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Bear McCreary's "Rings of Power" Themes


Monoverantus

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Episode 7 - Doomed To Die

 

1. Nine for Mortal Men (6:00)

  • 0:07 Forging
  • 0:13 The Rings of Power
  • 1:17 The Rings of Power
  • 2:01 Sauron
  • 2:32 The Rings of Power B
  • 2:52 Sauron
  • 3:14 Adar/Orcs
  • 3:56 Adar/Orcs
  • 5:36 Arondir
  • 5:45 Eregion

2. Shattered Illusion (2:39)

  • 0:38 Sauron
  • 1:11 Eregion
  • 2:13 Sauron

3. The Battle for Eregion Begins (7:22)

  • 0:13 Adar/Orcs

  • 1:08 Adar/Orcs

  • 1:38 Adar/Orcs

  • 1:52 Noble Warrior

  • 2:02 Adar/Orcs

  • 2:24 UNKNOWN THEME

  • 2:43 Elrond

  • 2:46 Noble Warrior

  • 3:03 Arondir

  • 3:10 Adar/Orcs

  • 3:17 Noble Warrior

  • 3:33 Galadriel

  • 4:22 Galadriel

  • 4:59 Elrond

  • 5:17 Noble Warrior

  • 5:37 Elrond

  • 6:11 Elrond

  • 6:26 Noble Warrior

4. Dwarven Loyalty (5:19)

  • 0:00 Durin IV
  • 0:39 Elrond
  • 1:27 Elrond
  • 1:56 Elrond
  • 2:23 Durin IV
  • 2:37 Galadriel
  • 2:45 Durin IV
  • 3:09 Durin IV
  • 3:47 Khazad-dûm
  • 4:02 Durin IV
  • 4:18 Durin IV
  • 4:34 Khazad-dûm

5. The Orc Camp (5:07)

  • 0:17 Adar/Orcs?
  • 1:49 Adar/Orcs
  • 2:33 Arondir
  • 3:16 Galadriel
  • 3:35 Khazad-dûm
  • 3:43 Durin IV
  • 4:06 Khazad-dûm
  • 4:21 Durin IV
  • 4:38 Durin IV

6. The Light of Celebrimbor (5:26)

  • 0:12 Sauron
  • 1:52 Eregion
  • 2:25 Galadriel
  • 3:02 The Rings Of Power
  • 4:16 UNKNOWN THEME

7. War at the Wall (3:57)

  • 0:00 Galadriel
  • 0:44 Adar/Orcs
  • 0:47 Noble Warrior
  • 1:02 Elrond
  • 1:15 Elrond
  • 1:53 Elven Action
  • 2:01 Galadriel
  • 3:08 Noble Warrior
  • 3:27 Arondir

8. Damrod (feat. Jens Kidman) (3:46)

  • 0:00 Damrod
  • 1:25 Damrod
  • 1:38 Elrond
  • 2:20 Damrod
  • 2:54 Noble Warrior
  • 3:11 Arondir
  • 3:18 Elven Action

9. Never Make War in Anger (5:31)

  • 0:00 Elrond
  • 0:20 Adar/Orcs
  • 2:23 Arondir
  • 2:49 Noble Warrior
  • 3:50 Adar/Orcs
  • 4:14 Elrond
  • 5:07 Arondir
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4 hours ago, Jay said:

So long story short... I guess there was never a mithril theme after all, it was just a portion of the full Rings of Power theme?  And @Monoverantus went back and changed the posts in this thread, but not his google doc version?

The "Mithril" name was used before Bear had given us an official name for the theme. And yes, I apparently didn't change it everywhere.

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I noticed another recurring idea.

 

The percussive action rhythm in episode 5's "Sauron's Design" from 0:19-0:31, 0:54-1:07, and 1:31-2:00 is also used in episode 7's "The Battle For Eregion Begins" from 5:43-5:52.  At least I think its the same....

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18 hours ago, Monoverantus said:

The "Mithril" name was used before Bear had given us an official name for the theme. And yes, I apparently didn't change it everywhere.

 

Ok but I think I'm still confused.  If the "mithril theme" can be heard in the "Where The Shadows Lie (Instrumental Version)" concert arrangment that was on the season album before the show even started, then why was it ever considered a different theme?  Was the thought that that track combined two themes together until it was cleared up?

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21 minutes ago, Jay said:

Ok but I think I'm still confused.  If the "mithril theme" can be heard in the "Where The Shadows Lie (Instrumental Version)" concert arrangment that was on the season album before the show even started, then why was it ever considered a different theme?  Was the thought that that track combined two themes together until it was cleared up?

