The Music of the Hobbit (Now with possible Spoilers)

Post by **Dave_LF** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 3:53 pm

gkgyver was (half) right about at least one thing--the music that plays when Gandalf talks to Bilbo about courage is indeed the same as what you hear during the breaking of fellowship (you can hear it for a moment in the clip where he gives Sting to him, and it's on the soundtrack at the beginning of The Hill of Sorcery). But that motif is not a "breaking" theme! It makes its first appearance in Moria when Gandalf is telling Frodo about what you do with the time you are given, which is a perfectly legitimate parallel. It also plays during breaking (among other places) when Frodo recalls Gandalf's words. If there's any misuse of the theme going on, it's in FotR when the same melody plays in Breaking over shots that have nothing to do with Gandalf's kind wisdom.

And it's not a copy/paste either; it's clearly a new piece that incorporates the same melody.

Thu Dec 13, 2012 3:55 pm

In other words, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:01 pm

He half-knows what he's talking about, which is usually worse.

Thu Dec 13, 2012 4:50 pm

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing

Post by **TheTennisBallKid** » Thu Dec 13, 2012 8:46 pm

It does seem like a bit of an overreaction, and I'm not liable to panic or even be especially concerned until there is more reaction on this from people who have actually seen the film. (or indeed, until I see the film and can judge for myself...though that might not be till next week

<--- me, being patient )

This sort of thing is in the nature of an effects heavy film like this that is being re-edited till the last minute; ideally there would be some sort of definitive cut of the film for the Shore to work with, but that's just not going to happen with these films. The 2-film to 3-film switch may have made things more difficult as well.

There was plenty of music cut from the Trilogy, too, less on FOTR, but more with TTT, and even more with ROTK; quite a lot of it is among my favorite music, too. If the Complete Recording Sets had been released before the films had come out, there probably would have been complaints of this nature back then.

The reports of music from the trilogy being reused verbatim is more disturbing (and would strangely echo some of poor musical choices for the Star Wars prequels), but I'll still hold off on judgement.

I haven't seen Doug Adams address the issue with his blog elsewhere yet; maybe some sort of update to coincide with the release of film?

got my copy of the special edition soundtrack yesterday. The bonus tracks were worth it, but I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with the extended ones. Most of the extensions are just made up of filler that I'm sure is fine for what it is, but there isn't much point to listening to it on its own. But more to the point, they actually dropped cues that were present in the standard versions in order to make way for the extensions. One of the dropped sections is the heroic version of the quest theme that plays in Roast Mutton, presumably as the dwarves fight back. This was one of the high points of the standard soundtrack for me, and it's just gone.

From here, a post that goes into detail about what music from the standard edition is missing from the Special edition:

Basically,

1:51-2:31 of Old Friends on the Standard Edition is not found on the Special Edition! It's a nice whistle version of the Shire theme followed by music that recalls the Fireworks music from FOTR. In its place at roughly the same time stamp on the Special Edition version is the Rural setting of the Shire theme, basically straight out of Concerning Hobbits from FOTR. No fireworks music at all. I would guess this is just two different approaches to the same scene. The fireworks works is really missed on the SE version!

In Roast Mutton, 2:07-3:23 on the Standard Edition appears to be a re-scored version of the piece with the approximate same timestamp on the Special Edition. While the SE version uses a more mellow version of the Plan 9 theme and them some non-thematic underscore, the Standard OST version uses a high-energy, adrenaline-pumping version of the Plan 9 theme, and a little while later the Plan 9 theme plays again. This bit is really awesome!

The final bit of music on the Standard Edition that is not in the SE version is at the ending of Moon Runes, from 2:42-2:57. This is a lovely quiet setting of one of the Dwarf themes, in its place at roughly 3:08-3:19 on the SE is a woodwind version of the same theme.

I've got the Special Edition on order, but knowing this I'll probably eventually pick up the Standard, too.

