Johan de Meij's Tolkien Symphonies: Symphony N°1 'The Lord Of The Rings' (1984 - 1987) Vs. Symphony N°5 'Return To Middle-Earth' (2019)

[BloodBoal 8,025]

As I recently found out that Johan de Meij wrote a second symphony inspired by Tolkien's writing, titled Return To Middle-Earth, I took this opportunity to finally listen to the first one he composed based on The Lord Of The Rings, along with that new one, which is mainly focused on the Silmarillion. Since the second symphony was never discussed here on JWFAN (well, there was a thread about it, but it was created before the release, and it came to an end without any musical discussion taking place), this will be the opportunity for people to discover it and share their thoughts on it.

 

Of course, since Howard Shore's music basically defined Middle-Earth for the last 20 years, it is difficult for a lot of people (and I include myself among those) who were unfamiliar with de Meij's work to approach it without any preconceived notion about how Tolkien-inspired music should sound like. I personally tried not to think of Shore's music when listening to these two symphonies, in order to give them a fair shot.

 

 

*****

 

Symphony N°1 - The Lord Of The Rings (1984 - 1988)

 

 

Here are the 5 movements this symphony is comprised of:

 

 

I. Gandalf (The Wizard)

 

The first movement is a musical portrait of the wizard Gandalf, one of the principal characters of the trilogy. His wise and noble personality is expressed by a stately motif which is used in a different form in movements IV and V. The sudden opening of the Allegro vivace is indicative of the unpredictability of the grey wizard, followed by a wild ride on his beautiful horse “Shadowfax”.

 

 

 

II. Lothlórien (The Elvenwood)

 

The second movement is an impression of Lothlórien, the elvenwood with its beautiful trees, plants, exotic birds, expressed through woodwind solo’s. The meeting of the Hobbit Frodo with the Lady Galadriel is embodied in a charming Allegretto; in the Mirror of Galadriel, a silver basin in the wood, Frodo glimpses three visions, the last of which, a large ominous Eye, greatly upsets him.

 

 

 

III. Gollum (Sméagol)

 

The third movement describes the monstrous creature  Gollum,  a slimy,  shy  being  represented  by  the soprano saxophone. It mumbles and talks to itself, hisses and lisps, whines and snickers, is alternately pitiful and malicious, is continually fleeing and looking for his cherished treasure, the Ring.

 

 

 

IV. Journey In The Dark

1. The Mines Of Moria

2. The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm

 

The fourth movement describes the laborious journey of the Fellowship of the Ring, headed by the wizard Gandalf, through the dark tunnels of the Mines of Moria. The slow walking cadenza and the fear are clearly audible in the monotonous rhythm of the low brass, piano and percussion. After a wild pursuit by hostile creatures, the Orks, Gandalf is engaged in battle with a horrible monster, the Balrog, and crashes from the subterranean bridge of Khazad-Dûm in a fathomless abyss. To the melancholy tones of a Marcia funèbre, the bewildered Companions trudge on, looking for the only way out of the Mines, the East Gate of Moria.

 

 

 

V. Hobbits

 

The fifth movement expresses the carefree and optimistic character of the Hobbits in a happy folk dance; the hymn that follows emanates the determination and noblesse of the hobbit folk. The symphony does not end on an exuberant note, but is concluded peacefully and resigned, in keeping with the symbolic mood of the last chapter “The Grey Havens” in which Frodo and Gandalf sail away in a white ship and disappear slowly beyond the horizon.

 

 

 

The Gandalf movement is probably my favourite of the lot. The material at the beginning of it sounds a bit too regal for Gandalf, I suppose, but the theme itself is rather nice. The real excitement begins at 02:03, however, which is meant to depict the rid of Shadowfax. The music in this section I find to be rather excellent, and its culmination at 03:43 is a highlight of the whole symphony (it is highly reminiscent of this moment in The Fight For Calahorra from Miklós Rózsa's El Cid).

 

The Lothlórien movement offers some nice writing representing the wonders of this Elven Realm. The joyfulness the music conveys maybe feels like it would be more fitting for Rivendell, or more appropriately for the Elves as they are described in The Hobbit rather than in The Lord Of The Rings. Still, this is another nice composition by de Meij.

 

The Gollum movement is possibly the one most people find unsettling, and for good reason. The music here sounds rather goofy, focusing on the peculiar behaviour of the character rather than any darker or tragic aspect of him (some might say Peter Jackson was also guilty of that, at least to some extent). Even disregarding whether or not it is a good musical depiction of this tortured soul, the piece itself is not terribly appealing and for me the weakest of the lot.

 

The Journey In The Dark movement in its first half (The Mines Of Moria) is drenched in an atmosphere of dread which is quite effective. This is definitely one of the stronger parts of the symphony. The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm section provides us with fine action music, along with the return of Gandalf's theme (from the first movement) for his confrontation with the Balrog, and then in a funereal setting for his fall in the abyss. The musical narrative of this piece is one of its stronger aspects.

