Free Music Notes for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

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Free Music Notes for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Free Music Review: The second part of an incredible musical journey
Hit: 5 Stars

The "Two Towers" album is more jumbled than the "Fellowship" one. The cues are not in the strict of the story, and music from different parts of the film are often assembled into a single track to make a sort of mini-suite. (For example, the track "The White Rider" combines the music for Gandalf curing King Theoden, Gandalf's sudden appearance in Fangorn forest, and his riding out of Edoras to find Eomer.) This was necessary to make the album work as a listening experience, since the film itself isn't as straightforward and linear as "The Fellowship of the Ring," and so the music requires some juggling to create an effective album. Shore certainly succeeds; "Two Towers" is an even more engaging, and exciting listening experience than the first album, and it builds wonderfully toward its conclusion.

The major new theme is a stirring piece written for the country of Rohan. Using an old Scandanavian fiddle as the central instrument, Shore crafts a melody filled with the strength of a proud people. You can hear the echoes of the Anglo-Saxon culture that J.R.R. Tolkien loved so much in this theme -- it's one of the best in all three film scores. The theme appears in fullest form in the track "The Riders of Rohan," which starts with the music for Aragorn and his companions encountering Eomer and his riders, then switches the King Theoden's awakening from Saruman's spell and reclaiming his kingdom. (The gentle but strong theme for Eowyn also appears here.) The theme is also the basis for "The King of the Golden Hall," which covers Gandalf and Aragorn arriving at Theoden's hall, and later Theoden weeping over his son's tomb.

Gollum has two themes: one for his evil personality (heard in "The Taming of Smeagol") and another for his kinder, "Smeagol" personality (heard in "The Forbidden Pool," and derived from the theme heard when the title "The Lord of the Rings" appear on screen; Shore calls this "the ring history theme"). The Ents have a lumbering theme using wood blocks (very appropriate) heard in "Treebeard." Soft, Elven music dominates the tracks "Evenstar" (Aragorn's flashback to his farewell to Arwen), "The Leave-Taking" (Arwen departing with the Elves, and Elrond's silent debate with Galadriel), and "Breath of Life" (Aragorn recovering by the river). These are nice pieces to interrupt the growing fury and darkness of the album.

The themes from the first film all re-appear, and most of them are re-capped in the exciting track "The Uruk-hai." We hear the heroic Fellowship Theme, the towering Mordor Theme, and industrial, `metallic-banging' theme for Saruman and his armies. The beautiful Shire theme for Frodo and Samwise plays out in "Samwise the Brave," the emotional capper to the album.

The action tracks are superb, and improve on "Fellowship." The opening track, "Foundations of Stone," will plunge you down with Gandalf and the Balrog into the depths of the Earth with a powerful choral accompaniment. It's about as exciting an opening to a soundtrack as I can imagine. Thundering trumpets accompany the attack by the wargs in "Helm's Deep," while tension grows and grows as the Uruks first lay siege to Helm's Deep on the track, "The Hornburg."

The score hits the action climax with "Forth Eorlingas" and "Isengard Unleashed." The first uses the Rohan Theme, Gandalf Theme, and Fellowship Theme to create a mind-blowing, heroic finale to the film's massive battle scene; the solo boy's voice at the end is incredibly moving. The second track combines the death of Haldir at Helm's Deep and the retreat from the Orcs storming the fortress with the Ents overwhelming Isengard and flooding it. Shore excels here with building tension through rising music that doesn't resolve itself (one of his favorite techniques) until the track almost overwhelms you with its power.

The score ends with a vocal track for Gollum sung by Italian/Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini. This is a haunting piece, and the best of the three songs written for the trilogy. It's certainly not terribly commercial, but that's what makes it so excellent. You can truly here Gollum's pain in the lyrics and the singer's aching, childlike voice: "You are lost, you can never go home."

The only problem with this soundtrack album -- and all the albums have this same flaw -- is that there is so much music in the film that only about a third can fit here. As great a listening experience as this album is, it would be nice to have an expanded two-disc version some time in the near future. (Certainly, it would sell tons of copies, so Sony Music should really get on this project right away!)

Free Music Review: Bigger, Bolder, Braver--and Yes, Better than the First!
Hit: 5 Stars

The first track of "Two Towers" begins as "Fellowship" did, returning us to Middle-Earth with the quiet, foreboding theme that opened the first film. Then come the drums, and you instantly know that this part of the story is different. This time, the stakes have become much higher. Chanting erupts in the same theme from Fellowship of the Ring's "The Bridge of Khazad Dum," but then transforms into new melodies and suddenly ceases as if halted in the middle.