Note that originally we didn't know for certain what the "Where the Shadows Lie" theme was for. In that time, I've used many names (;P) among which was "Where the Shadows Lie Chords". However, both it and "Rings of Power Chords" is a mouthful, so I ended up using "Mithril" at some point since, as you can see from your own quotes, it's most consistently used for mithril (after the Rings are invented, the chords are seldom heard without the melody). At one point I thought it represented something broader, like "ruinous ambition", something that does connect Celebrimbor, the Dwarves' greed for mithril and the false promise of the Rings.

 

Now that the blogs are out, we can see that Bear himself doesn't call it the Rings of Power theme, but just the Rings theme, so thankfully "The Rings Chords" is less of a mouthful.

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In Bear's blog post for episode 201, he mentions that by returning to material he had written for the sea worm in season 1, he basically made a "Sea Worm Theme".

 

Here's where you can hear it:

  • Season 1, Episode 2, "Adrift" from 2:15-3:30
  • Season 2, Episode 1, "Dawn of the Second Age" from 10:20-11:05

 

He also mentions that the music he wrote for the introductory shot of the Grey Havens will basically a theme for it if the show returns there in later seasons.  Here's where you can hear that:

  • Season 2, Episode 1, "Círdan" from 0:00-0:24
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Episode 8 - Shadow and Flame

 

1. True Wealth of the Mountain (6:03)

  • 0:07 Khazad-dûm

  • 0:43 Durin

  • 0:57 Khazad-dûm

  • 1:23 Khazad-dûm

  • 1:49 Khazad-dûm

  • 2:05 Khazad-dûm

  • 2:27 The Rings of Power (chords only)

  • 2:49 Khazad-dûm

  • 3:11 Durin

2. Confronting the Dark Wizard (3:33)

  • 0:00 Rhûn

  • 1:40 Nori

  • 1:59 Rhûn

  • 2:14 The Stranger

  • 2:35 Rhûn

  • 3:03 The Stranger

3. The White Flame (6:10)

  • 0:00 Númenor

  • 0:45 Númenor

  • 2:01 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 2:11 Númenor

  • 2:18 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 2:25 Númenor

  • 2:44 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 3:46 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 3:58 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 4:14 Adar/Orcs

  • 5:02 Elven Action

  • 5:02 Adar/Orcs

  • 5:13 Galadriel

4. Sauron and Celebrimbor (2:29)

  • 0:38 Sauron

  • 1:13 The Rings of Power

  • 1:58 Sauron

5. No Passage for Low Men (5:15)

  • 0:00 Estrid

  • 0:47 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 1:23 Arondir

  • 2:00 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 2:15 Estrid B

  • 2:40 Estrid

  • 3:07 Númenor

  • 3:42 Estrid

  • 3:59 Elendil/Isildur/Faithful

  • 4:10 Númenor

  • 4:44 Estrid

  • 4:55 Galadriel

6. Wounds That Have Endured (4:18)

  • 0:13 Adar/Orcs

  • 1:10 Galadriel

  • 1:46 Adar/Orcs

  • 2:46 Sauron

  • 3:19 Adar/Orcs

7. The Fall of Galadriel (12:05)

  • 0:30 Sauron

  • 1:14 Sauron

  • 1:29 GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME

  • 1:50 Eregion

  • 1:57 Adar/Orcs

  • 2:53 Elrond

  • 3:10 GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME

  • 3:13 Galadriel

  • 3:35 Sauron

  • 4:01 Galadriel

  • 4:07 Halbrand

  • 4:40 Galadriel

  • 4:51 GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME

  • 5:00 The Rings of Power

  • 5:30 Sauron

  • 6:00 Galadriel

  • 6:01 GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME

  • 6:22 Noble Warrior

  • 6:42 Sauron

  • 7:00 Galadriel

  • 7:24 Sauron

  • 7:46 an ostinato that has appeared somewhere else?

  • 7:57 Khazad-dûm

  • 8:01 Arondir

  • 8:19 Durin

  • 8:36 Sauron

  • 8:46 sounds like a theme?