My preferred versions of the LOTR scores are a combination of the single-disc editions, the Complete Recordings, and the Rarities Archive that came with Doug Adams' book, so this is nothing new.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:01 pm

Adams' blog is back up, for what that's worth, though he hasn't posted anything since 12/11.

Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:08 pm

That's good to know.

Post by **Lalaith** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:15 pm

There were definitely themes from the LotR movies. It kind of took me out of this movie for a bit. My ears were like, "Wha?! That's the violin screech for Shelob!" or "That's the Ringwraiths' theme!"

But the Misty Mountain theme is very good.

I'll have to watch it several times to catch it all.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 4:54 am

Now with definite spoilers!

Now that I've seen the movie, I can address this. There was definitely a lot of music on the soundtrack that didn't make it into the film. And there was definitely a lot of music in the film that didn't make it onto the sountrack. But that's how it goes; the other 3 were no different (I'd have to watch a bunch more times to make a more quantitative assessment). And there were two places that were thematically odd, both already mentioned--the Nazgûl theme does indeed play over one Thorin moment, and the "Victory over Sauron/Gondor reborn" theme plays over another. In both cases, the music suits the moment well, and if I didn't know what the themes meant, I wouldn't have thought anything was amiss. The use of the Nazgûl theme was clearly deliberate, though--it was a new arrangement I'd never heard before. So I suspect they're trying to do something with that; we'll see if it comes back again in the next two.

The one musical complaint I have is another one gkgyver mentioned--when Gandalf talks about Hobbits giving him courage, the music that plays is not just the "A Hobbit's Understanding" theme (which is perfectly appropriate for the scene), but is actually the exact recording that is used in the breaking of the fellowship as Frodo ponders Gandalf's words. This is the only place I am sure music was copied and pasted from one of the previous films, and the only one of the candidates that is more than a second or two long. Even so, it wouldn't be a big deal, except I think that particular arrangement is too emotionally heavy to really fit the words. This scene has a pickup-y feel to it, though, so I think they were probably just making the best use they could of their limited options.

Edit: Most of the fiddle/percussion section of "Radagast the Brown" was gone. I did miss that. I think a lot of Radagast's screentime was cut, though.

Post by **Elentári** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:26 pm

Doug Adams replies to fan confusion over AUJ soundtrack on his blog:

http://www.musicoflotr.com/2012/12/notes.html

...there are a couple of themes in The Hobbit: AUJ that have people scratching their heads. Well ok, some people are scratching their heads, some are crying bloody murder and calling for the reinstatement of the Spanish Inquisition. This puts me in a tricky spot because I inevitably feel compelled to explain these things, however I'm not always going to be allowed to tell you everything right away. I started my public work on The Lord of the Rings with the Complete Recordings. The films were out and people had heard most of the music in one form or another. It was a nice, easy way for me to break into all this because I could say anything I wanted to. I couldn't really give anything away. Sure, I held on to a few surprises, but nothing heavy. This time, I'm involved while the movies and scores are being created. There were a good number of thematic connections I couldn't even describe in the liner notes, because those connections would give away plot elements from the next two pictures. I received a lot of notes from the studio -- and you know what, they were very intelligent notes! Edits and rewrites are a part of every creative endeavor; they always have been, they always will be...

...The music of Azog has caused something of a stir this weekend. Why does his last scene in the film include music we've previously associated with Mordor? I can't fully answer that question, but I can lead you a bit: Azog's primary theme is a descending pair of thirds (G-Eb-F-D) with a chromatic snap at the end (Eb-D-Db). Musically, Azog has a connection to Mordor's musical world from his first appearance on. His final scene is very much in line with this approach. Why this consistent connection? We shall see ...

Post by **yovargas** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:57 pm

This was one thing I certainly did not expect to dislike but the soundtrack didn't work for me either. The frequent rehashing - and that's what it felt like, rehashes - of LOTR's themes just didn't sit well with me. It kept pulling me out of the moment and reminding me of LOTR, usually not in any meaningful or interesting ways. It was distracting and kinda just made me wish I was watching those far superior movies!