 

The Hobbits movement opens with the same fanfare heard at the outsef of the Gandalf movement, and then we have the actual theme for the Halflings which is a joyous march that is pretty fun, even if it could have benefited from having maybe more of a pastoral side to it. I would not be surprised if people find it too... childish, perhaps? But then again, the Hobbits are creatures that are rather childish, at least when it comes to their innocence and naiveté, so it is not completely inappropriate. Funnily enough, the rendition of the theme at 05:16 reminds of the Think Of Me melody from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera.

 

This is a solid work, all things considered, though de Meij does sometimes make some debatable choices when it comes to musically representing Tolkien's world (Gollum's theme, as previously mentioned, definitely sounds incongruous). Ultimately, there is enough nice material in there for me to return to it at some point. Not bad, Mr. de Meij, not bad.

 

 

*****

 

Symphony N°5- Return To Middle-Earth (2019)

 

The interesting thing here is that inbetween the time Johan de Meij composed the first symphony and this one, the Howard Shore scores had taken the Tolkien musical world by storm, and it seems they had at least some influence on the Dutch composer's second Middle-Earth work. Another interesting aspect is that the choir plays a central part here (a Shore influence? Or did de Meij simply take a note or two from Tolkien?), whereas it was completely absent from the first symphony. Finally, here, he decided to cover the Silmarillion, instead of writing more pieces for The Lord Of The Rings (which he could have done. There were a lot of characters, locations and situations left to write music for). All this participated in creating a symphony that was quite different from the first one.

 

Here are the 6 movements this symphony is comprised of:

 

 

I. Mîri na Fëanor (Fëanor’s Jewels)

 

Before the creation of the Moon and Sun, the world of Arda was illuminated by the light of the Two Trees: shining Telperion and golden GaladloÌriel. They glowed alternately, so there was never darkness in the Undying Lands. Fëanor, the great Noldorin artisan, captured the light of the Trees in crystal silima and crafted three fabulous jewels. The theft of these jewels by the renegade god Morgoth, precipitated all of the disastrous events of the First Age of Beleriand and, indeed, of all Middle-earth in the ages to follow.

 

 

 

II. Tinúviel (Nightingale)

 

Tinúviel, daughter of Melian the Maia and Thingol of Doriath, and her mortal lover, Beren, succeeded in wresting one of the Jewels of Fëanor from Morgoth’s crown. Thingol had set that feat of daring as the bride price for his daughter’s hand, not expecting Beren to succeed. He did succeed, however, with Tinúviel’s help—but Carcharoth, the great wolf of Angband, swallowed the jewel and Beren’s hand as the couple escaped. Later on, Carcharoth killed Beren and was in turn slain – the jewel was retrieved intact from his carcass. Tinúviel died of grief, following her lover to the Halls of Mandos. There she sang of her grief to the God of the Dead, who granted her choice of returning from the dead with Beren, in exchange for her own immortality.

 

 

 

III. Ancalagon i-môr (Ancalagon The Black)

 

The greatest of Morgoth’s winged dragons, Ancalagon the Black was defeated in the War of Wrath by Earendil the Mariner (husband of Elwing, TinuÌviel’s granddaughter). Earendil succeeded in sailing to the Undying Lands using the light of the Jewel of Fëanor, which his wife had inherited. He battled Ancalagon in the sky above Morgoth’s stronghold, and the fall of the dragon crushed the towers of Thangorodrim, punctuating Morgoth’s ultimate defeat.

 

 

 

IV. Arwen Undómiel (Evenstar)

 

Arwen Undómiel was a direct descendant of Tinúviel of Doriath. It was said that Arwen looked just like her great-great-grandmother. As Queen of Gondor, Arwen considered her mortality, chosen for love of the mortal Aragorn, as did her ancestress, Tinúviel — a lifetime of love versus an eternity bereft of love.

 

 

 

V. Dagor Delothrin (The War Of Wrath)

 

The host of the Valar marched from the Undying Lands in the uttermost West and summoned all Elves and Men to join in confronting the forces of Morgoth. The battle lasted fifty years, but in the end, Morgoth’s fire demons and legions of Orcs were destroyed. Earendil appeared in the sky in his vessel Gwingeloth, along with Thorondor, King of the Eagles, and battle ensued between all the flying creatures. Morgoth was pursued into his mines and finally captured, bound with an unbreakable chain made of tilkal, and cast into the Timeless Void beyond the Walls of the World, to remain there until the breaking of the world.