In "The Taming of Smeagol" we are reintroduced to the Hobbits with their theme, but don't get too comfortable: just when you think you know the territory, you are shaken from your complacency. Something entirely new emerges, and it is the most noble and glorious theme yet in the series: "The Riders of Rohan." This is our first encounter with the race of Men, and the music beautifully conveys their bravery, courage, and determination. In this track Shore employs the Norweigan fiddle, called the hardinger, to invoke images of the Vikings.

Now we take a glance at the Hobbits in "The Passage of the Marshes," and we are in dark territory indeed. But fear not, because from there our gaze lights upon Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they rush to rescue Merry and Pippin in "The Uruk-hai." This track makes most use of themes from "Fellowship" as you will recognize the triumphant Fellowship theme and the percussive, brassy tones of the Uruk-hai.

Shore quickly returns to his new material and elaborates on the Rohan theme in "The King of the Golden Hall," and though halfway in the track things get a bit shady, it concludes with a renewed--though more somber--heroism. "The Black Gate is Closed" conjures up exactly what the title implies: frustration and imminent failure; before your heart can break, though, the gorgeous "Evenstar" featuring the ethereal vocals of Isabel Bayrakdarian floats out to comfort you.

But what's this? Something approaches, and it is "The White Rider." Here Howard Shore takes my breath away, as arpeggiated harp and soft voices build into a full orchestra calling us back to the Quest. Onward!

Though "Treebeard" opens seriously, it turns eerily playful as wooden percussions give a forest effect. The woods are usually home to Elves, too, and they make their presence known in "The Leave Taking" with the "Rivendell" theme of the first movie.

With all the leave-taking done, everything is in place for the battle of battles: "Helm's Deep." I commend Howard Shore--and probably Peter Jackson as well, as the two collaborated heavily about the film's music--for the way this event was handled musically. Rather than being a loud and boisterous war party, the music instead portrays the sad but steadfast courage of a vastly outnumbered army making their last stand to defend their civilization. It is one of the most touching moments in the score.

"The Forbidden Pool" is a five-and-a-half minute piece dominated by low, ominous notes and ending with some singing by the boy's choir, and the mystical "The Breath of Life" concludes with a rhythmic, almost "Conan"-like march. Towards the end of "The Hornburg" we are treated to another new dark, brassy theme with an Arabian feel to it--and though it is oddly reminiscent of "The Godfather," it is enjoyable nonetheless.

Now we are winding towards the end of the movie, and the music takes off to soar to its exciting conclusion with "Forth Earlingas." As we fly off, however, we look anxiously over our shoulder and see "Isengard Unleashed." The troubles are only now coming to their head, and there is a long, bitter fight yet ahead. In spite of this impending doom, we turn one final look upon "Samwise the Brave," and are softly reminded of Galadriel's words in the first film: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

Overall "The Two Towers" soundtrack has immediately become one of my favorites and worthy of all five stars. If the movie is as good as Howard Shore's music, we should be in for one amazing experience!

P.S. On a technical note, the recording is crystal clear and the London Philharmonic sounds gorgeous. And what about the final track, "Gollum's Song"? You can download it from Amazon.com and see for yourself!

Free Music Review: Dark, Triumphant, Beautiful: Film Music at Its Best
Hit: 5 Stars

The first track of "Two Towers" begins as "Fellowship" did, returning us to Middle-Earth with the foreboding strings that opened the first film. Then come the drums, and you know instantly that this part of the saga is different: now the stakes are high, and the urgency great. Time is running out. Chanting erupts in the same theme from Fellowship of the Ring's "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" but then transforms into new melodies, and suddenly ceases as if halted in the middle.

In "The Taming of Smeagol" we are reintroduced to the Hobbits with their theme, but don't get too comfortable: just when you think you know the territory, you are shaken from your complacency. Something entirely new emerges, and it is the most noble and glorious theme yet in the series: "The Riders of Rohan." This is our first encounter with the race of Men, and the music beautifully conveys their bravery, courage, and determination. In this track Shore employs the Norweigan fiddle, called the hardinger, to invoke images of the Vikings.

