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

[Jay 39,199]

The episode 5 album is another winner.  It is the album with the least amount of action material I believe, but the album is no less exciting due to the tremendous thematic development on display throughout!

 

Sauron's theme is this constant menace, with moments of angelic beauty at times as well, and a deliciously mysterioso passage in "Mirdania Emerges" to boot.  The music treats him like the main character of the show, with Rings of Power always nearby now.

 

Númenor gets broken down into pieces and left unassembled.  Elendil / Isildur / The Faithful gets seemingly endless variations, including a really cool one with harpsichord (?) counterpoint, all culminating in that amazing Clydene Jackson rendition to also leave its future hanging.

 

Khazad-dûm starts with big, traditionally orchestrated statements before it too heads into the mysterious.  Durin gets mixed in a few times to great effect.

 

And boy, thought it doesn't have a LOT of action music, the action music it DOES have is top notch.  The finale of the album, from the last minute or so of the penultimate track and the entire final track "Sauron's Design", is an action powerhouse!  I don't recall Sauron's theme being used in such an action setting before, but it's great!!

 

Something strange about the album is that, unless I missed something, it doesn't feature ANY season 2 themes?  Just new developments of season 1 themes..... Interesting!

 

 

Here's how the episode album compares to the season album

 

Episode 5 - Halls of Stone

 

01 Seven for the Dwarf-lords (4:47)

• NEW MUSIC! {Khazad-dûm, The Rings of Power, Sauron}

02 Unveiling the Doors of Durin (3:16)

• NEW MUSIC! {Eregion}

03 Gazing to Eressëa (5:35)

• 0:00-1:04 = 0:00-1:05 of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album
• 1:04-end = NEW MUSIC! {Númenor, Elendil/Isildur (The Faithful)}

04 Gil-galad's Vision (2:12)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron, Rings of Power, Elrond}

05 Disa in the Depths (4:34)

• NEW MUSIC! {Durin, Khazad-dûm, The Rings of Power}

06 Mirdania Emerges (3:32)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron}

07 Assault on the Faithful (4:41)

• 0:00-1:06 = 1:05-2:12 of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album
• 1:06-3:07 = NEW MUSIC! {Elendil/Isildur (The Faithful)}
• 3:07-end = 2:12-end of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album

08 Deceit in the Craft (9:04)

• NEW MUSIC! {The Rings of Power, Khazad-dûm, Durin, Adar/Orcs, Galadriel}

09 Sauron's Design (2:26)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron}

 

I guess they'll be using another piece of existing underscore for end credits music for this episode, since the remaining season 2 concert arrangements (Stoors, Estrid, Eregion, and Damrod) are for themes that aren't in this episode.

[Tydirium 1,254]

41 minutes ago, Jay said:

Something strange about the album is that, unless I missed something, it doesn't feature ANY season 2 themes?  Just new developments of season 1 themes..... Interesting!

 

“Unveiling the Doors of Durin” opens with the Eregion theme.

[Jay 39,199]

28 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

 

“Unveiling the Doors of Durin” opens with the Eregion theme.

 

Ah brilliant, thank you!

[Richard Penna 4,109]

32 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

 

“Unveiling the Doors of Durin” opens with the Eregion theme.

 

I think also a few hints of it from 1:55 and 2:00.... I'm at risk of getting some 'B' parts of themes mixed up here. Is this a fragment of that unidentified theme from The Staff and Battle for Eregion?

[Yavar Moradi 2,943]

On 05/09/2024 at 10:02 AM, Jay said:

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

 

I mean, how many seasons did it take before Danaerys Targaryen got involved in the "main story" of Game of Thrones?

 

Yavar

[Knight of Ren 974]

I think Eregion's theme apperars in Unveiling the Doors of Durin. (EDIT: already noted above, hahaha) And while listening to the season album I think I heard it in the action of Army of Orcs right before Galadriel's theme. I don't know if it has been mentioned already!

 

In this album I love the many different settings of Sauron's theme, especially the creepy arrangements in Gil-galad's Vision and Mirdania Emerges, and how it's balanced by the massive action statements in the last track.

 

I also really like that we hear a lot of Khazad-dûm material with some unexpected darker variations, and the welcome new statements of the b section of the theme. Indeed much more introspective and subdued, but great nonetheless!