 

 

 

VI. Thuringwethil (Woman Of Secret Shadow)

 

No one knows how Thuringwethil, the vampire servant of Morgoth, died—but Tinúviel wore her fell on her quest with Beren to steal the Jewels of Fëanor from Morgoth’s crown. Yet even as she sped off to join her beloved Beren at Angband’s gates, Tinúviel could sense that the presence of the bat-woman was still present in her skin, relishing the freedom of that final flight.

 

 

 

The first movement, Mîri na Fëanor, is a great piece for the creation of the Silmarils, which sounds superior to anything from the first symphony. A nice choir in there, and some delicate woodwinds touches in the second half make for a really excellent opener. This one is a keeper.

 

The Tinúviel movement is simply stunning. This is a truly splendid addition to the Middle-Earth musical repertoire. Fantastic choral writing which perfectly encapsulate the beauty but also the tragic aspect of this central character. This is probably the best piece from both symphonies.

 

The Ancalagon i-môr movement has a really strong first half, with powerful brass used to represent the terrible beast, along with some surprising sounds which seem to be voices (though most likely come from some instrument I cannot identify). The middle section is more restrained, before the brass return with more chaotic material. The theme for the dragon is surrounded by a whirlwind of instruments which creates quite an impactful moment. Yet another winner!

 

The Arwen Undómiel movement is a bit reminiscent of the Tinúviel (for obvious reasons), even if it is not quite as good. Not a bad piece by any mean, however, and the last minute does offer a nice interplay between the soloist and the backing choir. The problem here is I suppose is that this piece feels a bit redundant with the second movement.

 

The Dagor Delothrin movement is a bit underwhelming. The raw percussive performance of the actual battle music is impressive (and reminded me somehow of The Drums Of Gaugamela from Vangelis' Alexander) but I could not help but hope for something more developed for what is such a pivotal moment in Middle-Earth history. Some of the music in the first third also feels somewhat inappropriate for a pre-battle sequence (I am not entirely sure what it is supposed to represent, however), and the voices heard throughout the battle sequence (which I assume represent battle cries) are not quite as effective as they should be (the chant starting at 07:40 is a nice touch, mind you). That being said, there is still some enjoyment to be found in there, especially the last 2 minutes or so, when all hell breaks loose.

 

The Thuringwethil movement is a bit of an odd one to end this symphony with: why end this Silmarillion symphony with a piece for this character? Anyway, the composition itself is quite solid, with the music perfectly conveying a sense of flight. Strangely enough, this piece does not sound particularly dark. It actually sounds luminous! This is rather surprising (unless it is meant to represent Lúthien as Thuringwethil, and not Thuringwethil herself), but not much of an annoyance because it makes for lovely material.

 

So, overally, it is quite clear to me that this second symphony is the superior one. The omnipresence of the choir may be a bit of a deterrent for some, but I think de Meij offers enough variety with it for it not to feel unwelcome.

 

 

Now, bring on a third symphony, Mr. de Meij!

 

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

It's posts like this that demonstrate the quality you bring to JWfan, and was missing the last few years!

[TolkienSS 514]

It's an odd choice of things to revolve a Symphony around. 

[Holko 11,897]

First listen to the first one just because of this thread. It made me think of the Hildebrandt art in some ways - with today's eyes somewhat childish here and there, metaphorical bolder strokes, somewhat more generic medieval fantasy feel, nowhere near what I have in my head while reading. If the same work was called Beowulf or Narnia symphony, I wouldn't notice anything wrong. But there's still really good stuff in it, I liked Gollum more than you for the exploration of that sound, however fitting or not, and Hobbits is probably my favourite movement, that theme just really got me and captures their simple selfless unpretentious heroism. It also did remind me of Rosenmann's LotR's sound and part of his approach (like the marchiness) just a bit in some parts.

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

First listen to the first one just because of this thread. It made me think of the Hildebrandt art in some ways - with today's eyes somewhat childish here and there, metaphorical bolder strokes, somewhat more generic medieval fantasy feel, nowhere near what I have in my head while reading. If the same work was called Beowulf or Narnia symphony, I wouldn't notice anything wrong. But there's still really good stuff in it, I liked Gollum more than you for the exploration of that sound, however fitting or not, and Hobbits is probably my favourite movement, that theme just really got me and captures their simple selfless unpretentious heroism. It also did remind me of Rosenmann's LotR's sound and part of his approach (like the marchiness) just a bit in some parts.

Have you heard Stephen Oliver or David Cain and David Munrow's takes for the BBC radio dramas?

[Holko 11,897]

Nope. But I have heard the Hobbit drama once and I'm planning to listen to both sometime.

[BloodBoal 8,025]

On 10/01/2026 at 6:16 PM, Holko said:

First listen to the first one just because of this thread. It made me think of the Hildebrandt art in some ways - with today's eyes somewhat childish here and there, metaphorical bolder strokes, somewhat more generic medieval fantasy feel, nowhere near what I have in my head while reading. 

