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

There is actually something in this episode which points to the Stranger becoming more involved in the future.

[Jay 39,762]

On 04/09/2024 at 5:56 PM, Knight of Ren said:

Something similar happened with Nori and the Harfoots themes in S1 in the track Beyond Our Wanderning which has some sections that are the same as the concert arrangements but with some bits exclusive to the episode albums. Same thing with the Khazad-dûm theme when Elrond enters the realm in episode 2 of S1

 

So I was surprised when I read this, because I had thought that only "Nolwa Mahtar" was made up of an episode recording, and all the other concert arrangements were "pure" for lack of a better word.

Well, I just did a comparison and I don't think what you say above is right.

 

I couldn't find any parts of "Nori Brandyfoot" or "Harfoot Life" that were the same recording as "Beyond Our Wandering", and I couldn't find any parts of "Khazad-dûm" that were the same recording as "Into Khazad-dûm".

 

I can double-check if you or anyone else thinks I missed something.

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

Okay, it's not exactly the same. What I meant is that those themes in the episode tracks I mentioned appear in a very, very similar arrangement to what we hear in the concert suites, although a bit shortened to obviously fit what's happening on the screen. Same thing happens with the Stoors. The episode track is very similar to the "concert suite" of the album, and in fact then the episode cuts down part of that track, so what we hear in the episode itself is not the suite as heard on the season album.

 

Speaking of which, I don't know if I shared my chrono breakdown of episode 3, but here's the one for episodes 3 and 4

 

Chrono Tracklist

Episode 3

Spoiler

Main Title

Shelob’s Nest [0:00 – 2:22]

Shelob’s Nest [2:22 – 3:59]

Shelob’s Nest [3:59 – End]

Númenórean Grief [0:00 – 1:27]

Númenórean Grief [1:27 – 1:57]

Númenórean Grief [1:57 – End]

Enter Damrod

Mithril for Rings [0:00 – 1:17]

Mithril for Rings [1:17 – End]

The Road to Pelargir [0:00 – 1:01]

The Road to Pelargir [1:01 – 1:18]

The Road to Pelargir [1:18 – 2:32]

The Road to Pelargir [2:32 – End]

Funeral Pyre and Reconciliation [0:00 – 3:55]

Funeral Pyre and Reconciliation [3:55 – End]

Isildur and Estrid [0:00 – 0:54]

Isildur and Estrid [0:54 – End]

The Wild Men [0:00 – 1:11]

The Wild Men [1:11 – End]

The Great Eagle and Forging [0:00 – 1:13]

The Great Eagle and Forging [1:13 – 2:36]

The Great Eagle and Forging [2:36 – End]

Credits – Emissary at the Forge / My Name Is Not Halbrand

 

Episode 4

Spoiler

Main Title

Elves Embark [0:00 – 1:43] (the section from 0:00 to 0:38 is unused)

Elves Embark [1:43 – End]

Meeting Tom Bombadil [0:00 – 1:16]

Meeting Tom Bombadil [1:16 – 2:38]

Concerning Stoors [0:00 – 0:33]

The Dark Wizard [1:04 – 1:32] (the section from 1:15 to 1:32 is unused)

Concerning Stoors [0:33 –4:51] (the episode cuts out the section from 2:47 to 4:02)

Concerning Stoors [4:51 – End]

The Dark Wizard [0:00 – 1:04] (different mix/orchestration in the show)

Meeting Tom Bombadil [2:38 – End]

Eldest [0:00 – 4:53]

Eldest [4:53 – End]

Lair of the Barrow-wights

Mud Beast [0:00 – 0:30]

Mud Beast [0:30 – 1:08]

Mud Beast [1:08 – 1:40]

Mud Beast [1:40 – 2:01]

Mud Beast [2:01 – End]

The Sûzat [0:00 – 2:09]

The Dark Wizard [1:32 – End] (different mix/orchestration in the show)

The Sûzat [2:09 – End]

Snaggleroot and Winterbloom [0:00 – 2:26]

Snaggleroot and Winterbloom [2:26 – End]

Galadriel Stands Alone [0:00 – 0:54]

Galadriel Stands Alone [0:54 – End]

Credits – Old Tom Bombadil

[Jay 39,762]

Well sure, a lot of the concert arrangements have passages that are very similar to parts of episode scores.

