The Soundtracks

[Zôrzimril]

Okay folks, inspired by the recent LOTR cast reunion's inclusion of Howard Shore, I have been geeking out over the original scores for the Lord of the Rings films like I haven't geeked out in years. The discussion of the cast reunion turned brought up a lot of enthusiastic appreciation for the music of the films, so I figured I'd start a separate discussion thread for the music. (You can watch the cast reunion here if you haven't seen it already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_U0S6x_kCs)

I personally have so many memories bound up with the music from the movies, in addition to the nostalgia brought on by the movies themselves. As a 14-year-old, I'd fall asleep with the FOTR soundtrack playing most nights. In college, I'd write papers while listening to the soundtracks to motivate myself. The first two soundtracks are my favorites, though I love them all. I could go on and on but then this would be a ridiculously long OP.

So, let's hear it! What are your thoughts and memories and feelings and all the things related to the music of Middle-Earth brought to us by Mr. Shore? (And in full transparency, I have not listened to the soundtracks of The Hobbit movies, but those are fair game for discussion as well.)

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Music plays a core role in storytelling. From what I gathered during the "Reunited Apart" video, one reason the LOTR soundtrack is so on point is because composition and filming had so much overlap.

This is a paragraph from an essay I wrote nearly ten years ago on the importance of music in storytelling, which I think starts to hit at just how pivotal music can be when it comes to conveying emotions alongside the sequential story.

"Imagine watching a very emotional scene in a film such as the ‘Breaking of the Fellowship’ in The Fellowship of the Ring without music. The music is what gives the scene its powerful emotion. In this scene the melody alone makes you want to cry, as it is so sweet, but at the same time overwhelmed with sadness. Without this music, this scene would only be horror unfolding on the Fellowship. When sad music is added to a sad scene, it draws one in even more and raises the emotions of sadness to a higher level."

[Boromir88]

I'd say John Williams is probably my favorite composer, but he's my 1A. Howard Shore is my 1B :smiley8:

At my old job, one day was my work day at the office and I hear the secretary playing the music during the Bridge of Khazad-dum. I get so giddy and say "I didn't know you liked Lord of the Rings?" (thinking I would have someone I work with I could nerd out over Middle-earth to)

But she's confused and says "What?" I say that this is the music during the Bridge of Khazad-dum scene. She has no clue what I'm talking about and only says that her son sent her this music to listen to at work and she really liked it.

And I decided to take the opportunity of "Well, if you really like this, let's find the entire Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack." So our day of work at the office was having the FOTR soundtrack playing. (I mean, we also go our work done too, just to make that clear )

[FireroseArien]

A few years ago they did a screening of RotK with a symphony orchestra at Lincoln Center in NYC. This coincided with my birthday, so I went with @Eouwen and a couple other friends (one of whom is also a Plaza friend but not sure she's on the new Plaza). We ducked out during credits because Howard Shore was there signing programs (ALWAYS BUY A PROGRAM!), and ended up towards the front of the line.

I asked if he could write "Happy Birthday", to which he did, and then (in response to someone else) "Aging gracefully..."
"Why, thank you," I said, flattered...
"...I meant the score," he replied...

:smiley8:

[Burnt Toast]

Ahh! This! I listened to the soundtracks constantly- I also probably fell asleep to them, and absolutely studied to them.

Here comes a silly memory the soundtrack gave me...

So when I was a wee young 'un, sometime in early grade school when I first read the books and the movies were coming out- I used to listen to the soundtracks with my friend at her house. For some reason, one day, we decided that the most fun activity we could do would be to listen to The Return of the King songs "Hope Fails" into "The Black Gate Opens". We sat on her bed with the lights off, and a lit candle, and when the last notes of "Hope Fails" faded away, we would blow out the candle, and the big scary Mordor music would startle us and we would scream and then laugh... and then start it all over again.

I've done a lot of wonderfully dorky things but this is one of my silliest happiest memories.

Not long after that, we wanted to watch the films and speak the lines with the characters, but we couldn't figure out how to turn on the subtitles. So we sat down and tried to write everything out by hand.

Admittedly, we did get tired after a bit and go work on our Hobbit Newsletter, but eh, good times.