 

There is some truth to that, for sure. Still, from what I understand, back in the days, it was a relatively major reference when it came to Tolkien music. Of course, back then, other Tolkien music sounded like that:

 

 

On 10/01/2026 at 6:16 PM, Holko said:

If the same work was called Beowulf or Narnia symphony, I wouldn't notice anything wrong.

 

You've lost me there. There is nothing terribly evocative of Beowulf here (apart maybe from the Journey In The Dark movement) or Narnia (OK, I'll give you the Lothlórien movement for that one. Oh, and I suppoed the Gollum movement could work for Puddlegum). But anyway, I suppose you simply tried to illustrate your "generic medieval fantasy feel" idea, and that I can agree with.

 

On 10/01/2026 at 6:16 PM, Holko said:

It also did remind me of Rosenmann's LotR's sound and part of his approach (like the marchiness) just a bit in some parts.

 

Yes, I forgot to mention that, but I felt the same way, though it was more the Journey In The Dark movement that reminded me of Rosenman's score.

 

On a related note: I also found the Gollum movement more evocative of the character as he is depicted in the Bakshi adaptation than in Tolkien's writings.

 

On 10/01/2026 at 7:43 PM, The Score Cleaner said:

Have you heard Stephen Oliver or David Cain and David Munrow's takes for the BBC radio dramas?

 

That reminds me I need to listen to those. I remember someone (I believe it was TheGreyPilgrim) once shared the track Bilbo's Last Song by Stephen Oliver, and I found it lovely:

 

 

[Holko 11,897]

My enjoyment of the second symphony is hampered a bit by the soloist, in general I can't stand this kind of operatic singing. But still a lot of good stuff again, especially in the second half.

 

On 09/01/2026 at 10:17 PM, BloodBoal said:

Some of the music in the first third also feels somewhat inappropriate for a pre-battle sequence (I am not entirely sure what it is supposed to represent, however)

It's reprising Silmaril material from the first movement so Eärendil returning? Finding and bringing together all 3 of them? Or more just their spirit in general to represent the forces of good. After a quick lookup I'm hazy on the details and chronology but so were JRR and Christopher it seems, this battle is noncanon. Interesting use of parts of the Ring text - headcanoning Sauron into also being brought back for this battle, or using them as general Black Speech text, or specifically saying look, Melkor can do what Sauron wanted to do, but without needing the Ash Nazg to do it, he's that much badder?

 

On 09/01/2026 at 10:17 PM, BloodBoal said:

 

The Thuringwethil movement is a bit of an odd one to end this symphony with: why end this Silmarillion symphony with a piece for this character?

Yes, the name is puzzling, but it worked for me perfectly as an " Earth broken and remade, the mountains of Valinor levelled, so that the light shall go out over all the world" piece.

[BloodBoal 8,025]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

My enjoyment of the second symphony is hampered a bit by the soloist, in general I can't stand this kind of operatic singing.

 

I can understand that, as I generally feel the same way, but here, it did not bother me that much (at least, not in something like the Tinúviel piece).

 

Anyway, time for some MVSEP magic, perhaps?

 

1 hour ago, Holko said:

It's reprising Silmaril material from the first movement so Eärendil returning? Finding and bringing together all 3 of them? Or more just their spirit in general to represent the forces of good.

 

Yes, I noticed that after I wrote my post: the material from the opening piece reappears here, so there is some connection to the Silmarils one way or another. I believe you are correct in thinking this is probably used to simply represent the forces of good in this battle.

 

1 hour ago, Holko said:

 Interesting use of parts of the Ring text - headcanoning Sauron into also being brought back for this battle, or using them as general Black Speech text, or specifically saying look, Melkor can do what Sauron wanted to do, but without needing the Ash Nazg to do it, he's that much badder?

 

Nice catch! I obviously assumed some of the choral material used Black Speech, but I did not notice it used parts of the Ring text. I would assume de Meij used that specific text because it is such an integral part of the Middle-Earth mythology, rather than to convey any hidden meaning behind it, though who knows?

 

1 hour ago, Holko said:

Yes, the name is puzzling, but it worked for me perfectly as an " Earth broken and remade, the mountains of Valinor levelled, so that the light shall go out over all the world" piece.

 

That is not a bad way to look at it!

 

 

So, ultimately, Holko, which symphony do you prefer?

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

1 hour ago, Holko said:

My enjoyment of the second symphony is hampered a bit by the soloist, in general I can't stand this kind of operatic singing. 

Get ready for @Chen G.  to shake a rattle at you and curse you in poetic verse.

[Chen G. 5,798]

I like operatic singing which is close in spirit to "popular" singing: unconstrincted emission without striving for an artificially darkened tone, so...

