Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

[Encaitare]

As the Fellowship leaves the protection of Lorien, the music is a melancholy choir accompanied by strings. The lyrics, I was happy to learn, are from Galadriel's song "Namárië":

Ai! laurie lantar lassi súrinen,
yéni únotime ve ramar aldaron!
yéni ve linte...

Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
Long years like swift...

The site where I got the words gives a slightly different translation to account for the actual order of the words, sentence structure, and whatnot. I took the translation from the book, though, except for the last line since it is incomplete.

The Fellowship theme then returns, slightly variated in brass, but the lower strings provide a sense of grandeur and foreboding. As the boats pass the Argonath, the choir begins to sing once more:

Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien.
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!

Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world!

In the book, Frodo notes the "great power and majesty" of the Argonath, and he is filled with "awe and fear". The music demonstrates this in several ways. Firstly, it is the Ring's theme which we hear, fitting since the Siege of Barad-Dur against Sauron claimed Anarion's life, and the Ring itself eventually claimed Isildur's. Secondly, though, there still is a great sense of power surrounding these statues. The music declares force, pride, and might -- it commands.

From a technical standpoint, I really like the swelling dynamics in this second section. They rise and fall, much like water.

Thoughts? Comments? Do you think the lyrics are fitting? How does the style of the music tie in with the emotions of these scenes?