[Yavar Moradi 2,943]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Here's how the episode album compares to the season album

Episode 5 - Halls of Stone

 

01 Seven for the Dwarf-lords (4:47)

• NEW MUSIC! {Khazad-dûm, The Rings of Power, Sauron}

02 Unveiling the Doors of Durin (3:16)

• NEW MUSIC!

03 Gazing to Eressëa (5:35)

• 0:00-1:04 = 0:00-1:05 of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album
• 1:04-end = NEW MUSIC! {Númenor, Elendil/Isildur (The Faithful)}

04 Gil-galad's Vision (2:12)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron, Rings of Power, Elrond}

05 Disa in the Depths (4:34)

• NEW MUSIC! {Durin, Khazad-dûm, The Rings of Power}

06 Mirdania Emerges (3:32)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron}

07 Assault on the Faithful (4:41)

• 0:00-1:06 = 1:05-2:12 of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album
• 1:06-3:07 = NEW MUSIC! {Elendil/Isildur (The Faithful)}
• 3:07-end = 2:12-end of "Candles On The Tide" from the season album

08 Deceit in the Craft (9:04)

• NEW MUSIC! {The Rings of Power, Khazad-dûm, Durin, Adar/Orcs, Galadriel}

09 Sauron's Design (2:26)

• NEW MUSIC! {Sauron}

 

I guess they'll be using another piece of existing underscore for end credits music for this episode, since the remaining season 2 concert arrangements (Stoors, Estrid, Eregion, and Damrod) are for themes that aren't in this episode.

 

Wow! So there's only ONE track on the season two album from episode 5?

 

Yavar

[Tydirium 1,254]

11 minutes ago, Knight of Ren said:

I think Eregion's theme apperars in Unveiling the Doors of Durin. And while listening to the season album I think I heard it in the action of Army of Orcs right before Galadriel's theme. I don't know if it has been mentioned already!

 

Whoa! Do you mean the singing at 3:08-3:23ish of “Army of Orcs”? Now that you mention it, I hear Eregion!

[Jay 39,199]

40 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

 

Wow! So there's only ONE track on the season two album from episode 5?

 

Yavar

 

Yeah

 

Concert Arrangements

• 01 Old Tom Bombadil (3:10) - used as end credits of episode 4, theme appears in episode 4
• 02 Rhûn (2:35) - used as end credits of episode 2, theme appears in episodes 1, 2, and 4
• 03 Concerning Stoors (3:32) - theme appears in episode 4
• 04 Golden Leaves (3:18) - used as end credits of episode 1, theme appears in episode 1
• 08 Eregion (3:42) - theme appears in episodes 2 and 5
• 12 Estrid (3:12) - theme appears in episodes 3 and 4
• 19 The Last Ballad of Damrod (3:17) - theme appears in episode 3

Episode 1 - Elven Kings Under the Sky

• 05A Cirdan's Perfection [0:00-4:53] (4:53)

Episode 2 - Where the Stars are Strange

• 06 Stone Singers (1:15) - features more music than is used in the episode / episode album, and a clean ending
• 07 Sandstorm at the Well (3:46)
• 09 Emissary at the Forge  [0:00-5:31] (5:31)

Episode 3 - The Eagle and the Sceptre

• 10 Shelob (1:48)
• 11 The Pyre (2:28) - features a clean ending not available on the episode album
• 13 The Great Eagle (2:57) - features a clean ending not available on the episode album
• 05B Cirdan's Perfection [4:53-end] (1:37)

Episode 4 - Eldest

• 15 Barrow-wights (2:24)
• 16 Forgiveness Takes an Age (2:40) - features a unique mix for the first 9 seconds (extra drums)

Episode 5 - Halls of Stone

• 17 Candles on the Tide (3:40)

Episodes 6, 7, or 8, presumably

• 09 Emissary at the Forge [5:31-end] (1:05)
• 14 The River-daughter (1:09)
• 18 Army of Orcs (4:11)
• 20 Battle for Eregion (11:32)
• 21 Durin's Bane (8:37)
• 22 Last Temptation (7:11)
• 23 The Staff (4:17)
• 24 Old Tom Bombadil Reprise (2:19)
• 25 The Sun Yet Shines (4:34)

[Knight of Ren 974]

5 hours ago, Tydirium said:

 

Whoa! Do you mean the singing at 3:08-3:23ish of “Army of Orcs”? Now that you mention it, I hear Eregion!