  • 9:28 Galadriel

  • 9:42 Sauron

  • 10:01 Sauron

  • 10:10 Galadriel

  • 11:38 Elrond

8. Shadow and Flame (16:01)

  • 0:10 Stoors

  • 0:35 Nori

  • 1:11 UNKNOWN THEME

  • 3:08 Stoors

  • 3:38 Nori

  • 4:50 Nori

  • 5:20 The Stranger

  • 6:13 Tom Bombadil

  • 7: 23 Tom Bombadil

  • 8:25 Rhûn

  • 8:46 Durin

  • 9:00 Khazad-dûm

  • 9:18 Khazad-dûm

  • 9:55 Galadriel

  • 10:18 two notes of the UNKNOWN THEME?

  • 10:26 Elrond

  • 10:40 Galadriel

  • 11:48 Galadriel

  • 12:42 variant of the GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME?

  • 12:55 Noble Warrior

  • 13:20 Noble Warrior

  • 13:46 variant of the GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME?

  • 13:51 Galadriel

  • 14:37 Noble Warrior

  • 14:37 variant of the GALADRIEL/SAURON DUEL THEME?

  • 15:00 Noble Warrior

  • 15:35 Noble Warrior

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1 hour ago, Jay said:

3. The White Flame (6:10)

  • 2:44 Númenor

This is not Númenor, but The Faitful theme.

 

 

And at 0:07 and 0:27 in Sauron And Celebrimbor there are the Rings of Power chords.

 

1 hour ago, Jay said:

5. No Passage for Low Men (5:15)

  • 1:23 Estrid

 

  • 2:40 Estrid

 

1:23 is also the Faithful theme. But sounds like it sort of segues into Estrid's theme.

 

2:40 is Estrid's theme 

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2 minutes ago, Jay said:

I think you're right!

Makes me wonder what it is scoring.

 

I would assume it's possibly for Theo, since Isildur is most likely in Pelargir.. while Arondir is obviously in Eregion.

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Its a theme shared with Bronwyn, so maybe Theo mentions his mom, yeah

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Ok I have a theory about what the unknown theme could be for.

 

Maybe it's a theme for godly beings interacting with the peoples of Middle Earth.

 

In episode 2 it plays when Celebrimbor goes down and finally talks to Halbrand, the start of Sauron using ancient magic to manipulate Celebrimbor into helping him to make the rings he'll use to try to reshape Middle Earth.

 

In episode 7 it plays when the Lindon cavalry shows up, and we see them before that start charging against Adar's army. So it's like the greater powers of Middle Earth starting to come together to use all their powers to fight evil.

 

In episode 8, I get the impression from listening to the beautiful choral version in between the Stoors and Nori material that were bearing the music for The Stranger fully understanding what he is, which is probably and Istari, and probably Gandalf at that. The fact that the track is called The Staff on the season album probably means finding the staff from his dream unlocks something that makes him remember who he is, or understand it, or whatever. Anyways, if he is Gandalf, he's an Istari sent to Middle Earth to help fight back against Sauron, so it fits my theory.

 

That's all I got - I'm sure you early watchers will know by the time I wake up!

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2 hours ago, Jay said:

Ok I have a theory about what the unknown theme could be for.

 

Maybe it's a theme for godly beings interacting with the peoples of Middle Earth.

 

In episode 2 it plays when Celebrimbor goes down and finally talks to Halbrand, the start of Sauron using ancient magic to manipulate Celebrimbor into helping him to make the rings he'll use to try to reshape Middle Earth.

 

In episode 7 it plays when the Lindon cavalry shows up, and we see them before that start charging against Adar's army. So it's like the greater powers of Middle Earth starting to come together to use all their powers to fight evil.

 

In episode 8, I get the impression from listening to the beautiful choral version in between the Stoors and Nori material that were bearing the music for The Stranger fully understanding what he is, which is probably and Istari, and probably Gandalf at that. The fact that the track is called The Staff on the season album probably means finding the staff from his dream unlocks something that makes him remember who he is, or understand it, or whatever. Anyways, if he is Gandalf, he's an Istari sent to Middle Earth to help fight back against Sauron, so it fits my theory.

 

That's all I got - I'm sure you early watchers will know by the time I wake up!

 

In Episode 7, it also plays when Celebrimbor takes the Nine out of the fire.

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The unkown theme plays beautofully in the final episode. It plays over a montage of the different storylines very well.

 

Based on the scenes it accompanies, I think it's a sort of loss theme of sorts.

Let's hope Bear mentions it in his blogs at some point. And I'm hoping it'll have more of a present in the future.

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Celebrimbor talking to Halbrand... Lindon elves show up ... Celebrimbor takes the nine rings out of the fire.... Season ending montage ....

 

Adds up to loss?

