Rings of Power musical score

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Composer Bear McCreary to score ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’

Celebrated composer Bear McCreary will score Amazon’s anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Rolling Stone UK can exclusively reveal.

The Emmy winning composer is known for his work on The Walking Dead and Snowpiercer and has created the full episodic score for the anticipated show – which will turn back the clock to show Middle-earth thousands of years before the events depicted in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

As well as McCreary’s involvement, it has also been revealed that Oscar winning composer Howard Shore has composed the main title theme, marking his return to Middle-earth after famously scoring Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

The article links to two pieces, one called "Galadriel" and the other called "Sauron" but since I no longer have an Amazon account I couldn't check them out. Interesting, however, that the one is called "Sauron".

[Frelga]

I wondered if they just "borrowed" Shore's theme for the trailer. It's good to know that he is involved. And McCreary is an old hand at thrilling scores.

This is actually getting interesting...

[Eldy]

McCreary is of course a highly accomplished composer, and I quite enjoyed both the "Galadriel" and "Sauron" tracks on a first listen. Definitely looking forward to hearing the score in context, and I imagine I'll give the soundtrack album a listen on its own, too.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Here's the Galadriel theme (if it stays up).

[Voronwë the Faithful]

And here is Sauron's theme (wowsa!)

[TheTennisBallKid]

Neither piece left a huge impression on me at first listen, but I’ll give it some time. McCreary has written some fine music over the years so I’m willing to go into this with an open mind.

Never in my wildest dreams imagined that we would still, 20+ years down the road, be getting new Shore LOTR music.

[Frelga]

TTBK! How lovely to see you here!

[narya]

Hey TTBK! Good to see you!

The Sauron theme shouts "Run away! Don't trust this guy!" I wonder if they will have a separate, more attractive theme for Anatar in a major key.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yeah, I wondered that too. Or if they play the ominous theme in contrast to his seeming fair form.

[Eldy]

In light of the SDCC trailer, I could see the "Sauron" theme being associated with his followers or cultists or whatever in the first season, while Sauron himself remains hidden behind a fair-seeming disguise. I hope so, anyway.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Full album drops next month, per Bear himself.

[Eldy]

"It slaps!" —Old Lindarin proverb

(I'm not entirely sure why the use of "singles" and "album drop" to refer to a soundtrack sound so weird to me, since the literal meanings of the words fit, but it's just ... Iunno. Maybe just because it's a Middle-earth soundtrack.)

[Stranger Wings]

I always wished that Middle Earth would get a musical treatment utilizing more ancient instruments and/ or musical forms. I felt that the traditional orchestral score gives too much of an 18th/ 19th century flair to the proceedings, which doesn’t feel quite right to me (a little too overwrought and melodramatic). Same goes for that late medieval-inspired heavy plate mail we’re seeing for the elven battle armor. Just evokes a historical time period that’s too recent.

[Dave_LF]

I really loved the way Shore created simple, "hummable" motifs for each major character or location and then did theme&variations to build an elaborate score around them. I've only heard these two clips, of course, but I don't see much evidence of that kind of approach here. Not necessarily worse, but different.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season One Amazon Original Series Sountrack)

[Stranger Wings]

Very much enjoying this. Particularly the dwarven tunes, the Númenor material, the evil stuff, and the final track which is hauntingly beautiful.

NAMPAT! is rousing on a new level. Makes me want to go carve up the inside of a mountain.


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[Dave_LF]

Here it is on youtube for those without spotify:


Listening now.

Edit: I'm only on track 3, but that's enough for me to say I like it very much. It fits right in with the family of film scores I listen to on loop.

Edit 2: This is fantastic. And I'm not just saying that because it's Tolkien; I'll watch this show, but I don't have anything like the enthusiasm I had for all the movies this time around (too old now).

Edit 3: "The Boat." Just wonderful.

Edit 4: "Scherzo for Violin and Swords" is not the sort of title one can pass by without comment

Edit 5: I'm increasingly afraid that in spite of everything, this is shaping up to be something really special

[Stranger Wings]

Here it is on youtube for those without spotify:


Listening now.

Edit: I'm only on track 3, but that's enough for me to say I like it very much. It fits right in with the family of film scores I listen to on loop.

Edit 2: This is fantastic. And I'm not just saying that because it's Tolkien; I'll watch this show, but I don't have anything like the enthusiasm I had for all the movies this time around (too old now).

Edit 3: "The Boat." Just wonderful.

Edit 4: "Scherzo for Violin and Swords" is not the sort of title one can pass by without comment

Edit 5: I'm increasingly afraid that in spite of everything, this is shaping up to be something really special

I’m with you. I have a lot of confidence in this production.

But my wife’s gonna kill me because I keep shouting NAMPAT! SHAKA!

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[Dave_LF]

Finally finished (had to stop partway through yesterday; it's really long, as it should be). It's simply excellent, and can easily sit on the shelf next to Shore's scores. My vocabulary is limited, but it reminds me strongly of Shore with influences from Horner's Braveheart/Titanic and Morricone's The Mission in the (presumed) elvish stuff. Though it is very much its own thing.

I will readily admit that's I'm more susceptible to being moved by music than the average person, but it nevertheless doesn't happen easily or often, and the relentless passage of time hasn't helped (particularly recent times). It's good to know the capacity is still there.

"The Mystics" is another track that I think deserves special mention. Kind of brings me back to when some of the Radagast music was released in the runup to Hobbit 1 (it has a similar "Eastern" flavor, which maybe is a clue to what's going on in the story there). Hopefully the end product will be better this time...

[Dave_LF]

I think we can rest assured that "Harfoot Life" is hobbit music (unique rhythm there, by the way). It's interesting how dwarfy it sounds; particularly when it reappears in "Nobody Goes Off Trail." And then there's the track title "Nori Brandyfoot" that combines a canon dwarven name with an extremely hobbity surname... (I shouldn't start doing this; I really shouldn't).