The Lord of the Rings - Isolated Score

[Alatar]

As I'm sure you know, such a thing doesn't officially exist. However, The Complete Recordings do, and so do the Extended Editions. It was only a matter of time before someone put the two together.

Now, strictly speaking, its illegal. I know that. But I also know I've already bought the EE DVD and the Complete Recordings, so I'm actually not getting anything I don't already have.

Anyway. Its brilliant. Watching the movies again (well, the first half of FotR is the only one actually out so far) with just the music and images is fantastic. Also, the guy who put it together has provided subtitles for any sung music, including translations.

For example, under the section where Galadriel does her "The world has changed" bit, you have the following being sung:

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Man sí minna?  	                          Who enters here?
Man ammen toltha i dann hen Amarth? 	Who brings to us this token of Doom?
I anann darthant dam morn 	                 That which has stood so long against the darkness
Si dannatha. 	                                         will now fall.

Of course, normally, with the elvish voice doing "Ha mathon ne che" and Galadriel translating, you don't even hear this.


Similarly you can hear the chant of the Ringwraiths during the Last alliance scene:

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Nêbâbîtham Magânanê             We renounce our Maker.
Nêtabdam dâur-ad                   We cleave to the darkness.
Nêpâm nêd abârat-aglar           We take unto ourselves the power and glory.
îdô Nidir nênâkham                  Behold! We are the Nine,
Bârî’n Katharâd                        The Lords of Unending Life.

and again on Weathertop.

Honestly, it makes me think once again that the soundtrack was the greatest achievement of these movies. I hope that an official version of this is released sometime as I'd buy it in a heartbeat. In the meantime, thank God for fans!

[Pearly Di]

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Man sí minna?  	                          Who enters here?
Man ammen toltha i dann hen Amarth? 	Who brings to us this token of Doom?
I anann darthant dam morn 	                 That which has stood so long against the darkness
Si dannatha. 	                                         will now fall.

Of course, normally, with the elvish voice doing "Ha mathon ne che" and Galadriel translating, you don't even hear this.

Oh my!

Similarly you can hear the chant of the Ringwraiths during the Last alliance scene:

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Nêbâbîtham Magânanê             We renounce our Maker.
Nêtabdam dâur-ad                   We cleave to the darkness.
Nêpâm nêd abârat-aglar           We take unto ourselves the power and glory.
îdô Nidir nênâkham                  Behold! We are the Nine,
Bârî’n Katharâd                        The Lords of Unending Life.

and again on Weathertop.

Awesome!

Honestly, it makes me think once again that the soundtrack was the greatest achievement of these movies.

I totally agree.

Great as PJ's achievement was, those films were made transcendant by Howard's fabulous score.

I was thinking the other day about the new Brideshead Revisited film, which I fully plan to see, despite the fact that the rumoured plot changes might well turn me into the Brideshead equivalent of Wildwood because I love the book!

Anyway, I was also thinking how the superb 1981 Granada dramatisation of Brideshead Revisited just would not have been the same without Geoffrey Burgon's beautiful, melancholy, deeply-felt score. Whenever I hear that music (so sad, so poignant) it makes me want to cry because in that music I hear all the losses in that story.

I thought that Stephen Oliver's score for the 1981 BBC radio LotR was pretty darned perfect too. A little eccentric at times, but very original and downright daring.

One can't imagine Psycho without those screeching violins. A score can truly make or break a film.

And Howard's LotR film score is simply one of the most magnificent ever composed. His music proclaims Middle-earth with every note.