Lord of the Rings: How Howard Shore Created a Masterpiece (1 of 3)

Learn about the rich collection of music themes, motifs, and leitmotifs which build up Howard Shore's musical universe for The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack.
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These videos looks at the leitmotifs, and how the composer develops his themes as the story develops, giving a lot of examples of how the themes are used throughout the film, to match the mood of the movie. The examples are taken from The Lord of the Rings - Extended Edition, directed by Peter Jackson, and are used for the purpose of educational commentary and criticism.
I'll explain what a leitmotif is, and how it connects with People, Places, Objects, or Concepts, and how it can be developed, before looking at some examples from these movies.
We go behind the film score and look closer at analysing how the composer thinks about writing music for film with orchestra.
PART 1 focuses on Places of The Lord of the Rings: The Shire theme, Rohan theme, Gondor theme, The White Tree theme, and the Isengard / Uruk-hai theme
PART 2 focuses on Connections between different themes in the story: The Fellowship theme, The Ring theme, Sauron’s theme, The Elves theme, Temptation, Smeagol, and Gollum
PART 3 looks at extra themes: Rescue, Eowyn, and Shadowfax
Future videos similar to this one will be released, so:
Like, comment, or subscribe for more!

[@ryanc.6116]

Words can't describe how much I love this video

[@InsidetheScore]

Haha wow, thanks! Hope you enjoy my other ones

[@_TheOneRing_]

Mellon welcome in club! I feel the same !

[@semanticsamuel936]

It's worth remembering just how unconventional a choice Howard Shore was. Everything he'd done prior to LotR was either very dark (Silence of the Lambs, The Fly) or comedy (Mrs Doubtfire, The Truth About Cats and Dogs). He'd never really done much in between, and he'd never done something even remotely like LotR. Shore quite deliberately went into the composing of LotR with the long-term goal in mind. When he was composing for Fellowship, he had Return in the back of his mind. It is a masterpiece and a fantastic blending of classical technique and modern film idiom. It is rooted in Wagnerian operatic tradition, but does allow itself to experiment with eastern musical ideas and odd instrumentation.

[@DarkCyberElf]

This was what I found most remarkable about having Howard Shore as the composer for these films. His previous work was so much more limited in scope, and it didn't appear he had an affinity for leitmotifs as much as he did simply wanting to create a specific atmosphere for the films (I think of two films he composed that are tonally different but thematically similar such as Se7en and Silence of the Lambs) using musical texture as the primary backbone. The Lord of the Rings as a film-making achievement, as well as a score achievement, I believe to be completely without equal. Some artists may not have the consistency of excellence as others, but the stars can align and utter brilliance can come from seemingly otherwise mediocre people.

[@TB1M1]

Yes, there is a lot of tonal clusters here aswell like in Matrix a couple years before. Like John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, Shore is an expert at dissonance, suspense and tension.

[@user-rs7xf5tm9s]

He also composed for Tim Burton's Ed wood, which has a good soundtrack but it's not a huge thing

[@kevinjustin7646]

Before lotr Peter Jackson was also mostly known for realy violent horror movies so he was also a very unconventional choice

[@paulwagner688]

Howard Shore did Glory and Apollo 13. There's your answer right there

[@Supershackda]

For me the greatest musical score of all time. I've seen all 3 movies more times than I can count, and moments like the charge of the Rohirrim still give me chills every single time

[@DarthTrombonist]

DEEEEAAATH!

[@patriksykora2172]

@@DarthTrombonist DEEEATH

[@handris99]

If not the greatest (I would not dare declaring such things in light of the other contestants) but It's fair to say that probably the most magical and captivating.

[@jakubrogacz6829]

@@handris99 Yes Rohan theme develops the most throughout the movie. And it rings so epic. For me it's even more epic as Poland is in fact also a country and culture where mounted warriors were the noble heroes. Battle of Vienna you know ;) But some of riders fought and did charges as part of war as recent as World War Two early stages ( both were in September btw ;) ). It makes it even more heroic and reminescent of days gone by somehow when you see or read that fragment in books. Counting other countries armies that took part in battle it is believed that over 20 thousand riders charged in charge that freed the city. That must have looked very simmilar to Rohan charge (even more largescale as they only gathered a few thousand if I remember it right) . Also although the disputes still are held it is believed that Hussars did use wings tied to either saddle or armour durring battles and wore fur of exotic animals like tigers. Can you immagine the pure epicness of such charge? Granted I wouldn't want to be on recieving end of one either by Hussars or Rohhirims.

[@tonyiommi2380]

Both rides of the rohirrim are very cryable

[@Beantbeantbeant]

It's hard enough to create 1 memorable leitmotif, yet this series has countless which you can find yourself humming and knowing exactly who it is for. Howard Shore is a genius

[@Drewe223]

This video is criminally underrated. Holy shit, great work man.