Now we take a glance at the Hobbits in "The Passage of the Marshes," and we are in dark territory indeed. But fear not, because from there our gaze lights upon Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they rush to rescue Merry and Pippin in "The Uruk-hai." This track makes most use of themes from "Fellowship" as you will recognize the triumphant Fellowship theme and the percussive, brassy tones of the Uruk-hai.

Shore quickly returns to his new material and elaborates on the Rohan theme in "The King of the Golden Hall," and though halfway in the track things get a bit shady, it concludes with a renewed--though more somber--heroism. "The Black Gate is Closed" conjures up exactly what the title implies: frustration and imminent failure; before your heart can break, though, the gorgeous "Evenstar" featuring the ethereal vocals of Isabel Bayrakdarian floats out to comfort you.

But what's this? Something approaches, and it is "The White Rider." Here Howard Shore takes my breath away, as arpeggiated harp and soft voices build into a full orchestra calling us back to the Quest. Onward!

Though "Treebeard" opens seriously, it turns eerily playful as wooden percussions give a forest effect. The woods are usually home to Elves, too, and they make their presence known in "The Leave Taking" with the "Rivendell" theme of the first movie.

With all the leave-taking done, everything is in place for the battle of battles: "Helm's Deep." I commend Howard Shore--and probably Peter Jackson as well, as the two collaborated heavily about the film's music--for the way this event was handled musically. Rather than being a loud and boisterous war party, the music instead portrays the sad but steadfast courage of a vastly outnumbered army making their last stand to defend their civilization. It is one of the most touching moments in the score.

"The Forbidden Pool" is five-and-a-half minutes of low, ominous notes ending with singing by the boy's choir, and the mystical "Breath of Life" concludes with a rhythmic, almost "Conan"-like march. Towards the end of "The Hornburg" we are treated to another new dark, brassy theme with an Arabian feel to it--and though it is oddly reminiscent of "The Godfather," it is enjoyable nonetheless.

Now we are winding towards the end of the movie, and the music takes off to soar to its exciting conclusion with "Forth Earlingas." As we fly off, however, we look anxiously over our shoulder and see "Isengard Unleashed." The troubles are only now coming to their head, and there is a long, bitter fight yet ahead. In spite of this impending doom, we turn one final look upon "Samwise the Brave," and are softly reminded of Galadriel's words in the first film: "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

Overall "The Two Towers" soundtrack has immediately become one of my favorites and worthy of all five stars. If the movie is as good as Howard Shore's music, we should be in for one amazing experience!

P.S. On a technical note, the recording is crystal clear and the London Philharmonic sounds gorgeous. And what about the final track, "Gollum's Song"? You can download it from Amazon.com and see for yourself!

Free Music Review: Splendid and majestic! Mr. Shore delivers another winner.
Hit: 5 Stars

And so here it is and it is well worth the wait! I purchased it when it on the release date and have listened to every day since. What can I say? HOWARD SHORE DOES IT AGAIN! This is a fabulous score....filled with sweeping grandeur, haunting melodies and powerful imagery. If you enjoyed the FOTR soundtrack or great scores in general, this will not disappoint!

I can easily say that this score has got to be one of the best of all time. In short, I can probably say that this is even better than "Fellowship." It ranks up there with other great scores like "Gladiator," "The English Patient," "Titanic" and "Star Wars." Totally unforgettable and an instant classic.

Some themes from FOTR make their way to this soundtrack (the "hobbits" theme, echoes of "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" & "Lothlorien," the "fellowship" theme, Isengard`s theme) but it definitely is NOT a duplicate of FOTRs. For one, there is more vocal work and features such wonderful discoveries as Isabel Bayrakdarian, Ben del Maestro and Emiliana Torrini. It is totally original. It feels darker...at times more sinister...grander....more epic...and, towards the end (particularly starting with "The Hornburg"), completely blows you away!

The highlights for me include:

* "The Riders of Rohan" - the dominant theme of the soundtrack is the Rohan theme. Here we are introduced to the realm of King Theoden and the rohirrim. We meet Eowyn, Eomer and Wormtongue. A beautiful instrument called the hardinger is used amply in the Rohan themes and this piece has a sweeping quality to it.

* "Evenstar" - this piece has a completely different feel. It is softer, Celtic-like and features the amazing voice of newcomer Isabel Bayrakdarian. No doubt it is a theme for Arwen and the elves. It has a dreamy quality reminiscent of Enya's "Aniron" from the first film.

