Lord of the Rings music... Gosh, I love it!

I am sure I've said it somewhere in this thread's 91 pages, but the Lord of the Rings scores (Middle Earth scores, really, with the Hobbit now) are my favorite non-John Williams scores out there.

 

And now you have said it on the 92nd page. Huzzah!

 

*syndrome*

 

Been listening to this and Hobbit scores, or as I now call them, my Middle Earth scores. Just started a marathon of one film each night (two nights for each of the LOTR EEs).

 

I just realized that I still don't have the scores from Smaug & The Five Armies.

 

I really like the scores for both films. The Laketown music, Smaug's themes, the full evolution of the Dwarvish themes... great stuff.

On another note, should we just make this the "Middle Earth" music thread? Kinda silly to have two threads for the same fundamental music...

 

Although I'm right there with you Strilo re: the LOTR soundtracks being my 2nd (or 3rd) favorite, I wasn't as much a fan of the Hobbit score. Unexpected Journey was great, and all I had expected from a Middle Earth score, with all the right cues in all the right places. But IMO, apart from the rare theme here and there (like Laketown), there really wasn't anything too memorable for Desolation... or Battle.... to me.

 

I disagree completely. I love the themes for Smaug and Dragon Sickness. I also love how the new dwarvish themes from AUJ develop across the trilogy. The theme for Gandalf is great, the music used for the High Fells as well. Even uses of the existing LOTR themes, like in Guardians of the Three, are fantastic and well done. I eagerly await Complete Recordings for all three films!

 

I agree Strilo

The Hobbit scores are literally my favorite movie scores of all-time, and that's saying something considering the amount of soundtracks I listen to. "Misty Mountains Cold," "The Hill of Sorcery," "The Woodland Realm," "My Armor Is Iron," and "Sons of Durin" are some of my favorites.

 

Having not really paid much attention before now, I've recently acquired the Hobbit soundtracks, and have been doing a lot of editing to make the ost match the films. Desolation is the most mixed up, with the climactic scenes with Smaug, Sauron, Bolg, and Tauriel healing Kili all segregated to their own tracks, rather than interweaving as they do in the film. Really wish they'd just do a Complete Recordings though.

Here are the results of my efforts:

From Desolation of Smaug











https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tB5NbjHByY&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJfMshys8o&list=PLEtVbo8oKTgp0DO7-G1tAu5_YW9JmY_bh&index=7

From Battle of the Five Armies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH2EdEJeFKQ&index=8&list=PLEtVbo8oKTgp0DO7-G1tAu5_YW9JmY_bh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGODUiWxeUM&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhKrxGw5sc&list=PLEtVbo8oKTgp0DO7-G1tAu5_YW9JmY_bh&t=7s&index=10

Also, Darkslayer, in what way does your Guardians of the Three fancut differ from the album version?

 

I put the Isengard theme in it!

 

I don't know.... Maybe I should pay closer attention to the score next time I watch them...but mainly the way I judge how much I enjoy a score is whether or not it grips me instantly, or whether I can recall the melody of the theme/cue in my head. If the score doesn't leave some sort of lasting imprint on me afterwards in that way, then I tend to regard it less. Like I said, bits of score for Desolation of Smaug and Battle of Five Armies stood out to me a little here and there, but the Hobbit score that really lasted in my mind was mainly all from An Unexpected Journey.

However, the LOTR soundtrack I loved-from beginning of Fellowship, to the end of Return of the King! It just seemed to me as if Shore was somewhat...less inspired for a good portion of the Hobbit score, as compared to the three part-spanning masterpiece that is his work on LOTR.

 

I've been listening to The Hobbit scores a lot recently. Some favourites are:

AUJ

Old Friends: Love the title, a reference to the treack Very Old Friends from Fellowship. It has some dlightful renditions of the Shire theme, and expands some one-off themes from Fellowship, eg. the smoke ring music, and Gandalf looks at the old map music, making those cues from FOTR more meaningful.

Warg-Scouts: Very catchy new action theme, blends perfectly into the elf theme near the end.

Under-Hill: I like the frantic new Goblin theme, that sets them apart from the standard Orcs.

Into the Fire (Unreleased): A slow rendition of the Nazgul theme to start, and a really beautiful slow choral version of Nature's Reclamation over the Eagle flight at the end.




DOS

The Forest River: Probably the best action theme in the trilogy, successfully blending Tauriel's theme, Legolas' theme, the Orc theme, and Dwarf themes while still conveying the motion of the barrels. I can't hep but punch the air at 1:10 when the elves attack.

Thrice Welcome: Where the Lake-Town theme comes into it's own, capturing the sweep of the town and the seedy politics of Men.

Durin's Folk: The ending, where the Dwarf theme plays out triumphantly, but also with a genuine sense of unease over the events.

Not at Home (Reordered track): The second half of A Spell of concealment finally blares out Sauron's theme in it's full power, and there are some nice music when Bilbo is searching for the Arkenstone.

BOTFA


Guardians of the Three: Some nice remixes of LOTR themes, Rivendell, Galadriel, and the Nazgul all get some nice new variations here.

The Ruins of Dale: Some nice Hobbit themes near the start when Thorin talks to Bilbo about Beorn's acorn, and a nice sorrowful Lake-Town theme at the end as the townsfolk migrate.

Mithril: I love the re-use of The Ring Goes of South from FOTR, from when Bilbo gives Frodo his Mithril shirt to underscore the scene of Thorin giving Bilbo the shirt in the first place. The way the Lake-Town and Dwarf themes blend as they prepare for war is excellent too.


Of course, I have to mention the songs too. All 3 credits songs are excellent, espeically I See Fire, which really captures the tone of the ciffhanger ending of DOS.

 

LOTR music has to be the best scores of the 21st century period. There really isn't anything in Cinematic music that can compare.

 

Good news for any fans of the LOTR scores, right now specifically FOTR, who never got around to purchasing the Complete Recordings CD sets...



http://www.howardshore.com/the-fell...ordings-on-vinyl-and-back-on-cd/#.WtDtwmaZPYV

 

Please let this mean that there will be Complete Recordings for the Hobbit trilogy soon.

 

It does make me wonder. We will probably need to wait and see once the re-releases for TTT and ROTK are out.

 

I like playing Lego LOTR just to hear the great music.

 

I mean yes, that is a good track.

 

Prob. the highlight of the film as well. But there are so many.

 

Too many for me to count. Certainly in the whole LOTR trilogy there are many such musical moments.

 

My other favorite film score besides Star Wars.

 

Gosh I love these scores so much. Best 6 scores of all time in my book. I just hope The Hobbit films get CRs some day!

 

Yeah I am eagerly awaiting CR releases for the Hobbit films.