Track-by-Track: Soundtrack Discussion and Analysis

[Kitanna]

For Treebeard~

Originally Posted by Encaitare

It almost has a woodish sort of feel, like the creaking of branches.

I like the woodish feel at the beginning of the track. The first thirty seconds is very mysterious, much like Ents are very mysterious. I also love how the music keeps picking up, then suddenly it drops into the percussion and the wind solo.

[Kitanna]

For The Leave Taking~

I like this track. The Rivendell theme always puts me in a calm state of mind and that's probably why I like it. Then at 1:15 on the track it goes from Rivendell to the Lorien theme (also a lovely theme).
The Rivendell theme is very peaceful and very homely. Then the Lorien theme is more mysterious. Then there's the Ring theme around 3:11 which more played for Gollum and the prolouge from FOTR.
So this is really three themes in one and I like those tracks the best because of the contrast.

[Lathriel]

Track 12: Helm's Deep

This track begins much faster. Obviously this announces conflict. The choir joins in at 0:56 and seems to add an urgency to the track.

Then the music slows down so that it can bring in the Rohan theme in war mode. I call it that because as the Hardinger is playing you can hear the drums in the background.

It ends slowly with a soprano, which I think represents the sorrow Eowyn feels because Aragorn is lost.

I really like this track and I think the vocal parts give it a nice sweeping feel.

[The Tennis Ball Kid]

This is some of the more exciting action music on the CD. Love the horn phrases and war drums. The choir is mixed much too low in the film.

Hwær cwóm helm? Hwaer cwóm byrne?  	 Where is the helm and the hauberk,
Hwær cwóm feax flówende? 	and the bright hair flowing?
Hwær cwóm hand on hearpestrenge? 	Where is the hand on the harp string,
Hwær cwóm scir fýr scinende? 	and the red fire glowing?

The choir at the end, as Eowyn realizes Aragorn is not there, is from "The Missing". (the lyrics are in the CD booklet)


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[Lathriel]

Code:
Hwær cwóm helm? Hwaer cwóm byrne? Where is the helm and the hauberk,
Hwær cwóm feax flówende? and the bright hair flowing?
Hwær cwóm hand on hearpestrenge? Where is the hand on the harp string,
Hwær cwóm scir fýr scinende? and the red fire glowing?

This comes back later in Forth Eorlingas (# 15 or 16)

[Encaitare]

The whole track has a very ominous feel to it, magnified by the low instrumentation at the beginning. At 0:45, upper strings enter, providing a spoofy contrast. I like the tremolos starting around 1:25; they definitely add to the feel.

Around 2:57, a version the "seduction theme" is heard in the middle and upper strings, which develops until 4:38. The seduction theme is repeated in the way which we originally know it, by a choir. The track ends with a small string buildup.

In fact, much of this track consists entirely of strings -- what do you think of this? What might the purpose of this instrumentation be? To me, strings are a very "borderline" sort of instrument; they can create some of the most beautiful and also some of the most grating sounds. They're additionally somewhat persuasive and subtle; sometimes they're there without the listener fully realizing it. This seems to make sense with the need of Frodo to persude Gollum to trust him.

[Lathriel]

I like it that this track is just strings. No loud trumpets. (Trumpets are nice but I don't like it when they are used overmuch. E.G John William's Star Wars soundtracks)

I also think that strings are able to make an eerier atmosphere than trumpets.