Post by **Stranger Wings** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:01 pm

I was also bitterly disappointed in the soundtrack. An damp squib, to say the least.

I think I may have to forget this film even exists.

Post by **Holbytla** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:39 am

I liked the soundtrack at the beginning, but it became pretty meaningless early on.

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:11 pm

I think its worth quoting the whole piece here, since most won't bother to click the link. Apologies if anyone thinks this is excessive.

Notes
Hi everyone,

I promised everyone that I would talk a little more Hobbit after the film was in theaters. It's now out in the world breaking records and setting tongues wagging both here and elsewhere, so maybe it's a good time to chime in. In dramatic fashion, then, let's begin back in 2001 ...

In the first act of Fellowship Gandalf and Bilbo sit on a grassy hill in the Shire, enjoying a bit of pipe-weed. After the whistle plays a lovely bit of the Shire theme, violins ascend and, over a C-major chord, resolve a mild Lydian dissonance: F#-G. The film's title comes up and, presto, we're off to Bilbo's birthday party.

In the first Hobbit film we also see Bilbo with his pipe, and once again he blows a smoke ring that drifts across the screen. This time however, the ring holds in the center of the shot right. Now the orchestra is in D-major and the whistle rises along with the strings on the same figure we heard in Fellowship: D-G-B; E-A-C#-E; C#-E ... and as the title come up the same mild Lydian dissonance emerges: G#-A.

The dissonance in The Hobbit is more pronounced than it was in Fellowship. It's in a higher key; it begins with a subito piano; the resolution is delayed by a few extra beats. But most importantly, it means something different this time. Bilbo's prophetic line ("... and nothing unexpected ever happened") coupled with the ring imagery has redefined the G#-A. In Fellowship it was a bucolic cadence. In The Hobbit, it's an unmistakable movement from the sharp fourth of the chord to the fifth. It is a veiled reference to The History of the Ring theme.

That's the funny thing with film music -- there's always a film to consider. In this case, the film allowed Howard Shore to slightly reshape a musical phrase, yet impart something completely different. Lydian harmonies are traditionally used to represent something wondrous and almost supernaturally beautiful. It's in E.T.'s theme. It's the Christ theme from Ben-Hur. Heck, Beethoven used it in his fifteenth string quartet, in a movement he began with the words: "Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der lydischen Tonart" ("A Convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity"). But here in The Hobbit, it's chilling. It's a harbinger -- a reminder that this "simple" little story is headed down a dark path. Shore uses a subtle combination of modulation, orchestration, phrasing, and imagery to redefine a musical phrase that is over a decade old. Does that now mean that we go back to Fellowship and hear that phrase differently? No, the F#-G in Fellowship still means the same thing it always did -- but then that's part of the whole game, too. It that weren't such a pure, lovely phrase, then the chill it acquires in The Hobbit wouldn't be quite as effective.

And of course, there's the whole issue of the timeline. Technically, the Hobbit's use of this theme would occur just slightly before Fellowship's, right? This is, of course, speaking strictly as part of Tolkien's timeline of events. But as a piece of storytelling, where does it fit? If you imagine a massive six-score listening marathon a few years from now (wow!), what order do you approach it in? The Hobbit is sort of nestled inside Fellowship -- it's neither strictly before or after. I think that's a brilliant choice because it doesn't bind the creators to either working backward or forward. Rather, The Hobbit exists in its own little narrative bubble.

