Music, classical or otherwise, for LOTR
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Music, classical or otherwise, for LOTR
I've been thinking a lot about musical soundtracks while banging away at my TV version of LOTR. Di just made an observation that has prompted me to start a thread about it.
Though I am a keen listener I am no musician so while I have been writing it I haven't suggested many accompaniments to the action. (I have tried to take more care with sound effects which I think are essential for both mood and verisimilitude) Like Di however I hear many pieces of music that seem to illuminate or enhance particular passages in the story.
I will share some ideas but this is open to everyone. I am looking forward to hearing from those who are more musically literate than me.
OK, while writing it I have already suggested the most intense parts of Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia for Cerin Amroth. I have had the Elves at Rivendell and Woody End singing Renaissance polyphonic motets and I put the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem to the final collapse of Frodo and Sam outside Orodruin. I have another piece of music lined up but as I haven't posted the continuation of the story yet I will hold off mentioning that for a few days.
What about other passages? Whenever I imagine the appearance of the Balrog I think of Verdi's Dies Irae from his Requiem. The drum thuds and sense of absolute terror are spot on.
Some instrumental adaptation of Schubert's Erl-King for the Flight to the Ford?
I think of Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antarctica, the Symphony No 7, for Frodo and Sam's trek through the wastes of Mordor.
The first movement of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony makes me think of the build-up to the Siege of Gondor.
Pippin's approach to the gates of Minas Tirith makes me think of Mussorgsky's Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition.
One might have thought Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain would work for Weathertop but it is far too jolly a piece to suit the mood of that passage.
So I throw the challenge open! What music do you think of?
Though I am a keen listener I am no musician so while I have been writing it I haven't suggested many accompaniments to the action. (I have tried to take more care with sound effects which I think are essential for both mood and verisimilitude) Like Di however I hear many pieces of music that seem to illuminate or enhance particular passages in the story.
I will share some ideas but this is open to everyone. I am looking forward to hearing from those who are more musically literate than me.
OK, while writing it I have already suggested the most intense parts of Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia for Cerin Amroth. I have had the Elves at Rivendell and Woody End singing Renaissance polyphonic motets and I put the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem to the final collapse of Frodo and Sam outside Orodruin. I have another piece of music lined up but as I haven't posted the continuation of the story yet I will hold off mentioning that for a few days.
What about other passages? Whenever I imagine the appearance of the Balrog I think of Verdi's Dies Irae from his Requiem. The drum thuds and sense of absolute terror are spot on.
Some instrumental adaptation of Schubert's Erl-King for the Flight to the Ford?
I think of Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antarctica, the Symphony No 7, for Frodo and Sam's trek through the wastes of Mordor.
The first movement of Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony makes me think of the build-up to the Siege of Gondor.
Pippin's approach to the gates of Minas Tirith makes me think of Mussorgsky's Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition.
One might have thought Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain would work for Weathertop but it is far too jolly a piece to suit the mood of that passage.
So I throw the challenge open! What music do you think of?
- Primula Baggins
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Fantastic thread idea, Tosh! I will come back with some ideas, but this YouTube video will probably give a good idea why I agree that the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem is perfect for the appearance of the Balrog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-0CjwiWr_c
Gives me the shivers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-0CjwiWr_c
Gives me the shivers.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Long before the Elder Days of the movie era, I thought that this track by Enya was the perfect score for Frodo's flight to the Ford of Bruinen.
Cursum Perficio by Enya from her 1988 album Watermark.
Listen to it here on YouTube, beautifully fitted to sequences from the Gladiator film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eo46RWR ... re=related
The words are inspired by the inscription on the portico of Marilyn Monroe's last home: "My journey ends here."
It's about 4 minutes long. The first 2 minutes are slow: imagine Aragorn and Glorfindel with the hobbits, hurrying anxiously along, Frodo on Asfaloth, all glancing fearfully behind them ...
then the music speeds up and up and up, dark and powerful. This is when the first of the Black Riders bursts out of the tunnel of trees and Asfaloth takes flight with Frodo clinging to his back ...
As the music builds to its frightening climax, Frodo turns Asfaloth to face his enemies at the Ford ... raising his sword in defiance ... and collapsing off the horse onto the bank as the leader of the Nine slowly quells him with one gesture ...
Don't you think this piece of music expresses all of that?
Cursum Perficio by Enya from her 1988 album Watermark.
Listen to it here on YouTube, beautifully fitted to sequences from the Gladiator film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eo46RWR ... re=related
The words are inspired by the inscription on the portico of Marilyn Monroe's last home: "My journey ends here."
It's about 4 minutes long. The first 2 minutes are slow: imagine Aragorn and Glorfindel with the hobbits, hurrying anxiously along, Frodo on Asfaloth, all glancing fearfully behind them ...
then the music speeds up and up and up, dark and powerful. This is when the first of the Black Riders bursts out of the tunnel of trees and Asfaloth takes flight with Frodo clinging to his back ...
As the music builds to its frightening climax, Frodo turns Asfaloth to face his enemies at the Ford ... raising his sword in defiance ... and collapsing off the horse onto the bank as the leader of the Nine slowly quells him with one gesture ...
Don't you think this piece of music expresses all of that?