But what I was saying about "Concerning Stoors" is that 0:00-1:45 of that track is LITERALLY the EXACT SAME RECORDING as what's used in the episode.  After the first 30 seconds where the episode version has the harfoot ostinato running over it, the next 1:15 are are completely identical.  You can tell from the headphone trick or just looking at them visually in your music editor.

 

This means that is is s possible that 1:45-end of the track is from a future episode, and this was never a concert arrangement recording at all.  It could mean the concert arrangement was recorded first, and they realized they could stick part of it into the episode instead of recording something that would end up sounding almost identical anyway.  Or it could mean he saw a "shortcut" to make a concert arrangement by using material he had written for an episode as the basis of a concert arrangement.  We'll have to see what episodes 5-8 bring us!

 

Thanks for the episode 4 breakdown, I love it!

 

Wait, what about 0:00-2:38 of Meeting Tom Bombadil?

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

19 minutes ago, Jay said:

Wait, what about 0:00-2:38 of Meeting Tom Bombadil?

Ohh, forgot about that bit. Updated my previous post, but it goes right after Elves Embark and is split in two sections, at 1:16

[Jay 39,762]

Thanks man! Really appreciate it!

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

I was thinking of starting a new topic to share these chronological breakdowns and where we could also discuss all the different unused segments of music and stuff. I don't know if it would be appropriate or if this thread works for that.

[Jay 39,762]

yeah i'd love to see some score restore videos that put the dropped score back into the footage

 

Feel free to start a new thread!

[Monoverantus 539]

34 minutes ago, Jay said:

yeah i'd love to see some score restore videos that put the dropped score back into the footage

If so, I recommend checking out this guy's twitter page: https://x.com/e51dc715a5

[Jay 39,762]

Neat!

[Tydirium 1,402]

https://gizmodo.com/bear-mccreary-rings-of-power-orc-songs-lord-of-the-rings-2000495743

[Tydirium 1,402]

Man, I am in love with the creepy version of the Eregion theme heard from 5:30 to the end of “Emissary at the Forge”; gives me major Poltergeist vibes (5:59 to the end of “Twisted Abduction”)!

[Monoverantus 539]

13 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Man, I am in love with the creepy version of the Eregion theme heard from 5:30 to the end of “Emissary at the Forge”; gives me major Poltergeist vibes (5:59 to the end of “Twisted Abduction”)!

If the trailers are anyhting to go by, I expect this to play during a vision Annatar puts Celebrimbor in.

[Tydirium 1,402]

“Old Tom Bombadil”:

 

 

EDIT: Same key, too!

[paleo 72]

For some reason I cannot find episode four's album on Amazon. Strange. It sounded great while I was watching the episode.

[Tydirium 1,402]

9 minutes ago, paleo said:

For some reason I cannot find episode four's album on Amazon. Strange. It sounded great while I was watching the episode.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DG139J59

 

EDIT: Sorry, just realized you’re in Germany. I’m having trouble finding it on the German site, as well.

[paleo 72]

Thanks anyway. I couldn't find it on the UK site either. Maybe Amazon hates Europe? ;-)

[Jay 39,762]

So I've seen episode 3 now, and certainly feel like I will appreciate the season 3 score album much more now, the next time I listen to it!

 

Estrid's theme is interesting in the episode.  If I'm remembering right, her whole first scene doesn't have it, then it gets introduced over a traveling montage showing the woods they are going through, and we even see Isildur's face for a while first when here theme is still playing before she comes into the frame.  Later in the scene around the fire, her theme plays more when she's on screen though.  I'm a little surprised they used episode two forging music instead of the concert arrangement of her theme for the end credits.  Seemed like the right episode to do it in, especially since the theme is tender and she was kind of revealed to probably be a bad guy by the end of the episode.

 

Isildur's theme made a nice impact in the episode as well, more-so than it does on album for me, for whatever reason.  And the return of Arondir's theme worked really well too.  Raya Yarbrough's vocal version of the theme for Bronwyn's funeral was very effective!