This requires some nonlinear thinking from listeners because musical material is going to be developed in a very different way. Sometimes familiar themes and phrases are treated as call-backs, sometimes as introductions. And sometimes they mean something new. The Hobbit is just as narratively/motivically driven as Rings was, but the narrator is not meant to be quite so invisible this time out. Sometimes he simply tells the tale, sometimes he tips his hat in acknowledgement because he knows that we understand the deeper meaning of something. Sound familiar? This was Tolkien's own approach to writing The Hobbit. His narrator didn't fall back on an understanding on The Lord of the Rings, of course; it didn't yet exist. But he could, at times, address the reader directly and give them credit for comprehending things beyond the borders of the page. When Shore quotes A Hobbit's Understanding in this new score, part of this theme speaks directly to the moment, while another part of it speaks to a listening audience that understands how this resonants against what we have already heard.

That said, there are a couple of themes in The Hobbit: AUJ that have people scratching their heads. Well ok, some people are scratching their heads, some are crying bloody murder and calling for the reinstatement of the Spanish Inquisition. This puts me in a tricky spot because I inevitably feel compelled to explain these things, however I'm not always going to be allowed to tell you everything right away. I started my public work on The Lord of the Rings with the Complete Recordings. The films were out and people had heard most of the music in one form or another. It was a nice, easy way for me to break into all this because I could say anything I wanted to. I couldn't really give anything away. Sure, I held on to a few surprises, but nothing heavy. This time, I'm involved while the movies and scores are being created. There were a good number of thematic connections I couldn't even describe in the liner notes, because those connections would give away plot elements from the next two pictures. I received a lot of notes from the studio -- and you know what, they were very intelligent notes! Edits and rewrites are a part of every creative endeavor; they always have been, they always will be. I owe the people at the studio a huge debt because they trusted me to make contemplative music theory a part of a mass-marketed mega-release. That took a lot of faith! The Complete Recordings were (and are) a huge hit, but they appeal to a very specific niche market. The Hobbit: AUJ is more on the level of a pop album in terms of its wide appeal. I still can't believe they let me open up a discussion on modes, tonalities, clusters, music examples, etc. I even worked two classical music in-jokes/references into the liners ... I'm not sure if anyone has found them yet. One's pretty obvious.

Suffice it to say, the score in the film is, by and large, exactly what Shore put on the page. For the most part, this is the score I heard when I first watched/heard the film. I loved it then, and I love it now. To me, it's the perfect return to Middle-earth, every bit as carefully shaped and considered as our beloved Rings scores. I know people discovered some alternate compositions en route, but take it from someone who has dedicated huge amounts of time and energy into researching alternate music from Middle-earth: this is all just part of the process. And those 'head-scratcher' moments that I've already received several hundred emails about? Yep, they're considered, too. And they mean things. Some of those things I can't talk about yet ... meaning I'm still not allowed! Anyway, I'm extremely glad that we have some puzzling going on around here! We've been so well-informed for the past few years, it's actually pretty invigorating to have to stumble around a bit.

That said, as some of you have noticed, I have asked someone to step in and moderate comments. It is always ok to question things. However, accusations, demands, assumptions, and expressions of entitlement can get pretty unattractive. I've said before that I consider my work on these projects to essentially be a musical performance. I'm not a writer, I'm a musician. I just happen to be performing on a laptop, but it's still a form of musical expression as far as I'm concerned. I need to come at that process from a positive place, so I've asked someone to temporarily keep house so that shouting doesn't crowd out my headspace. I know, what a diva, huh? This will not be a permanent change. Let's just all take a deep breath, ok? Spoilers for The Hobbit: AUJ are now officially permitted. Unpleasantness still isn't.

Here, by way of making it up to you, a little bit of a hint. The music of Azog has caused something of a stir this weekend. Why does his last scene in the film include music we've previously associated with Mordor? I can't fully answer that question, but I can lead you a bit: Azog's primary theme is a descending pair of thirds (G-Eb-F-D) with a chromatic snap at the end (Eb-D-Db). Musically, Azog has a connection to Mordor's musical world from his first appearance on. His final scene is very much in line with this approach. Why this consistent connection? We shall see ...

And you thought I was kidding when I said we had a long journey ahead of us!