[Nia]

So I'm about 85% certain this isn't going to be allowed to go ahead and will either get cancelled (boo) or postponed (still boo, but to a lesser extent)... But one of the things I have been really excited about seeing this year (in October), and which we booked back in November, is seeing the Fellowship of the Ring film being shown at the Royal Albert Hall, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a choir performing Howard Shore's music live in front of us - sounds like some of you lucky people have already seen something similar!!

The music from all the films just give me goosebumps. I used to listen to The Battle of the Pelennor Fields soundtrack whilst revising/prepping for exams at uni as it really revved me up. And the Lighting of the Beacons is still one of my number 1 tracks to run to - the build is perfect and if it comes on towards the end of my run I almost always finish with faster splits. A lot of the soundtracks can more or less move me to tears if I am in the right mood.

I am a big sucker for film soundtracks in general (the good ones, anyway!). I've seen Hans Zimmer live (one of the best performances I have EVER seen), I have seen John Williams and Hans Zimmer music being performed twice by the London Philharmonic. Ennio Morricone is next on my list!

[Zôrzimril]

Ahh yay! Thank you all for sharing your memories.

@Dimcairien Luiniel - I agree that the music being composed while they were filming must have added a lot. The commentary during the reunion certainly made it sound unusual and very special!

@Boromir88 - I'll forgive you for not having Shore as your 1a. :smiley10: And that sounds like a great way to pass the time at work! I should listen to the soundtracks while I work this week...

@FireroseArien - That is an amazing story. I'm so jealous you got to meet him and see him conduct the score live! I always have wanted to go see a screening with live accompaniment (these happen pretty regularly at a concert venue near Chicago) but the pandemic this year axed those plans.

@Mor Toast - That is some serious ambience you created as children! How dramatic and silly and just plain delightful. Also I would really love to read your Hobbit Newsletter from childhood if it still exists!

@Nia - OMGOMG I wish I could join you for that performance! I hope they reschedule it for a safer time so you still get to have that experience - it sounds absolutely incredible. I totally relate to getting pumped up to the soundtracks while studying! And OMG yes, the Lighting of the Beacons is just incredible. Every time I see that scene, the music and the scenery combine to make me cry.

So much music love, my fellow soundtrack lovers!

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

This conversation has made me realise how long it's been since I've actually played the LOTR soundtracks. I am attempting to rectify that problem as I type this answer.

I still remember bringing sheet music from Fellowship to my piano teacher when I was about 11 and asking to learn how to play it. Said music was technically too advanced for my then skill level, but she graciously helped me adapt it by showing how I could play the top notes of the melody with my right hand and follow the chord progression with my left hand.

[Zôrzimril]

@Dimcairien Luiniel - Yesssss I hope that this thread inspires a dramatic increase in the play count for the soundtracks on Spotify. I wish I could play the music on piano! Maybe I will devote myself to some piano practicing during quarantine.

[Lail]

Thanks for starting this, @Tarawen !

I agree - the soundtrack is such a vital part of the films. They really do make or break scenes and its adds a huge depth of emotion that I believe cannot really be communicated otherwise.

I remember actually teaching myself some of the tunes by ear - the hobbit theme and Rohan/Eowyn's theme on my violin. Then I actually bought the music books and I must have played the music for hours! I still have them somewhere in my attic where I grew up.

Some of the songs can still give me goosebumps. I talked about some of my favourites over in the Cast Reunion thread - the Shire/hobbit and Rohan themes, as well as the beautiful string section from A Journey in the Dark.

But what about other emotions? I have to say Shelob's Lair still makes me feel tense every time I hear it. How it manages to evoke that creepy-crawly feeling...I do feel like a giant spider is going to come up out of nowhere behind me when I listen to it! I still remember the intense fear I felt while watching that scene even though I knew how it all turned out! THe music certainly was key to that feeling.

@Boromir88 - what a great story! I hope she was forever grateful to be introduced to the whole set of 3 movie scores!

I can't even imagine how epic it would be to see a live performance, @Nia and @FireroseArien! (P.S. Hi!) And what a funny story, Fir! What a memory!!

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Listening to some of the music now, I can't always remember where it is in the movies. :( For awhile I knew almost exactly what was going on in the movie during the majority of the soundtrack. Now I genuinely have now idea, except for a few pieces such as "Concerning Hobbits".

