Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A perfect soundtrack for an amazing film., 7 Jan 2002
As a student who studies so-called 'serious' classical music, it seems to me that film music is often treated as somehow inferior by those in elitist classical circles. Film music is often disregarded because of its popularity, and because it remains an essential part of something as synonymous with contemporary culture as cinema, it has somehow come to be seen as intellectually inferior.
I find this soundtrack particularly refreshing because it doesn't sound like a composer trying to write in a film idiom. Shore has created pieces which I would be quite happy to listen to in as pieces in their own right, and that in my opinion can exist indepentdently of the visual images they were written for.
Hard core 'Star Wars' fans may note the similarity of the choral passages with John Williams' music for 'The Phantom Menace', but in my opinion Shore's music is by far the superior, and as cinematic as the 'Fellowship theme' sounds when taken out of context, for me it loses none of its appeal.
What I appreciate most about this music is its originality. The combination of folk and more traditional ideas create a perfect backdrop for a stunning film, and this loses none of its magic when the visual stimuli are removed.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Darkness and Light, 27 Nov 2002
This soundtrack is totally beautiful. Its opening moments speak of the darkness, beauty, violence and beauty to follow and all these themes are explored fully as promised. The Celtic inspired Hobbits theme provides light and airy moments in what is otherwise a heavy experience. Shore's use of choristers gives the piece a dark, gothic sound, and is heard at its most prolific in `The Treason of Isengard', The Ringwraiths theme, `A Journey in the Dark', and `The Bridge of Khazad dum'.Moments such as `A journey in the dark', are imperative in the movie as Gandalf reveals the underground realm of Dwarrowdelf to the fellowship. The music itself adds infinitely to the dimension of the scene with its majestic beauty, yet heard by itself is still an amazing, haunting piece of music, and is my favourite of the entire piece. Moments such as `The Bridge of Khazad Dum' tell of the gargatuan and impossible evil and feats that the fellowship must overcome, cacophonous strings and brass mix with pounding drums and a chanting polynesian choir that fill its listener with awe. Juxtaposed with the mournful beauty of its ending this is also a particulary powerful piece. There are also moments of the soundtrack that are more peaceful and elegant such as when the fellowship find themselves in the company of the elves in both Rivendell and Lothlorien. Such moments never last too long though giving the sense of evil more impact. Following Lothlorien for instance we are introduced again to the intrusive percussion and brass with its peculiar 5/4 timing that represents the will of Saruman and his bloodthirsty Uruk-Hai. Altogther you will rarely find such powerful representation beauty and ugliness layered together in such a dynamic way. Fan of the film or not, this is still a highly impressive and inspired piece of music, larger in scale than that of any other movie soundtrack I have encountered. An Oscar well deserved for Howard Shore.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hauntingly beautiful and downright scary!, 30 Jan 2002
By A Customer
I love this soundtrack! I had imagined that the battle sequences would sound a little more like 'The Battle' in Gladiator, but this soudntrack REALLY grows on you! 'The Bridge of Khazad Dum' builds up the tension fantastically with it's male voice choirs chanting, in what, I am told, is genuine Dwarfish, and ends with one of the saddest, most tear-jerking pieces of music I have ever heard! Brilliant! 'The Council of Elrond' is simply beautiful and so romantic, and 'Lothlorien' with it's Lament for Gandalf, like the actual Golden Wood of the film, is eerily haunting.
Oh, and Enya is great - singing in elvish, even if it does sound an awful lot like welsh at times! I highly recommend this for Tolkien and music fans alike!
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