Yeah, that's the bit I mentioned. It isn't as clear as some of the statements in Battle of Eregion or Last Temptation but I think that the choir bit is indeed the Eregion theme. Love how after so many listens I'm still noticing new details!

[Tydirium 1,254]

So far we’ve gotten a track titled “Three Rings for the Elven Kings” for an episode titled “Elven Kings Under the Sky,” and another track titled “Seven for the Dwarf-lords” for an episode titled “Halls of Stone.”

 

I wonder if we will eventually get a score track titled “Nine for Mortal Men” (perhaps for an episode titled “Doomed to Die” or “Mortal Men Doomed to Die”)?

[paleo 69]

Bizarrely, one can now buy episode five's soundtrack album on the German Amazon website, but still not episode four. And as these albums seem Amazon exclusive, there is really nothing I can do, I guess :-/

[tomsmoviemadness 3,466]

18 hours ago, Jay said:

I guess they'll be using another piece of existing underscore for end credits music for this episode, since the remaining season 2 concert arrangements (Stoors, Estrid, Eregion, and Damrod) are for themes that aren't in this episode.

 

"Sauron's Design" is the end credits piece!!!

From 0:16 till the end.

 

Music in context was spectacular this episode! The whole episode is probably my favorite of the entire season. Lot's of interesting things happened and great setup for what's to come in the final 3 episodes.

 

"Deceit In The Craft" is such a fantastic cue. There is a small break before the Galadriel statement at the end in the episode, but the rest of the cue plays as one for 9 minutes straight. It's really well done on McCreary's part, how he works with all the different themes etc.

[Richard Penna 4,109]

The highlight of this album, in the absence of any (significant) season 2 thematic presence is certainly the variations of the existing themes - Sauron and Rings particularly, with a few other statements that are harder to spot as Bear twists them between major and minor. Also some beautiful and rather Shore-like introspective material, particularly how he uses brass and low strings.

 

The whole thing as stated already, feels like it's the calm before all hell breaks loose with the Eregion battle.

 

The only way this whole package of music could be better is if the box set came out far sooner than the first one did - I'm itching to have all this on CD.

[Jay 39,199]

2 hours ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

 

"Sauron's Design" is the end credits piece!!!

From 0:16 till the end.

 

Does the whole track play in the episode, then most of it is repeated as the end credits? Or is only the first 16 seconds in the episode, and the rest was written for the end credits?

[tomsmoviemadness 3,466]

21 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Does the whole track play in the episode, then most of it is repeated as the end credits? Or is only the first 16 seconds in the episode, and the rest was written for the end credits?

The first 16 seconds plays over the cliffhanger of the episode, the rest of the cue is written for the end credits.

[Jay 39,199]

Huh.  That's really interesting.

 

Can we consider it to be a second concert arrangement of Sauron's theme then?

[tomsmoviemadness 3,466]

Maybe yes.

 

Maybe it's like a "battle" version of the theme. The percussion in the cue reminds me of the action in "Last Temptation" from the season album.

[Jay 39,199]

The percussion rhythm in the track is soooo good!

[paleo 69]

8 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

The only way this whole package of music could be better is if the box set came out far sooner than the first one did - I'm itching to have all this on CD.

I had no idea such a CD set existed for season 1. You guys over there are so lucky. One can hardly buy any CDs in Germany any more, and certainly not sets like this one. As for soundtracks, I am happy these days if they bother to upload the digital version at all, if not in a timely manner.

[Jay 39,199]

You could order it an an import from the USA, no?

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYLVSSQ5

[paleo 69]

If it were still available... but I'd certainly have to pay enormous customs duties anyway. Might still be tempted when the next box is released. How much did the first one cost, actually?

[Jay 39,199]

$150, so $27.15 cheaper than that active Amazon listing I linked you to.

[GerateWohl 4,981]

At the first season I found the double album covered all the main themes and the highlights pretty well. For season 2,the double album leaves out a lot of stuff. This album (if the version on Spotify is complete) is quite a letdown. 

I desperately miss that great track with the Bulgarian choir from episode 2, which was also in the closing credits of the episode. 