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So does that really cool choir + percussion theme from "Last Temptation" / "The Fall of Galadriel" represent anything specific, or it just a general action motif for their duel?

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I think that depends on if Bear ever brings it back a la Nolwa Mahtar. Hard to say now. Seems like a duel theme for this specific sequence to me from its single appearance. 

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I think you're all forgetting its appearance in Celebrimbor's speech to Galadriel about light, which to me is the fullest version prior to the one in The Staff.

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Wait, what track is that in?

 

Having just watched the season finale, I'm no closer to understanding what idea connects all the scenes this theme is used for.  Bear's blog for episode 8 should hopefully explain it!

 

It's a really beautiful theme. I could see it being a major theme next season even though I'm not sure what it represents.

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8 hours ago, Jay said:

Wait, what track is that in?

Battle for Eregion 6:40, Light of Celebrimbor 4:16.

 

7 hours ago, The Great Gonzales said:

The Light of Celebrimbor surely?

I'm of half a mind to call it that (sorry Chen). It seems to be about light in darkness, the acts of good in the face of overwhelming despair:

Celebrimbor defies orders to show Halbrand pity in Ep 2, and tries his damndest to destroy the Nine even when Sauron has ostensibly won.

The Elves arrive to protect Eregion before inevitable defeat.

Poppy's speech is about moving on and keep trying despite all the losses life hands you, following a montage of characters at their lowest still defiant.

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I think to call it a "hope/light theme" or something like that seems to be a fitting name until we have an official explanation by Bear. I suppose until the episode 7 blog we won't know, as its appearance in episode 2 is very brief.

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Someone said that the theme plays when Celebrimbor takes the nine rings out of the fire.  Which track would that be?

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15 minutes ago, Jay said:

Someone said that the theme plays when Celebrimbor takes the nine rings out of the fire.  Which track would that be?

 

It’s not on the album.

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Oh snap!

 

I think you guys have hit the nail on the head that it relates to Celebrimbor's "fighting darkness with light, not strength" idea.  But does it play when he first gives that speech in whatever episode it was, or when Galadriel repeats his words in episode 8?

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Yeah, it's the cue where he escapes the cuffs, I believe, and the tension bit at least isn't on the album.

 

There's an awful lot more material unreleased for S2 than S1, but the key thing is I've never spotted anything major left off. Bear's simply curating it sensibly.

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Well especially since some of those weird edits/reverb made it into the last episode album. Like why take the approach like it’s an isolated score if you aren’t even including the whole thing?

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When the episode 1 and 3 albums contained bonus tracks, I was really hoping that subsequent albums would too.  He now has a space to present additional cues and alternates that he didn't have in season 1, and yet, he didn't make use of it.

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3 hours ago, Jay said:

I really don't understand the point of being gifted a 2 1/2 hour space to curate all the highlights you want from the season, and then further curating the episode albums instead of making those complete

 

I do see a pattern that might or might not be a mandate from Amazon. 

 

The Episode albums are all like what 8 to 10 tracks.

 

If he were to present the score as written cue by cue without condensing or joining cues, each episode might have tracklists of 20-30 tracks which might seem very forbidding to listeners etc.

 

So it seems like a practical compromise that they thought - lets try to fit all episode scores into about 8-10 tracks which of courses requires a lot of condemning and editorializing and moving things around etc. 

 

So even the episode albums aren't a straight dump of the score - they are also heavily curated and designed.

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Huh, that's a good observation - all the episode albums have indeed been between 6-10 tracks, with the exception of the season 2, episode 3 album that has the 3 bonus tracks at the end which brings it up to 12 tracks (so would have been 9 without them).

 

I actually don't mind that he combined multiple cues together into tracks, he genuinely does a super awesome job at that - i only really have complaints about the last 2 episode albums for this season really. 

 

But I don't know why its decided to leave out cues with themes in them that are heard in the episode.  Like how hard would it have been to include the cue where Celebrimbor taking the rings out of the fire with the statement of the "Light in Darkness" theme somewhere on that album?

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Only Bear will know that - he's removing material he doesn't think is interesting.

 

Given that he puts some of the albums way out of chrono order, he clearly doesn't want the music out there session-style. I'd find it hard to believe it would be an Amazon mandate though, that they'd want to have that much control over the content.

 

But, I do agree that these albums would be a perfect opportunity to make complete score releases, given the audience he knows will buy them. But it's not like there are any blatant unreleased highlights, in my view.

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I wonder if he uses that section of the theme on its own to represent Celebrimbor or something

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