* "Helms Deep" - this is where the main conflict begins as the rohirrim make their way to Helms Deep. Lots of drums, horns and vocal work in this piece to make it totally memorable. The rohan theme makes its re-appearance.

* "The Hornburg" - this is the climax of the film, as the forces of Rohan, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli face off with Saruman's army of uruk-hai. I can almost picture the battle unfold in my mind.

* "Forth Eorlingas" - the highlight of this piece is Ben del Maestro's haunting voice. This promising young man has a bright future ahead of him. The sweeping grandeur of the Rohan theme dominates this track.

* "Isengard Unleashed" - this piece begins with Elizabeth Fraser's (who also sang in the "Lothlorien" piece from the first film) haunting melody...and then the dam breaks! The ents storm Isengard! This fantastically layered piece is topped off once again by Ben del Maestro's operatic voice as well as the Isengard theme from the first film. Clearly this is my favorite piece of the entire score...and will most likely be one of my favorite scenes in the movie as well. It brings into mind the excitement of the opening battle sequence in "Gladiator." Amazing!

* "Gollum's Song - this song perfectly encapsulates the torment of Gollum/Smeagol. It is sad and tragic. I will be very surprised if Emiliana Torrini doesn't make an appearance at this year's Oscars as this piece deserves to be nominated for Best Song.

If you buy only one movie soundtrack this year, "The Two Towers" by Howard Shore has got to be it. This is an absolute keeper. I certainly know what I'll be listening to in the next 12 months...at least until "The Return of the King" soundtrack comes out!

Free Music Review: Outstandingly awesome
Hit: 5 Stars

Here's my brief commentary on highlights from the CD.

Foundations in Stone begins as the movie begins: An air journey over the snowy mountains, and then a plunge into them to find Gandalf in the midst of his cataclysmic confrontation with the Balrog. In the first movie, we left Gandalf and fled with the Fellowship. In this movie, we plummet with him as he battles midair with the Balrog. The choir that we heard in track 13 of the first soundtrack comes back to provide the same "ancient powers" sound; desperate strains of fittingly cataclysmic-sounding voices. An absolute wonder. Indeed, this track could be considered the grandiose sequel to Fellowship's Track 13.

Track 4 is rather ghoulish, and should only be played if you wish to relive the moment when Frodo is pulled down into the marsh, or if you want to play theme music for Halloween. It's not a tune worth re-listening to, but brilliant in that Shore can convey such horror in his music as is shown in the movie.

Track 5 is the next really good one: We join Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as the trek across the plains of Middle-Earth in pursuit of the band of Uruk-hai and their kidnapped hobbit-friends. The magnificent tune of the Fellowship is reprised.

Track 6 finds the three Fellowship members joined up with the newly-returned Gandalf the White, and the four trek to Rohan to meet with King Théoden. We hear the theme for Rohan played on a violin-like instrument (Hardinger), and then an intense moment when Gandalf casts out a spirit of weakness from Théoden, and then glory as Théoden rises anew from his throne.

Track 12 finds our magnificent four along with warriors from Rohan battling Warg-riders, and then arriving at the stronghold of Helm's Deep.

Track 15 conveys the sound of preparing for battle, and then hope un-looked for comes in the form of a large troop of Elves. The music is a welcome variation on the mournful tune from Lothlorién ; almost a military march tune. Great stuff.

Track 16 is by far the best of the CD: The warriors of Helm's Deep make a valiant last stand, and look up to see Gandalf the White ride to their rescue with Eomer Roosevelt and his Rough Riders of Rohan in tow. This track is stacked with music from the cleansing of Isengard as well. The track opens with a choir building up to the majestic ride forth from Rohan and ensuing battle. Then a glorious rendition of the Rohan theme as Gandalf arrives, and then it all turns dreamlike as the tide of the battle is turned. I get chills just thinking about it. Simply the best track in the CD.

Track 18 is just a nice tune, as the hobbits overcome some of their dangers and continue on in their trek to Mordor and the fiery Mount Doom. It turns sour as we find Gollum plotting to lead our hobbit heroes into a trap, and warms into track 19, Gollum's Song.

Track 19 is a sad theme for Gollum. The singer supposedly has a pretty voice, but in the song it is rather sad and raspy. But then, appropriate for Gollum. It climaxes in a majestic brass version of the Theme for Rohan. Excellent ending to the movie and the regular soundtrack.

Wonderful music, all told. Worth buying, especially since it helps to relive movie moments.