[Laserschwert 505]

12 hours ago, paleo said:

If it were still available... but I'd certainly have to pay enormous customs duties anyway. Might still be tempted when the next box is released. How much did the first one cost, actually?

I've ordered it from the Mondo website when the boxset first went online, and with shipping and customs it cost well over €200 to Germany. Still, it's a beautiful set.

[Jay 39,199]

3 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

I desperately miss that great track with the Bulgarian choir from episode 2, which was also in the closing credits of the episode. 

 

The end credits music from episode 2 is on the season album. It's track #2, "Rhûn".

 

But yes, the fun arrangements of that theme in "Caras Gaer" and "The Gaudrim" are not on the season album.

[GerateWohl 4,981]

7 minutes ago, Jay said:

The end credits music from episode 2 is on the season album. It's track #2, "Rhûn".

Oh right. Sorry.

But still... much missing. 

 

Btw. I find the season 2 music great.

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,902]

7 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

Oh right. Sorry.

But still... much missing. 

 

Btw. I find the season 2 music great.

 

 

Highlights?

[Jay 39,199]

Do you want highlights from the season album only, or from the episode albums as well?

 

And how many minutes worth of highlights do you want?  Don't forget that the season 2 score, as a whole, will be something like 6 hours in length.  So the season album that was released before the season began airing is already a 2 1/2 hour collection of highlights from those 6 hours.

[Jay 39,199]

45 minutes of highlights from the season album only:

 

1. 01 Old Tom Bombadil (3:10) - feat. Rufus Wainwright
2. 02 Rhun (2:35) - feat. The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices
3. 03 Concerning Stoors (3:32)
4. 04 Golden Leaves (3:18) - feat. Benjamin Walker
5. 05 Cirdan's Perfection (6:30)
6. 07 Sandstorm at the Well (3:46)
7. 08 Eregion (3:42)
8. 11 The Pyre (2:28) - feat. Raya Yarbrough
9. 12 Estrid (3:12)
10. 13 The Great Eagle (2:57)
11. 16 Forgiveness Takes an Age (2:40)
12. 17 Candles on the Tide (3:40) - feat. Clydene Jackson
13. 25 The Sun Yet Shines (4:34)

 

Highlight tracks from the episode albums (that don't repeat above material)

 

Episode 1 - Elven Kings Under the Sky

• 2 The Last Hope for All Middle-earth (3:24)
• 6 Warning in the Words (2:34)
• 9 The Rings of Power-Season One Overture (Bonus Track) (3:40)

Episode 2 - Where the Stars are Strange

• 3 Caras Gaer 4:37
• 4 The Gaudrim 3:43
• 7 My Name Is Not Halbrand 9:34

Episode 3 - The Eagle and the Sceptre

• 4 Mithril for Rings (4:14)
• 5 The Road to Pelargir (3:52)
• 12 The Rings of Power – London Premiere Season One Fanfare (Bonus Track) (4:18)

Episode 4 - Eldest

• 3 Concerning Stoors (5:11)
• 5 Eldest (5:36)
• 8 The Sûzat  (4:24)

Episode 5 - Halls of Stone

• 2 Unveiling the Doors of Durin (3:16)
• 6 Mirdania Emerges (3:33)
• 9 Sauron’s Design (2:26)

[tee_oh 28]

Is the short motif 1:55 and 3:47 of The Sun Yet Shines a reference to Shore's title track? (specifically the part at 0:23 and 1:12) 

[Jay 39,199]

On 24/08/2024 at 12:27 PM, The Great Gonzales said:

The Sun Yet Shines', around 3:47, hint at the Shore theme? Yay or nay?

 

On 24/08/2024 at 12:35 PM, TheUlyssesian said:

100% Yay. Bear is smart and he has said he's buried more easter eggs in the Season 2 score.

 

On 24/08/2024 at 12:38 PM, tomsmoviemadness said:

I was thinking that as well earlier today, and saw someone else on twitter notice it too.

Would be really cool if it's true. We'll have to wait till a blog post I think.

 

On 24/08/2024 at 4:09 PM, Tydirium said:

Those three descending notes? I guess it could be a hint, but step-wise descending notes are incredibly common; every scale has them. Now, if it went down one more note and then dropped an interval of a fifth, then I’d definitely agree.

 

[Richard Penna 4,109]

I'm tending to agree with that last one - if it went down one more, yes. The chord it's on for the third note isn't right for it to be a deliberate quote.