I'd love to see LOTR with live music. I know it happened close to where I live a few years ago (I think in preparation for the Hobbit), but I wasn't able to attend. I've been to Casablanca like that and it was really neat.

[Boromir88]

Tarawen:- I'll forgive you for not having Shore as your 1a.

That's mostly because around 8 years ago I was able to see John Williams perform live during a 4th of July celebration and it was of course, marvelous. I am someone who wants to normalize "changing your opinion when presented with new information" So, if I ever have the fortune of seeing Howard Shore's music performed live, then there's a chance he does become my 1a.

[Nia]

@Tarawen Thank you so much! I will definitely keep you / this thread updated if it goes ahead! [insert fingers-crossed emoji here!]. And glad it's not just me that gets super emotional at that scene! I think being in lockdown has only made my emotional reaction to that scene worse too - we did a whole marathon of the films about a month or so ago, and I could barely keep it together .

[Burnt Toast]

Also I would really love to read your Hobbit Newsletter from childhood if it still exists!

Alas, I think it's long gone. If it shows up, I'll definitely share!

[Zôrzimril]

Ha, @Boromir88 I think that's an honorable ethos. I hope you do have a chance to see his music live, even if it doesn't bump him up in your composer rankings. :smiley10:

I am super super prone to more emotional reactions than usual, too, @Nia. I was emotionally depleted (and possibly ran out of tears) after watching the finale of The Good Place earlier this spring, so I totally get it.

Alas, @Mor Toast! Yes please do keep up posted if it ever surfaces. :smiley8:

[Burnt Toast]

@Tarawen & @Nia Big mood. I was already always moved (and often to tears) by a lot of the soundtrack, whether accompanied by the movie or no--- and well, times is harrrd #sweeney, as they say.

[Fairy Nuff]

OMG @Nia I am so jealous and really hope you still get to see that at some time, that sounds absolutely amazing and I would love love love to see something like that - I always seem to find out about them after they are sold out, or they take place on a day I am already booked for something.

@Tarawen I also used to write my university essays to the soundtrack, and it would be fair to say that most of my formative years are heavily influenced by the music of the three films, plus the music I discovered due to listening to them on other people's playlists (like searching for LOTR music playlists, hearing Blind Guardian and discovering rock and metal music) I also got super emotional at the finale for The Good Place, oof that hit me in the feels.

I actually put some of the FOTR and TTT soundtracks on when I want to have a good cry (other people do that too right?) because they are such powerfully emotional pieces of music.

[Nia]

Right with you both!

Incidentally, if anyone here hasn't already seen/listened to it, there's this pretty awesome piano/cello duo group called The Piano Guys, and they do a really wonderful cover of some of the LotR music. I'll put the youtube link below if anyone fancies giving it a listen (the video is actually pretty beautiful too).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNqs0YgWkM

And then just cause I came across this a year or so ago and it is also beautiful (although does have a long intro you can skip past before the music), but this seems like the right place to share it, have another link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JruBBQkJEY Another strong tear-jerker contender in my opinion!

[Edit as I didn't see the post above mine as I was clearly taking an absolute age to type / getting distracted by youtube.]

@Fairy Nuff - thank you! Really holding out hope, and it's not been cancelled or postponed yet, so there still is hope! If I ever see something like that come up again (I think someone at work just happened to mention tickets were available), now the plaza is back, a perfect place for sharing that sort of thing, I will be sure to let people know! And yes, I do definitely do that with the soundtracks too. I read somewhere music is the sense most closely associated with emotions (or actually I think what I read was that it was music as opposed to visuals or other sensory inputs which a survey of adults said was most likely to be able to make them cry). So I've always thought it makes sense listening to poignant and powerful soundtracks when you're hurt/upset/angry. I also love belting out Concerning Hobbits when I'm in particularly good mood, so definitely works both ways haha.

@Tarawen okay this is probably not the done thing, but just wanted to say on your post below that I'm really glad you enjoyed them! I also would love to know where it's filmed!

[Zôrzimril]

@Fairy Nuff - a good punch to the feels is a great way to summarize the ending of The Good Place! And what is it about soundtracks and writing papers? (I also used to do this with the Casino Royale soundtrack, haha.) Something about knowing a familiar story was in the background through the music helped me focus, I suppose - at least that's what it was for me.