 

A lot of the shrieking that passes for singing in opera today is pure agony as far as I'm concerned. For instance, Evelyn Herlitzius as Ortrud here:

 

 

or the black tar of Sir John Tomlinson - otherwise a redoubtable Hagen - here:

 

 

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

 

1 hour ago, Chen G. said:

Evelyn Herlitzius as Ortrud here:

 

 

or the black tar of Sir John Tomlinson - otherwise a redoubtable Hagen - here:

 

 

[Holko 11,897]

1 hour ago, BloodBoal said:

 

Anyway, time for some MVSEP magic, perhaps?

Can't replace her with a solo instrument to carry the melodic line... yet...

1 hour ago, BloodBoal said:

 

So, ultimately, Holko, which symphony do you prefer?

Ranking is for the weak and one listen to each is nothing. But still I think I'd have easily preferred 5 over 1 with the soloist replaced with instruments, but even with that I might agree it's stronger. But I still liked 1 too.

[BloodBoal 8,025]

20 minutes ago, Holko said:

Ranking is for the weak

 

Then you are weak!

 

On 06/06/2017 at 7:41 PM, Holko said:

I would rank them

 

1. Into The West  (Manly tears of manlyness)

2. Gollum's Song (Strong lyrics, beautiful vocals, great melody)

3. The Last Goodbye (A pretty heartwarming sendoff sang by an actual cast member)

4. In Dreams (way better than May It Be, but nothing too special)

5. The Song of the Lonely Mountain (It's unfitting, but an enjoyable song nonetheless)

6. I See Fire  (Unfitting, bland, too "pop"-ish)

7. May It Be  (I just can't stand Enya's half-whispering, I could never make out the lyrics, the melody is not memorable at all)

 

 

On 05/06/2018 at 7:19 AM, Holko said:

So I guess the best ranking I can do is Raiders, Temple, Crusade >>>>>Skull.

 

 

On 26/12/2025 at 5:57 PM, Holko said:

Yes.

The "ranking" in production level would go something like this:

Let It Be boxset extras - raw sessions stuff

Get Back (Glyn Johns album) - original album concept, raw sessions stuff assembled very well intentionally as if we're listening in on them, including chatter etc

Let It Be Naked - the songs produced and finished cleanly without chatter or extra elements

Let It Be (final Spektor album) - half Get Back-style chatter-included raw sessions stuff, half way overproduced stuff with extra elements added without the band's involvement or even final approval

[crocodile 9,516]

Excellent work @BloodBoal. Glad to see you back more often. 

 

I didn't know the second (well, fifth) symphony got released. I actually quite like the original symphony so this is no brainer I would be interested in this as well. I even managed to find a CD at decent price (quite tricky!) and will listen to that fully once that arrives. And I can actually vote.

 

Speaking of those, which recording of the no. 1 would you see is the best? I bought this this one many moons ago but it isn't supposed to be the best:

 

 

The LSO full symphony arrangement is nice and I also have a copy of that. but I think this was an adaptation by someone else so doesn't reflect the original composition. A better album recommendation would be appreciated.

 

Karol

[BloodBoal 8,025]

On 11/01/2026 at 2:22 PM, crocodile said:

Speaking of those, which recording of the no. 1 would you see is the best?

 

No idea. So far, I have only listened to the recording found in my original post (which is the one on the official Johan de Meij channel on Youtube).

 

I don't even know how many recordings of it there are!

 

Based on the Wikipedia page for the symphony, here is what said about it:

 

Quote

The CD by the military band Koninklijke Militaire Kapel helped give the symphony worldwide acclaim. In 1989 it won the Sudler Composition Award. It has been recorded by several orchestras. An orchestral version of the piece, orchestrated by Henk de Vlieger, was premiered and recorded in 2001 by the London Symphony Orchestra to coincide with the release of the 2001 film, The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

[...]

 

The Tolkien scholar David Bratman noted in 2010 that the symphony had attracted four recordings. He commented that though it was Dutch, it was in the tradition of British concert band and symphonic composers like Malcolm Arnold and Gustav Holst. He stated, too, that like another symphony based on The Lord of the Rings, the Finnish composer Aulis Sallinen's 1996 Symphony No. 7 The Dreams of Gandalf, it mainly aims not to tell the story but to create a mood.

 

So, at one point they say there are 7 recordings, and at another point they mention 4 recordings (though, of course, Bratman said this in 2010). The Wikipedia page itself lists 5 recordings!