Post by **Dave_LF** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:54 pm

Regarding Adams' comments; we know Azog is going to be connected to Mordor/Sauron, of course, but is the music actually telling us that's he a wraith? I thought we'd dodged the zombie Azog bullet, but I guess we don't truly know that yet!

Post by **Stranger Wings** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:37 pm

Dave_LF wrote:Regarding Adams' comments; we know Azog is going to be connected to Mordor/Sauron, of course, but is the music actually telling us that's he a wraith? I thought we'd dodged the zombie Azog bullet, but I guess we don't truly know that yet!

He may not be a wraith, but he might be a lesser Maia spirit...

Post by **cemthinae** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:31 pm

Lalaith wrote:There were definitely themes from the LotR movies. It kind of took me out of this movie for a bit.

For this reason, I am glad we were able to listen to at least part of the score before the movie viewing. (We ended up getting two Disc Ones in our SE set so we had to wait for a replacement before hearing the 2nd disc- which was after the movie.)

I was actually a little disappointed with the score when I first heard it. Granted, I was a bit mad at TTBK for starting it while I was doing dishes,

but aside from the new themes, I wasn't too impressed.

AFTER we saw the movie, I'm in love with the score! Reading Adams' liner notes really helped gel it all together.

Of course, I bow to anything TTBK has to say because he is, of course, the obsessive Howard Shore fan in this family.

Post by **Alatar** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:09 am

Nice A Cappella version of Misty Mountains from Peter Hollen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEwzFF4HeB8

Post by **TheTennisBallKid** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:51 pm

Some observations, after seeing the film twice, and listening to the album almost non-stop for the last few weeks:

The music lifted straight from the LOTR scores is very disappointing (the note-for-note reuses of specific cues, not the thematic material which I thought was used appropriately); it sticks out like a sore thumb, and I can well understand why it is a frequent complaint in reviews, here and elsewhere.

The main offenders:

The Breaking of Fellowship playing during Gandalf's conversation with Galadriel. This variation of the "Hobbit's Understanding" theme, one of the most emotional highlights of the Trilogy, is terribly over the top. It's jarring reuse feels like a cheap attempt to draw the audience in with some LOTR nostalgia. Shore's original scoring of this scene (1:40 on of Over Hill on the CD) uses a much more reflective version of theme, which would have been both more appropriate, and might have actually allowed the scene to evoke some feeling from the audience.

(Dave_LF has suggested elsewhere that someone may have looked at the film and thought that it needed more emotional high points, thus the insertion of this music. I agree. I have to wonder if moving up the ending of the film from its original spot is a factor in this; they may have felt they needed to make the ending of the first film feel bigger )

The Hobbit/Shire theme is in general, I think, leaned on a bit too much; and if I had to guess, this would be what sticks out the most as being retread from LOTR. Some of it should be there (this being a film about...a hobbit, after all), and I especially love how Gandalf's conversation with Bilbo after he gives him Sting/Bilbo's pity/Gandalf's conversation with Frodo about pity in Moria are all linked by similar versions of the theme, but I feel that less would have been more. Shore's new theme for Bilbo, a sort of evolution of the Shire theme influenced by Bilbo's Song (the choral piece specifically composed for the ROTKEE credits) is quite lovely, and I wish it was heard more.

The Finale: The Nazgûl/Ringwraith theme heard when Thorin faces down Azog doesn't actually bother me that much; even without Doug Adams' hints I thought it was being rather obviously implied that Azog was not just connected to, but had possibly been resurrected by the Necromancer, making the thematic connection appropriate. I'm not sure the music really fits the scene though, possibly just too much?

The extended statements of the Nature theme as the eagles attack is probably my most wanted piece of unreleased music, along with the choral piece as they fly the company away. Shore's original take, heard on the album, is good, but I think the film version is a definite improvement.

