The Third Age: The Lord of the Rings [Films]

Composed, Orchestrated and Conducted by Howard Shore.
Produced by Howard Shore & Suzana Peric.
Perfored by The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, The London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola, featuring Edward Ross, and ‘May It Be’ performed by Enya.
Album released November 19th, 2001. Reprise Records.

1. The Prophecy
2. Concerning Hobbits
3. The Shadow of The Past
4. The Treason of Isengard
5. The Black Riders
6. At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
7. A Knife in The Dark
8. Flight to The Ford
9. Many Meetings
10. The Council of Elrond (Featuring the song “Aniron” – Theme from Arwen and Aragorn – Enya)
11. The Ring Goes South
12. A Journey in The Dark
13. The Bridge of Khazad-Dum
14. Lothlorien (Featuring the song “Lament For Gandalf – Elisabeth Fraser)
15. The Great River
16. Amon Hen
17. The Breaking of The Fellowship (Featuring the song “In Dreams” – Edwar Ross)
18. May It Be (Composed and Performed by Enya)

Review by Matthew Noske – Luiniavas

Howard Shore’s lush score plays in the background and it is if the words of J.R.R. Tolkien whispering in my mind. Softly I hear them as I once read them all those years ago. Film can take shape like no other medium. Through this visual language we sit and absorb it in our own interpretation and all this time the music takes the ride with you almost on your very shoulders. We don’t realise it most of the time but if the composer has done a good job then you quite literally get swept into the story through the music. I like to think of the visuals as the body of the film and the score as it’s soul, as if it were alive.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings hasn’t hit cinemas as I write this so in order to place the score in it’s proper context I will have to wait. So this is a review of what I thought of the Soundtrack itself, experienced outside the film. 71 minutes, 20 seconds the album goes for. On first listening it felt like twenty minutes. Howard Shore has indeed captured the spirit of The Lord Of The Rings, there’s no doubt but the commercial CD release seems too short, for it doesn’t take long to get addicted. Still in awe of the beauty of the score you have no choice but to listen again, and again. Doesn’t bother me.

“I could not be more pleased with the score for The Fellowship Of The Ring. Howard’s great strength as a composer is his ability to capture the emotional truth of the story – a story of friendship, love and sacirifice which only the truth and beauty of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Vision, but also it’s darkness… and it’s soul”.

– Peter Jackson, CD case insert.

The album opens with the track The Prophecy and from there you are transported to the fantastic world of Middle-earth. Introduces a nice “Fellowship” theme that would be the foundation of the score. Quickly we learn the canvas in which the film takes place – epic, gothic and very powerful. You get a sense of feeling that the world into which you are about to enter is not to be taken lightly. There is more going on than we could possibly know – looking at the history of the “One Ring” maybe. But themes develop quickly toward the end of the first track and into the second, Concerning Hobbits, there is a change of heart. The large choral pieces are replaced with a more placid woodwind section to deliver a memorable theme dedicated to Frodo and the Hobbits of the Shire. A theme to be repeated throughout the score in various places where the Hobbits stand out. Howard Shore has given the score many levels that interweave in various moments through the story. Each track brings something new and something fresh. The tale itself is very complex with many characters and key events. The Treason of Isengard transforms from the enduring “Fellowship” theme to an impressive choral effort that builds toward the end. The pounding chorus is used very well through out in such tracks like Flight to the Ford and At The Sign of the Prancing Pony to invoke a strong dramatic effect. Backed by full orchestra this is very impressive. It shows cinematic scope without overdoing it. The Fellowship Of The Ring isn’t all action and drama. Like I said before there is real heart to this score. And this is what turns you around for another listen. Through out the score in the chorus Shore used texts from the novel. More often you never notice it because it blends in exceedingly well but sometimes you can, like in the second last track The Breaking of the Fellowship. “Using the songs and poems is a wonderful way to put Tolkien’s material back into the film and add a literary subtext to the music”.

The books bring you constant information and in turn makes you want to keep reading. This score acts quite like that. Around every corner something new is hiding, waiting to be discovered. And in each track something is, every time. When The Breaking of the Fellowship erupts onto your speakers at the end nothing released all year can overcome this effort. The best track on the album along side The Breaking of the Fellowship is The Bridge of Khazad Dum. The track is strong with lots going on all around and suspense is in the air. Very exiting battle on the bridge of Khazad Dum, as we have the face off between Gandalf and the Balrog. Solid and climatic we listen to the flight build until it comes to a dramatic end. An awesome solo performance and a sad moving piece to top of the best moment on the disc. Moments like these are what The Lord Of The Rings delivers every time you turn the page. Still reading the novel or reading it again, put this CD in you player and read to the music. It becomes inspiring even to the books.
But when it comes to the end of the disc The Breaking of the Fellowship is glorious. Very heroic and adventurous, the spirit has never been more obvious in this final track. Grand round-up of events past and a journey ahead. I will go there and back again.

The Verdict – Just before you put the CD in the player (if you’ve heard it a million times or never at all) you are already jittering in anticipation. So in a sense you are experiencing the album before you’ve even pushed play. It’s not every day a score conjures up emotions like this. This film is with out a doubt the most anticipated movie all year and the score definitely delivers. On the down side the album feels short. Over seventy minutes long is outstanding compared to your average soundtrack, but you just know there is more out there. You do indeed get addicted so the thirst grows ever strong with each listen.
The second thing is that Enya’s song is very good but not as good as Howard Shore’s themes. She should have done something with the music actually used in the film by Shore. The one featured, May It Be, is great and does blend in (quite literally) with the rest of the score. Enya shows up again in The Council of Elrond and make a memorable contribution.
On a high note (this entire review is pretty much that ) The Fellowship Of The Ring is the best score all year (2001) surpassing even John William’s A.I. Howard Shore had the weight of the world on his shoulders when asked for the job of a life time. The pressure to succeed and still be truthful to the works is intensely difficult for every one involved. I went head first into this soundtrack with both doubt and excitement. Came out the other side a completely exhilarated. I urge people to listen to this score especially if it’s the only one all year, this is the “one”. Well done Howard Shore, you made my day.

***** (5 out of 5)
by Matthew Noske
November 27, 2001

P.S. This is a web site dedicated to The Lord Of The Rings so I might be a little biased. I own and listen to over 200 different film scores continuously and consider myself a fan. You decide

MP3 Downloads

Here are a few selected MP3’s from the soundtrack. If you are thinking of downloading any of these then buy it NOW here. Then download while you wait for it to arrive in the mail.

The Prophecy – 3.58Mb
The Treason of Isengard – 3.62Mb
Flight to The Ford – 3.89Mb
The Ring Goes South – 1.87Mb
The Breaking of The Fellowship – 6.72Mb
May It Be performed by Enya 3.93Mb