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: A Journey Back Into Middle Earth proves to be Epic
Hit: 5 Stars
Picking up where the Academy Award winning soundtrack for the Fellowship of the Ring ended; this soundtrack proves that it can be continue to have an epic sound and be original. The Fellowship has been broken apart as Sam and Frodo are now alone on their journey to Mordor. Merry and Pippin are held captive but manage to escape into the realm of Fangorn Forest. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas continue to pursue Merry and Pippin but instead ecounter an old friend returned from the great unknown: Gandalf the White who has departed from his old title of Gandalf the Grey. The soundtrack has some old themes from the first soundtrack such as a small portion of the Fellowship Hero theme. However, other themes are now presented in this album such as a much more evil and gut wrenching version of the theme of Isengard. A new theme is the one for the Rohan race which is has many hints of having an old english feel. The themes are darker and more mournful. The movie has many glaring moments of hope but is darker in context. This album continues the trend of being faithful to the movie. It is grander than the first album and doesn't hold back. It is an emotional masterpiece as the Journey in Middle Earth continues. Howard Shore and Co. are brilliant people to be able to make this type of music. Songs that are worth buying the album alone are The Foundation of Stone, The Riders of Rohan, The Uruk-Hai, King of the Golden Hall, Evenstar, The White Rider, Forth Eorlingas, and Samwise the Brave. The third album is expected to probably be the best of the three. Here is to The Return of the KingFree Music Review: Needs to be really listened to to be properly appreciated.
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first got this CD, I wasn't too sure about it after a cursory couple of initial listenings. However, as with the score for TFOFR, it benefits greatly from additional hearings; I would now put this right up there with the first movie CD and cannot wait for ROTK to come out (both the movie and the CD).Both scores for the Lord Of The Rings movies so far have greatly exceeded my initial expectations/impressions and have given me many hours of pleasure. My wife, who is also a score listener, loves these CDs too. I look forward to listening further to this CD and exploring the rich musical textures for years to come. If anyone is listening, Howard Shore deserves another Oscar nod for this monumental work.
Additonally I must admit that at first I was not convinced by Gollum's Song as it seemed strange and almost contemporary, but that is now one of my favourite pieces on the CD, especially the instrumentals - it reminded me in a way of some of John Barry's James Bond scores, even moreso after hearing the pathetic Madonna title for Die Another Day.
By the way, there are several reviews lamenting the lack of the trailer music on this CD - as has been pointed out, this was from Requiem For The Dream. However I also want to point out that virtually NO trailer contains music from the movie it accompanies, as at the time the trailer is released the music is quite often still being written! 99% of all trailers use recycled music from other sources; a good example is the trailer for Braveheart's use of Morricone's score for The Mission.
Free Music Review: A towering successor
Hit: 5 Stars
Howard Shore's score for "The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring" was a truly excellent piece of work and his music for "The Two Towers" is a worthy successor.To appreciate it one has to realise that the score, like the film itself, is not a standalone piece of work. "The Two Towers" isn't even the second film in a series of three. Rather it is the second act in an epic story spread over three films, the first two of which have been magnificent.
That is why there is repetition in some of the music. Shore uses the "motif" system with particular characters, groups, and situations having associated musical themes. These can be presented alone or in association with others, and can be prominent or subdued. It is no surprise that some of the motifs from "Fellowship" reappear here and are woven in with new ones. Some powerful new motifs appear - notably for the troubled Kingdom of Rohan and its people's struggle. No doubt there will be more when "The Return of the King" hits the screen, all too far in the distance.
As a CD to listen to it is enjoyable. But for someone who has seen the movie more than once (and everyone should see it more than once) and can relate music to what appeared on the screen it is an emotional experience of great pleasure and intensity.
See the film! Buy the CD! And of course read the book!
Free Music Review: Light in the Darkness.
Hit: 5 Stars
THE LORD OF THE RINGS is actually one massive story told in three parts. That's the way Tolkien wrote it (well, actually he divided it into six parts) and that's the way Peter Jackson filmed the movies. The soundtracks follow through on that idea.THE TWO TOWERS soundtrack continues (like the movie) where THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING stopped. The music repeats some familiar and powerful selections from the first film, but it also introduces new arrangements into the mix that are just as beautiful and majestic as the songs from the first part of the series. My favorite arrangements on the album are:
"The King of the Golden Hall"
"Forth Eorlingas"
"Isengard Unleashed"
"Samwise the Brave"
My favorites by far are "The King of the Golden Hall" and "Samwise the Brave". "TKotGH" is a powerful, moving piece that appears throughout the soundtrack. "Samwise the Brave" comes near the close of Part II and incorporates all the moving and majestic emotion of this, the best scene, in the movie. The only song on the album I didn't like is "Gollum's Song". It's not the same as the song Enya sang on FELLOWSHIP and is the only piece that seems out of place.
This is a great album for any LORD OF THE RINGS fan or any collector of movie music.
Free Music Review: Amazing & beautiful
Hit: 5 Stars
Some may call me biased (I am a huge LOTR fan) but I think that anyone who enjoys classical music, and even many who don't, can enjoy this soundtrack. I loved the FOTR music, and find it very hard to pick a favourite between the two. TTT is more epic and sweeping, with very strong, dramatic themes running through. It introduces the Rohan theme, and you can imagine the expanive fields and rolling hills. The solo violin is just beautiful.Frodo and Sam's journey is continued with dark, creeping themes, that characterise the new addition of Gollum. The sountrack reaches a climax with the battle of the Hornburg at Helms Deep, then draws to a close with the emotional 'Samwise the Brave' and ends with 'Gollums song' (an eerie and mysterious piece of music, that plays as the credits roll in the film. Emiliana Torrini provides the vocals, she is perfect for it with her haunting voice.) No matter how many times I listen to this cd, I don't get bored with it. It just gets better and better.
Favourite tracks: The passage of the marshes (really spooky)
The king of the golden hall
Evenstar (beautiful)
The white rider (Gandalfs return-loud and
dramatic choral pieces)
Gollums song