 

Let's see what we can find online:

 

01. The 1989 Koninklijke Militaire Kapel recording (apparently, this is the first recording of the symphony, supervised by the composer)

02. The 1990 Amsterdam Wind Orchestra recording (this is the one in the videos in the first post of this thread)

03. The 1992 Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band recording (recorded in 1992 but apparently released in 1994)

04. The 1993 ARS Nova Wind Orchestra recording

05. The 1994 Danish Concert Band recording

06. The 1995 Banda Sinfónica De La Sociedad Musical La Artística De Buñol recording

07. The 1997 Symphonic Wind Orchestra St. Michaël Of Thorn recording

08. The 1997 Ensemble Vents Et Percussion De Québec recording (this is the one you bought)

09. The 1998 Österreichische Bläserphilharmonie Innsbruck recording

10. The 2001 United States Marine Band recording

11. The 2001 Orchestre D'Harmonie De La Police Nationale recording

12. The 2001 London Symphony Orchestra recording (this is the one orchestrated by Henk de Vlieger)

13. The 2001 Koncert Fúvószenekar Kiskunfélegyháza recording

14. The 2004 Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra recording

15. The 2004 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Central Band recording

16. The 2004 Freiburger Blasorchester recording

17. The 2005 Noord Nederlands Orkes recording

18. The 2007 Blaeserphilharmonie Regensburg recording

19. The 2010 Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band recording (possibly just a rerelease of the 1992 recording?)

20. The 2013 Siena Wind Orchestra recording

21. The 2013 (1988?) Royal Symphonic Band Of The Belgian Guides recording

22. The 2013 Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble recording

23. The 2014 Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra recording (I really like the cover of that one!)

24. The 2015 Philharmonic Winds Osakan recording

25. The 2023 Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble recording

26. The 2023 Grimethorpe Colliery Band recording

 

Phew! And I probably missed a few...

 

On a sidenote, here is a curious oddity: this album has a piece titled Hobbits Dance And Hymn. Not sure what that is. A shorter version of the Hobbits movement, perhaps? Also, this album has a 3 minutes and 30 seconds long piece simply titled Symphony N°1 The Lord Of The Rings. I have no idea what that is. 

[TolkienSS 514]

Tinuviel reminds me of Shore's Brooklyn Heights part 3 somehow.

[crocodile 9,516]

Just flicked through CD booklet and it mentions the lyrics are primarily in Ilkorin and some Orc chants in Black Speech.

 

From I undertand, Ilkorin is more or less a proto-Sindarin language?

 

Karol

[BloodBoal 8,025]

Yes.

 

From the other thread on Symphony N°5:

 

On 19/07/2018 at 6:09 PM, Pellaeon said:

Simplistically,

Tolkien always had two main languages, Quenya and Gnomish.

Ilkorin was a minor language with a small vocabulary. It was the language for the Sindar.

But as the Sindar became more important to the story, he renamed Gnomish to Sindarin and ceased development of Ilkorin.

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

fun fact, at some point Gnomish was a back nasal, so its pronounce something like "unGnomish"

[crocodile 9,516]

It's actually a nice touch, to pick an older language to evoke first age. I always wanted Howard Shore to write something like that as it would be a perfect vehicle for his choral writing.

 

Karol

[BloodBoal 8,025]

1 hour ago, The Score Cleaner said:

"unGnomish"

 

[The Score Cleaner 9,516]

It's really hard to write out actually lol Gn is sort of pronounced like the Ung in Ungol

[crocodile 9,516]

I actually quite like the 5th symphony but it took me three listens to fully get into it. It's not difficult or anything but you sort of need to get over the template of Howard Shore and Bear McCreary. Once you move past that, you can experience it as its own thing. It might be actually better than the older one because it better fits the operatic sweep of Tolkien's world, especially The Silmarillion. The old symphony is probably more distinctive in a sense that each movement had a very different feel. And while I love it, the tone probably felt too lighhearted for the story. It would probably be a better if titled The Hobbit Symphony. And new one definitely corrects that. It can be more tiring for casual listen but you can definitely feel the mythical weight. Which is great. 43 minutes feel like a breeze. Thanks for bringing this to my attention @BloodBoal!

 

So will go with 5th on this occasion. 😀

 

Yeah, we need a third one now!

 

Karol

[BloodBoal 8,025]

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

It might be actually better than the older one because it better fits the operatic sweep of Tolkien's world, especially The Silmarillion.

 

Well said. It definitely feels like it better captures Tolkien's writings.

 

If you were to play the first symphony to people unaware it was written for The Lord Of The Rings (only telling them it is inspired by a book, not specifying which one), I doubt most would guess what it is based on.

 

With that fifth symphony, I would definitely expect more people to mention Tolkien for sure (even if not specifically The Silmarillion).

 

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

The old symphony is probably more distinctive in a sense that each movement had a very different feel. And while I love it, the tone probably felt too lighhearted for the story. It would probably be a better if titled The Hobbit Symphony.

 

 

Quite true.

 

I already said that Lothlórien sounds more like a piece written for the Elves as they are described in The Hobbit, but thinking about it, the actual Hobbits movement also feels like it better reflects Bilbo's character than Frodo's or even his friends (though I suppose Hobbits is ultimately meant for the Shire in general).