Once they land, the music is almost all just lifts from TTT and ROTK, though. Thorin's fake death and healing are underscored with a snippet of music from the scene where Treebeard realizes that Saruman has been destroying Fangorn, the Hobbit/Dwarf hug is underscored by a statement of the Shire theme that sounded like it came from the "You bow to no one" scene along with a very short snippet of the Gondor Reborn theme, and then music from Samwise the Brave as Bilbo talks and the eagles fly away. It's very jarring, and it's unfortunate that they couldn't at least ask Shore to write something new for the scene, instead of (apparently) re-recording music slapped together from the earlier scores. (perhaps it was just too late in the process, but it still feels very sloppy)

I also miss the music from the end of A Good Omen that would have been heard in the scene in Smaug's hoard; I don't know that the growling statement of Smaug's theme as he opens his eye would have been an extraordinary moment, but the silence there felt awkward to me.

Compare to the scene in Bag End as Bilbo wakes up and realizes the dwarves have left. Shore did write music for it, but I think the decision not to use it there was a wise one; both the dwarves song, and the music once Bilbo has decided to leave have that much more impact because of those few moments of silence.

I love the Erebor/Thorin themes, and I can't wait to hear them developed more in films 2 and 3. I'm actually expected all the new themes to have more impact as the story goes on; a lot of the first score still feels like it is setting up the new themes, which may be part of why the reuse of the old ones is so noticeable.

The Misty Mountain song, while not actually written by Shore (ironically enough, since it's probably the most instantly memorable thing from the score), is well integrated into the score, but I thought throughout the second half of the film it was appearing a bit too much, seemingly in the same guise every time the dwarves were fighting in Goblin Town. It functioned much like the Fellowship Theme did in FOTR -- a big, heroic, almost too bombastic at times theme for the company -- the main difference being that the Fellowship Theme developed more slowly (not being heard in full until the Council of Elrond), and its heroic statements were fewer and more varied. I did like the more subtle statements of it, such as the scene when Bilbo rejoins them after they leave the caves, or the orchestral intro to the song at the start of the end credits. (both of which are not on the CD, btw) Don't get me wrong, I like the theme a lot, I just wish they had saved some of the bolder statements for later on in the story; which Shore seems to have done originally, to a certain extent: the more subdued statement in Roast Mutton on the Special Edition album, his alternate take on the company leaving Rivendell, which emphasized the theme less. (I love that track on the CD, it is one of my favorites, but the music seems to be trying a little too hard to mirror the Fellowship leaving Rivendell)

There appears to be music from at least a couple of deleted scenes on the Special Edition set:
The Edge of the Wild -- starts with an alternate piece of music for the company leaving Rivendell, starting with the theme first heard at the end of The World is Ahead (a sort of journeying theme?) before moving into the Misty Mountains theme.

The second half of the track is more atmospheric, and quotes the thematic material for the Witch-King from ROTK. I suspect this is the music for Gandalf and Radagast exploring the tombs.

0:00__2:22 of The White Council (probably music for Bilbo seeing the shards of Narsil, plus additional Bilbo in Rivendell scenes) -- starts with variations on the Rivendell theme, towards the end very similar to the way it was used in ROTK for the reforging of the sword. At 1:30 it moves into Bilbo's theme.

Post by **Elentári** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:04 pm

What a great post! Thanks much for this, TTBK.

Hopefully much will be revealed with the EE. I particularly missed the choral section from the Radagast the Brown track (roughly 0:17-0:48 ) - any idea where that might have been used?

Don't know if you follow dscussions on TORN, but there's a similar thread on there at the moment, trying to place the unused parts of the soundtrack

I think it's well-documented at this point that the soundtrack as heard in the film is rather different than that featured on the soundtrack release. I wondered if anyone had yet tried to sync parts up to see how well they correspond to parts of the film (if at all)? I see someone on YouTube for example has placed the alternate album composition over the second Thorin/Azog encounter, taking the place of the variation of the 'Ringwraith' theme. I have made some attempts though I imagine this will be done in greater detail over the coming months (and especially with the DVD/Blu-ray release):