@Nia - Whoa. I don't know what I was expecting from the Piano Guys video, but I certainly did not expect them to be on location, as it were, while playing. That was amazing! Also hahahah the intro/outro with the ring of the 2Cellos video is amazing. I want to know where they filmed this! I am bowled over by the creativity of these artists, not only in their arrangements of the music, but also just the videos. Thank you for sharing them!

[Burnt Toast]

Oh man, I haven't watched the Good Place finale yet... I'm excited, but nervous.

Piano Guys! Man, I used to listen to them all the time. Excellent. That videos is absolutely gorgeous.

@Tarawen If I never find that newsletter, maybe we should try to recreate it in my Cottage thread. XD I have no memory of anything in it, but let's picture our third grade selves writing a hobbit newsletter. OOOH I have an idea now... *meanders off*

[Zôrzimril]

Ahhh @Mor Toast - I'm excited to hear what you think once you have the chance to watch that finale. I will say no more.

We should definitely try recreating Things in the Cottage. *plots*

[Eamila Bolger]

As I write, our 10 year old son is listening to the music of the Return of the King while tidying his room. :-D It's the final battle and the army is nearing the Black Gate. Since his room looks like a battlefield, this is most suitable ;-)

I was still single when I first saw the movies and I LOVED the music. Fortunately my husband shares the passion and our children do too. We sometimes make it a game: when playing the music in random order, you have to guess what scene it is ;-) Our daughter even plays music from the movies on her flute. Can you imagine hearing the Hobbit Theme played in your own house?

I love mostly the different themes that are used and how they keep coming back in different ways, tones, in major or minor etc.. A great way of story telling through music.

[Zôrzimril]

@Eamila Bolger - Guessing the scene based on the music sounds like such a wonderful family pastime; I wonder how accurate us soundtrack fans would be. Do your kids know the movies scene by scene already? Also very jealous of the live performances of the Hobbit Theme!

[Eamila Bolger]

@Tarawen It's a great way to spend time while traveling by car! I started telling the story of Frodo and the ring on long hikes in the mountains (that's how we spend part of our summer holiday and the kids don't always like it so I distract them by storytelling). Then they wanted to see the movies as well, but at first I only showed the parts that weren't so scary. Now our daughter (the sensitive one) is almost thirteen and our son (the brave one) is almost eleven, we allowed them to watch the whole movie, with the sound lower during the scary parts. They've watched it more than just once ;-) So yes, they know lots of scenes already. But it still is a hard game, even for me, which makes it all the more fun!

[Zôrzimril]

@Eamila Bolger - Oh my gosh your kids are SO COOL. And I give you major super awesome mom points for telling the story of Frodo whilst hiking - what a perfect place to share the story and pass the time! I am going to play this soundtrack game (probably alone, since my husband doesn't know the movies well enough ) this weekend.

[Almaren]

Howard Shore's scores for the movies are sheer genius, IMHO, easily my favourite film scores ever. There's a richness to them which is missing in other movie soundtracks, and as a musician myself (an amateur one, I hasten to point out!) I remember getting hold of the sheet music and learning how to play 'Concerning Hobbits' on my flute.
@Tarawen I love the idea of guessing the scene based on the music!
@Eamila Bolger Telling the story while your family is on long hikes is such a great way to do it, especially as the characters in the story spend so much time outdoors.

[Androthelm]

@Almaren I've always found it fascinating just how... purely recognizable the tracks from the LoTR movies are, particularly Concerning Hobbits. It speaks to the quality of the score, I think, that not only does it set the tone -- it defines the setting, so that just a few notes can bring you back into it.

[Zôrzimril]

It speaks to the quality of the score, I think, that not only does it set the tone -- it defines the setting, so that just a few notes can bring you back into it.

Well said! It's definitely evocative to the point of immediate immersion.

@Almaren - they are my favorite film scores, too! I had a similar experience with figuring out "May It Be" on clarinet.

[Almaren]

@Androthelm I agree completely. The score is pure quality from beginning to end, there's never been a film score like it, IMHO. Concerning Hobbits lends itself beautifully to flute, even my inexpert playing ...

@Tarawen I bet May It Be sounded wonderful on clarinet. It's an instrument with such a lovely plaintive sound. Congrats to you for mastering it!