 

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

The old symphony is probably more distinctive in a sense that each movement had a very different feel.

 

Interesting point.

 

I suppose the omnipresence of the otherworldy Elves in The Silmarillion is the reason the pieces are more similar in nature, whereas with The Lord Of The Rings, the composer had more opportunities to try different things (Wizards, Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, etc.).

 

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

Thanks for bringing this to my attention @BloodBoal!

 

My pleasure.

 

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

So will go with 5th on this occasion. 😀

 

Excellent choice!

 

I find myself returning to that Ancalagon i-môr movement. I quite like it!

 

12 hours ago, crocodile said:

Yeah, we need a third one now!

 

 

So, The Hobbit Symphony?

 

Or The Lord Of The Rings (Part 2) Symphony?  There is still an awful lot left to cover: Rohan, Gondor, the Nazgûl, Isengard, the Ents, etc. It could also be the opportunity to cover parts of the books that have rarely (never?) been covered musically by professional composers: the Barrow-wights, the Drúedain, Tom Bombadil...

[crocodile 9,516]

Well, since Bear McCreary touched upon the first and third subject...Drúedain Symphony it is then.

 

Karol

[Jurassic Shark 16,054]

On 11/01/2026 at 11:45 AM, Chen G. said:

I like operatic singing which is close in spirit to "popular" singing: unconstrincted emission without striving for an artificially darkened tone, so...

 

A lot of the shrieking that passes for singing in opera today is pure agony as far as I'm concerned. For instance, Evelyn Herlitzius as Ortrud here:

 

 

or the black tar of Sir John Tomlinson - otherwise a redoubtable Hagen - here:

 

 

 

Please show how these should sound.

[Chen G. 5,798]

Compare Tomlinson's grey, booming voice, with the sensitivity and richness of Robert Lloyd's singing (and acting!) for the Syberberg movie:

 

 

I think that's a lot closer to the spirit of popular singing in that he's not artificially darkening the voice or making it sound heavier. It feels light and unconstricted. Maybe it's cheating in the sense that he's not singing in the theatre here, but other proponents of the part sing it with a light touch. Franz Josef-Selig is in the same mould. Marvellous:

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 16,054]

On 09/01/2026 at 10:17 PM, BloodBoal said:

As I recently found out that Johan de Meij wrote a second symphony inspired by Tolkien's writing, titled Return To Middle-Earth, I took this opportunity to finally listen to the first one he composed based on The Lord Of The Rings, along with that new one, which is mainly focused on the Silmarillion. Since the second symphony was never discussed here on JWFAN (well, there was a thread about it, but it was created before the release, and it came to an end without any musical discussion taking place), this will be the opportunity for people to discover it and share their thoughts on it.

 

Of course, since Howard Shore's music basically defined Middle-Earth for the last 20 years, it is difficult for a lot of people (and I include myself among those) who were unfamiliar with de Meij's work to approach it without any preconceived notion about how Tolkien-inspired music should sound like. I personally tried not to think of Shore's music when listening to these two symphonies, in order to give them a fair shot.

 

 

*****

 

Symphony N°1 - The Lord Of The Rings (1984 - 1988)

 

 

Here are the 5 movements this symphony is comprised of:

 

I. Gandalf (The Wizard)

 

 

II. Lothlórien (The Elvenwood)

 

 

III. Gollum (Sméagol)

 

 

IV. Journey In The Dark

1. The Mines Of Moria

2. The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm

 

 

V. Hobbits

 

 

 

The Gandalf movement is probably my favourite of the lot. The material at the beginning of it sounds a bit too regal for Gandalf, I suppose, but the theme itself is rather nice. The real excitement begins at 02:03, however, which is meant to depict the rid of Shadowfax. The music in this section I find to be rather excellent, and its culmination at 03:43 is a highlight of the whole symphony (it is highly reminiscent of this moment in The Fight For Calahorra from Miklós Rózsa's El Cid).

 

The Lothlórien movement offers some nice writing representing the wonders of this Elven Realm. The joyfulness the music conveys maybe feels like it would be more fitting for Rivendell, or more appropriately for the Elves as they are described in The Hobbit rather than in The Lord Of The Rings. Still, this is another nice composition by de Meij.

 

The Gollum movement is possibly the one most people find unsettling, and for good reason. The music here sounds rather goofy, focusing on the peculiar behaviour of the character rather than any darker or tragic aspect of him (some might say Peter Jackson was also guilty of that, at least to some extent). Even disregarding whether or not it is a good musical depiction of this tortured soul, the piece itself is not terribly appealing and for me the weakest of the lot.

 

The Journey In The Dark movement in its first half (The Mines Of Moria) is drenched in an atmosphere of dread which is quite effective. This is definitely one of the stronger parts of the symphony. The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm section provides us with fine action music, along with the return of Gandalf's theme (from the first movement) for his confrontation with the Balrog, and then in a funereal setting for his fall in the abyss. The musical narrative of this piece is one of its stronger aspects.