- Approx. 1:05-1:57 of 'My Dear Frodo' – roughly from the end of the alternative (and far better) rendition of the Shire theme that should play over 'The Hobbit' title to the first strains of the Erebor theme – is difficult to place. The full track itself is certainly too short to accompany the Prologue in its entirety. If you try to play it through you only reach the shots of the map before you hear the Erebor theme. As it is I like the film version with its use of the Gandalf Farewell theme just as much.
Parts of the track are slightly different from the soundtrack, but perhaps most interesting is that the music for Smaug’s attack on Dale is a good bit longer on the album – perhaps this sequence will be longer in the Extended Edition? Also, I much prefer the pounding version of Thorin’s theme as it appears on the album (5:44) and interestingly it matches up extremely well if you play from about here to the end of the prologue, give or take a second or two. I don’t understand why they went with the more subdued music in the film which accompanies Thorin and Thrain’s march to the door.

- 4:43 onwards in ‘Axe or Sword?’ syncs almost perfectly if you play it from where Gandalf begins to talk about Bullroarer Took – where the Shire theme is used in the film - and let it run to where Bilbo walks off and the scene moves to Balin and Thorin. In the film we only hear the second part of ‘Bilbo’s theme’ as Gandalf sits down, and even then it is only a small part. ‘Bilbo’s theme’ is perhaps the greatest loss of all the music snippets, since scenes featuring it are either removed (Bilbo in Rivendell), without music, or scored instead with a variation of the Shire theme, as is the case here. Perhaps Jackson somehow didn’t like this particular theme, which we only really hear in full in ‘Dreaming of Bag End’ during the credits.

- The first half of ‘The World is Ahead’ again matches up well if you begin from the moment the Company is moving out, with the playful theme associated with Bilbo kicking in from the moment we see him running. What is clear however is that this entire track cannot be intended to score the entire sequence (Bilbo joining, the collection of the bets, Bilbo forgetting his handkerchief, the wide shots set to the ‘Misty Mountains’ theme) – it’s too short. Unless of course we presume that some parts of the sequence were originally without music.

- It might give the game away, but I have to say that the ‘Sauron/Morder’ theme which accompanies the appearance of the Necromancer at Dol Guldur in ‘The Hill of Sorcery’ makes the scene much more intense and creepy. An unfortunate loss.

- It would seem that approx. 0:39-2.16 of 'Over Hill' was intended to score the sequence between Galadriel and Gandalf in Rivendell. Possibly the 'Lothlórien' music is meant to begin a short way through the scene, or there should be a slight pause between the conclusion of that theme and the music which signals Galadriel's question 'Why the Halfling?'. The use of parts of 'The Breaking of the Fellowship' from the FOTR OST is perhaps the most troubling part of the soundtrack as heard in the film. It just doesn't work and is one of my most hoped-for changes in the EE. Jackson appears to be trying to make the scene more emotional than it actually is, forcing a reaction from the audience by using a particularly emotive piece of music from the LOTR trilogy. It's a lovely scene of course, but not one that is likely to move you to tears. In that sense, the music as heard in 'Over Hill' is far more appropriate I think. Another change I really can't fathom.

...

Another thing - has anyone noticed how the first 1m 7secs of the bonus track 'The Edge of the Wild' matches up almost perfectly with the wonderful sweeping shots of the Company embarking from Rivendell? This would accord with what Thorin says about them 'about to step over the edge of the wild' just two scenes beforehand. In its place in the film is the building, grand statement of the 'Misty Mountains' theme, but I think both work equally well to be honest. That said, the remainder of 'Edge of the Wild' does not go with the Stone Giants sequence. I wonder if indeed this part is meant to score Gandalf in the High Fells, and is perhaps further evidence of this scene interrupting the sequence of the Coompany walking and them traversing the mountains in the storm?

It might just be an early alternative, but I do wonder if PJ wanted the grand version of the 'Misty Mountains' theme from the trailer in there and requested this change.