[Jay 39,199]

I just had another epiphany!

 

I bet that "The Sun Yet Shines" is another track like "Sauron's Design", where it is partly the final cue of the episode, and partly the end credits cue.

 

I think that 0:00-2:08 is the final cue of the episode, and then 2:08-end is the end credits.

[Richard Penna 4,109]

That would be neat. I particularly like the chord at 2:14 just before Galadriel's theme comes in.

[Tydirium 1,254]

8 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I'm tending to agree with that last one - if it went down one more, yes. The chord it's on for the third note isn't right for it to be a deliberate quote.

 

Yes, and if people are going to label any three-note descent as being a reference to Shore’s theme, then why stop at that track? 0:58 of “The Great Eagle” has a similar three-note descent in the violins. (Maybe I shouldn’t have said that; I don’t want to give anybody any ideas!) One doesn’t have to look far to find three notes going in a downward direction, lol.

[dylanskie 112]

I bet that's the end credits cue for episode 8. I love his end credits (on Outlander and Da Vinci's Demons, namely), and I know he does too, so I've been a little disappointed that the concert arrangements play over the credits, robbing him of a rich opportunity—but "Sauron's Design" was the first time we got a new cue for the credits, right?

[Jay 39,199]

Yes, it was the first time

 

Though "Nolwa Mahtar" may have been concieved as the episode 6 end credits first, and then retroactive made a "concert arrangement", who knows.  Either way, its just the last cue in the "The Siege In The Southlands" track, with the choral part repeated a capella in front of the cue, and then one chord added to the end.

[Richard Penna 4,109]

Listening to Army of Orcs freshly given that it will be the next album track to appear - great interplay between the Orc and Galadriel themes with the chant underneath constantly - everything's in action mode now and the different interpretations and chords Bear's playing with are so much fun.

 

I felt Durin's Bane's placement on the album was a bit odd as it's right in the middle of the super-stretch of near 30 minutes of battle scoring. I might move that and the Bombadil reprise to earlier in the album so the Eregion sequence plays uninterrupted.

[Jay 39,199]

BTW, has anybody examined the "Previously on" music in the season 2 episodes to see if they contain any unique music?

[tomsmoviemadness 3,466]

With episode 5 it was the first time I noticed a theme being used there. In this Galadriel's.

[Jay 39,199]

I think they all have used themes

[Chen G. 4,496]

2 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Yes, and if people are going to label any three-note descent as being a reference to Shore’s theme, then why stop at that track? 0:58 of “The Great Eagle” has a similar three-note descent in the violins. (Maybe I shouldn’t have said that; I don’t want to give anybody any ideas!) One doesn’t have to look far to find three notes going in a downward direction, lol.

 

I bet Bear is saving the other Shore theme - the arpeggio - for when Rivendell enters the plot outline, which is either at the very end of this season or beginning of the next.

[Stark 534]

I don’t think that three more phrase is meant to be a reference personally 

[Chen G. 4,496]

Oh, I agree. I don't think its a reference, either.

 

I'm saying, if he's going to use the material at all, he's probably saving it for Rivendell. It's perfect for that.

[Stark 534]

I’d agree with that as well - the arpeggio is reasonably close to Shore’s old theme, and he’d be legally in the clear. And we know he would use the old themes if he legally could (and, I’ve contended, he’s already snuck in a few references).

[Chen G. 4,496]

3 minutes ago, Stark said:

(and, I’ve contended, he’s already snuck in a few references

 

Only one comes to mind: the parallel fifths during the argument between the two Durins in Season One.

 

There are other things but they seem incidental to me. Both composers written well beyond 12 hours of music for each saga, so its natural they'll alight on some similar phrases.

[The Great Gonzales 6,224]

Kinda like how the one Dwarf theme kinda sounds like Gondor in Undomiel

[Chen G. 4,496]

5 minutes ago, The Great Gonzales said:

Kinda like how the one Dwarf theme kinda sounds like Gondor in Undomiel

 

Well, within the context of each score I think we're justified in seeking connections - up to a point - because at least its all within the same soundscape. Whereas between the two scores, that's not the case.

[Stark 534]

From 2 years ago until the end of time I’ll continue to insist the Numenor theme sharing 5 notes in a row with the Argonath music in the movies is not a coincidence!