 

The Hobbits movement opens with the same fanfare heard at the outsef of the Gandalf movement, and then we have the actual theme for the Halflings which is a joyous march that is pretty fun, even if it could have benefited from having maybe more of a pastoral side to it. I would not be surprised if people find it too... childish, perhaps? But then again, the Hobbits are creatures that are rather childish, at least when it comes to their innocence and naiveté, so it is not completely inappropriate. Funnily enough, the rendition of the theme at 05:16 reminds of the Think Of Me melody from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom Of The Opera.

 

This is a solid work, all things considered, though de Meij does sometimes make some debatable choices when it comes to musically representing Tolkien's world (Gollum's theme, as previously mentioned, definitely sounds incongruous). Ultimately, there is enough nice material in there for me to return to it at some point. Not bad, Mr. de Meij, not bad.

 

 

*****

 

Symphony N°5- Return To Middle-Earth (2019)

 

The interesting thing here is that inbetween the time Johan de Meij composed the first symphony and this one, the Howard Shore scores had taken the Tolkien musical world by storm, and it seems they had at least some influence on the Dutch composer's second Middle-Earth work. Another interesting aspect is that the choir plays a central part here (a Shore influence? Or did de Meij simply take a note or two from Tolkien?), whereas it was completely absent from the first symphony. Finally, here, he decided to cover the Silmarillion, instead of writing more pieces for The Lord Of The Rings (which he could have done. There were a lot of characters, locations and situations left to write music for). All this participated in creating a symphony that was quite different from the first one.

 

Here are the 6 movements this symphony is comprised of:

 

I. Mîri na Fëanor (Fëanor’s Jewels)

 

 

II. Tinúviel (Nightingale)

 

 

III. Ancalagon i-môr (Ancalagon The Black)

 

 

IV. Arwen Undómiel (Evenstar)

 

 

V. Dagor Delothrin (The War Of Wrath)

 

 

VI. Thuringwethil (Woman Of Secret Shadow)

 

 

 

The first movement, Mîri na Fëanor, is a great piece for the creation of the Silmarils, which sounds superior to anything from the first symphony. A nice choir in there, and some delicate woodwinds touches in the second half make for a really excellent opener. This one is a keeper.

 

The Tinúviel movement is simply stunning. This is a truly splendid addition to the Middle-Earth musical repertoire. Fantastic choral writing which perfectly encapsulate the beauty but also the tragic aspect of this central character. This is probably the best piece from both symphonies.

 

The Ancalagon i-môr movement has a really strong first half, with powerful brass used to represent the terrible beast, along with some surprising sounds which seem to be voices (though most likely come from some instrument I cannot identify). The middle section is more restrained, before the brass return with more chaotic material. The theme for the dragon is surrounded by a whirlwind of instruments which creates quite an impactful moment. Yet another winner!

 

The Arwen Undómiel movement is a bit reminiscent of the Tinúviel (for obvious reasons), even if it is not quite as good. Not a bad piece by any mean, however, and the last minute does offer a nice interplay between the soloist and the backing choir. The problem here is I suppose is that this piece feels a bit redundant with the second movement.

 

The Dagor Delothrin movement is a bit underwhelming. The raw percussive performance of the actual battle music is impressive (and reminded me somehow of The Drums Of Gaugamela from Vangelis' Alexander) but I could not help but hope for something more developed for what is such a pivotal moment in Middle-Earth history. Some of the music in the first third also feels somewhat inappropriate for a pre-battle sequence (I am not entirely sure what it is supposed to represent, however), and the voices heard throughout the battle sequence (which I assume represent battle cries) are not quite as effective as they should be (the chant starting at 07:40 is a nice touch, mind you). That being said, there is still some enjoyment to be found in there, especially the last 2 minutes or so, when all hell breaks loose.

 

The Thuringwethil movement is a bit of an odd one to end this symphony with: why end this Silmarillion symphony with a piece for this character? Anyway, the composition itself is quite solid, with the music perfectly conveying a sense of flight. Strangely enough, this piece does not sound particularly dark. It actually sounds luminous! This is rather surprising (unless it is meant to represent Lúthien as Thuringwethil, and not Thuringwethil herself), but not much of an annoyance because it makes for lovely material.

 

So, overally, it is quite clear to me that this second symphony is the superior one. The omnipresence of the choir may be a bit of a deterrent for some, but I think de Meij offers enough variety with it for it not to feel unwelcome.

 

 

Now, bring on a third symphony, Mr. de Meij!

 

 

Too bad de Meij still hasn't learned to write for strings.

[BloodBoal 8,025]

That's OK. He learned to write for choir.