"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... "
Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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- WampusCat
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I have long "heard" the 2nd movement of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 (the New World Symphony) as Frodo sails into the West. You can hear it here if you're not familiar with it.
To me it has the perfect combination of longing, sadness and joyful fulfillment.
To me it has the perfect combination of longing, sadness and joyful fulfillment.
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That music is so good for trailers that it's been used in several others to my knowledge. It's from the score for the film Requiem for a Dream.
Wampus, that's a great choice. The music conveys such longing. You know, I'm sure, that Dvorak wrote this symphony out of homesickness, while he was traveling in America. It shows.
Wampus, that's a great choice. The music conveys such longing. You know, I'm sure, that Dvorak wrote this symphony out of homesickness, while he was traveling in America. It shows.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Just after they all go west, Vaughan Williams "The Explorers" from his first symphony, especially the last bit... "Oh farther, farther, farther sail" being passed around by the chorus and two soloists while the orchestra mimic the gentle, lapping waves... Evokes images of the Ainu, IMHO
For the various battley bits, Donncha Dennehy's "Work for Organ" (AKA Workout for Organist by those who play it...)
(Of course, if you mean the ending, that's a different matter. That's very upbeat...)
The elves should sing those madrigals laden with sexual innuendo: Fair Phyllis etc. (Anything with a fa-la-la refrain is about sex. The fa-la-la represents the laughter of faries to disguise the sounds of lovemaking...)
For the various battley bits, Donncha Dennehy's "Work for Organ" (AKA Workout for Organist by those who play it...)
Jolly? Satan appearing in a mountain while a load of skellingtons dance around with hags? Jolly?One might have thought Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain would work for Weathertop but it is far too jolly a piece to suit the mood of that passage.
(Of course, if you mean the ending, that's a different matter. That's very upbeat...)
The elves should sing those madrigals laden with sexual innuendo: Fair Phyllis etc. (Anything with a fa-la-la refrain is about sex. The fa-la-la represents the laughter of faries to disguise the sounds of lovemaking...)
Why is the duck billed platypus?
- Primula Baggins
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"Deck the Halls"?
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Because Howard Shore is back at the helm for the music, won't he be pressed by expectations to just reuse LOTR themes and tag on extentions to the earlier style of music he used for the first three movies?
What if he came up with something new, being the creative, seemingly restless, composer that he is?
What if he came up with something new, being the creative, seemingly restless, composer that he is?
- Primula Baggins
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From what I saw of interviews and such, I think Shore really enjoyed the repeated and interwoven themes used throughout. He'll need to write quite a few new ones, but I wouldn't be surprised if we hear some familiar bits in the Shire and Rivendell, and in Minas Tirith and Rohan and Lórien if we get to those places. I actually think that would be wonderful.
Gollum's theme ought to play a part as well.
I'm sure whatever he comes up with will be wonderful, and will merge smoothly in style with the previous scores.
Gollum's theme ought to play a part as well.
I'm sure whatever he comes up with will be wonderful, and will merge smoothly in style with the previous scores.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
O Fortuna by Carl Orff, if it wasn't so cliched already. Also Siegfried's Funeral March by Wagner, somewhere. Both clips from the great Excalibur, directed by John "Frodo/Galadriel lovin' " Boorman.
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Cliche, or rather over familiarity is of course a problem. I find that using Barber's adagio from his string quartet whenever sorrow is needed to be expressed gets predictable.
Where did you think the piece from Carmina Burana would fit best Anduril?
John Boorman's Excalibur made good use of Wagner's Ring music but part of me felt it was too Germanic for the Celtic/British Arthurian stories.
That movement from the New World symphony has the right feel Wampus. Am I right thinking it is named The Funeral in the Forest? I haven't checked (one of my regular sins).
ETA Woo Hoo I cross posted and we had the same things on our mind!!
Where did you think the piece from Carmina Burana would fit best Anduril?
John Boorman's Excalibur made good use of Wagner's Ring music but part of me felt it was too Germanic for the Celtic/British Arthurian stories.
That movement from the New World symphony has the right feel Wampus. Am I right thinking it is named The Funeral in the Forest? I haven't checked (one of my regular sins).
ETA Woo Hoo I cross posted and we had the same things on our mind!!
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I've never heard it called The Funeral in the Forest. I have heard it sung as "Going Home." I'm unsure whether the composer took the melody from a pre-existing spiritual (that seems likely) or if words were put to his melody afterwards.
I'm trying to come up with a good spot to use Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" ... just because. No luck, though. Middle-Earth's just not a jazzy sort of place.
I'm trying to come up with a good spot to use Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" ... just because. No luck, though. Middle-Earth's just not a jazzy sort of place.
Yes. The original Welsh text is all about "Cold the man who cannot love" "Mt. Snowdon is cold, fa la la la la la la la la, but lovers meet there at Christmas anyway fa la la etc. That's why all the blankets are there." and so on."Deck the Halls"?
The first "Promenade" from "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky/Ravel when we first see Minas Tirith.
"The Lark Ascending" might be a nice one when Frodo and Sam are reminiscing.
Why is the duck billed platypus?
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- Primula Baggins
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Soli, is this the one you mean? It's the right opus number, but it's in G major, not minor, and seems a bit . . . sprightly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3XQchm5osM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3XQchm5osM
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King