 

When the Ents showed up at the end, was the episode mix missing the percussion rhythm that you can hear on the album?

 

I noticed that in Damrod's scene, the Jens Kidman vocals are mixed so low (or maybe there's just no many other noises on screen) that you can't really hear them ; they don't make an impact.  They don't "lead" the music.    I wonder if the showrunners let Bear indulge for his albums, but the show itself won't do as much with those vocals.  We'll see when we see him again!

 

Gosh, the Numenor music is all SO good!  The whole end of the episode I was getting goosebumps from how awesome the music was in the whole coronation scene.  I love how developed this theme is!

 

I think that's about it!  Hopefully episode 4 tomorrow!

[Doo_liss 6,639]

To be fair, you wouldn't want the vocals too loud in a show with dialogue (I know there isn't really any dialogue at that point, but there is "crowd" vocals IIRC)

[Jay 39,762]

OK so I saw episode 4 now.  I LOOOOOOOOVED Bear's score in this episode!

 

Tom Bombadil's theme fits the character PERFECTLY, and it was wondering playing under his scenes. And it's so much fun that the character himself sings a song set to the same melody as his theme, and then we hear the lyrics he was muttering song properly, again set to the same melody, as a wonderful end credits song.  Great stuff!

 

I also loved the Stoors music, it fit those scenes so well!  And, it's clear after seeing the episode now that Bear simply took his Stoors concert arrangement and stuff a bit of it into the episode album track (from 2:47-4:03), as the music before and after that stuff-in bit plays continuously in the episode and was clearly meant to be that way.  And actually, since he switched the name of the concert arrangement from "Life In The Canyon" to "Concerning Stoors", he really should have called the episode album track "Life In The Canyon", since that's really was the cue is all about.  Oh well.

 

I love the monster music in this episode.  The barrow-wights and mud beast music is really effective, and I love the music of the Ents!  The percussion-y bits for their sort of off-screen attacking of wildmen is fun.  But then the choral passage for their introspective side, so perfect for those scenes.

 

And I loved the return of the Nampat march at the end of the episode.  I forgot to point out that episode 3 actually featured Adar in it despite not featuring his theme, so it was good to come back here.  I know we'll be hearing a lot more of it soon.

 

Oh and I almost forgot, another wonderful orchestral version of This Wandering Day in the Suzat scene, that was cool too.  I love what they're doing with that music this season.

 

Overall, it's just a joy to watch this show to see the context for Bear's great score.  Even if the show itself ultimately dissatisfies, the music never does!

[Jay 39,762]

So what season-album tracks do we think might be from episode 5?

 

I think these are potentials:

• 09 Emissary at the Forge [5:31-end] (1:05)
• 14 The River-daughter (1:09)
• 17 Candles on the Tide (3:40)
• 18 Army of Orcs (4:11)

But wouldn't be surprised if we only get 1 or 2 of those in the episode either.

[Holko 10,401]

Loved this album! Some great orchestrations like in Unveiling the Doors of Durin and Deceit in the Craft - loved this latter track especially, manages to keep a "tension before the storm" mood up through its length instead of meandering like I felt some earlier stuff this season did, and building up to a cool "preparing for battle"-esque finale.

 

Overall the trends I'm noticing compared to S1 are that we probably have a bit more tracks that cover multiple storylines in one as opposed to bunching them up into their own tracks, and (so far?) more restricted and focused theme use, many didn't get much time to shine in full yet except for some featured main ones.

[Richard P 4,269]

I think Bear's doing much less arranging this time - I've noticed a few bits out of chrono order but largely he seems to just be joining consecutive cues and removing lower key bits. On that note, while I reckon season one had 5 minutes of unreleased material at most, season 2 seems to have some full cues but all of them are pretty subtle, i.e. under dialogue, and others are extremely scene-specific to the show.

 

Hard to believe we're already down to just four more albums to go, and also hopefully Bezos doesn't cancel the show due to poor ratings, so that we get at least a third season of music.

[Jay 39,762]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Hard to believe we're already down to just four more albums to go

 

Three more

[Richard P 4,269]

Well, four more aligning to Amazon's schedule, and I don't listen to these immediately so I can savour them.