[@InsidetheScore]

Haha thanks man! Check out some of my others. I hope to release one on Thursday which I'm really proud of, to do with film music

[@colin-campbell]

How could the uploader have missed the Rohirrim charge scene when all Rohan themes are present and grow stronger as the charge progresses? 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@neconeconeco]

The solo fiddle version of Rohan's theme completely bewitched my younger self. Pure gold

[@quinmatthew1]

I believe lighting of the beacons works so well because it really highlights the scale of the movie, wide mountain ranges, as well as building excitement for things to come, forces at work, and a sense of hope

[@lundem1072]

Best movies ever made.

[@thatchannel195]

Mir0zz first six star wars films aswell yes even the prequels

[@dewinning3473]

+LNB KS Are you drunk?

[@thatchannel195]

De Winning no they were part of my childhood

[@scarlitch6294]

Mir0zz best masterpiece, 6 movies and dont worry more are comming ;)

[@storymagic998]

Mir0zz Amen!

[@Psychoclaw]

I got full-body waves of goosebumps listening to just snippets of each leifmotif.

[@damsko3619]

The shire theme is mainly celtic, with a scottish/irish fiddle, and an Irish Tin Whistle, and Rohan somehow reminded me of a nordic/viking culture.

[@InsidetheScore]

Nice - I think you're spot on.

[@eggsybenedict7014]

In the films' BTS videos, the creators actually talked about these exact associations, so you are absolutely right. And the Rohan theme is played on the hardanger fiddle, a traditional Norwegian instrument.

[@InsidetheScore]

Cool!

[@sulphuric_glue4468]

Rohan has some nordic aspects but is mostly based on Anglo-Saxon culture, which was itself very Germanic and had some Scandinavian traits.

[@wezzuh2482]

Rohan is inspired by the Anglo-Saxons

[@sceptile4life246]

Masterpiece. There is no other word to describe this trilogy. It is a Masterpiece. Everything to music score, set pieces, costumes, actors.. it is truly a MASTERPIECE!

[@vpgdarkstar]

The Isengard theme is still my favorite "bad guy" theme of all time. There's something just so hypnotic and hauntingly intimidating about it and the pounding percussion instills such a strong sense of doom and looming destruction.

[@Daniel-gp6sd]

I love the minas morgul theme

[@Luigiawesome13]

The Lord of the Rings soundtrack is one of, if not the greatest soundtrack of all time. It's one of the very few that can take my emotions anywhere it wants to. Thank you for covering the masterpiece that is The Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

[@bled1017]

There is only one feeling on my body that I get during the whole length of this 3 part video series... goosebumps!

[@InsidetheScore]

Thanks Mate!!

[@iberius9937]

Same here..... my heart pounds and my hairs stand up.

[@ryanwade7002]

Hopefully you won't mind if I use this with my middle school music students? What a great resource - thank you!

[@InsidetheScore]

Of course not - please do. Always pleased to hear that these videos are being used in schools. Try some of my others too - there are many designed for music education purposes!

[@djfull4442]

There's more to the Gondor theme: 8:57 is the Valar theme. It ascends to remind Numenor was a Valar blessing to the Men of the West. The same theme but stronger plays when Frodo sails to Aman where the Valar currently reside. It also plays when Gandalf tells Pippin about a new beginning in the Undying Lands. This tune could or would become the main theme of Silmarillion if only Peter Jackson got the permission to film it.

[@minastirith997]

into the west

[@Concetta20]

And now Amazon’s got it and it’s going to be awful.

[@svetlanaandrasova6086]

I still cant believe the genius of this soundtrack. The amount of talent work and dedication put into it

[@tacofacefart]

The music in these movies such a part of the movie. Like I can't imagine the shire without this opening melody. It makes me tear up and want to cry for a lost world that never existed in the first place.

[@baguettegott3409]

The lighting of the beacons just... knocks the air out of my lungs every time I hear it. It's one of the best scenes I've ever seen in film.

[@Drewe223]

The Rohan theme is hands down my favorite.

[@InsidetheScore]

It's great. I love Eowyn's for some reason, and the way it flows into the Rohan theme

[@qaiser648]

Drew Q)! The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!

[@MrRockIsAwesome]

Julius Caesar "Forth, Eorlingas!"

[@qaiser648]

MrRockIsAwesome Also: "And Rohan will answer." This is the few changes from book to movie that I really liked. The book equivalent of Rohan learning that Gondor needs help isnt nearly as epic. Also, he music in that scebe..

[@MrRockIsAwesome]

Gandalf yep, that's a great scene, and the music is great too. I never read the books. I've tried a few times, but I never got past the first chapter. Tolkien's writing style just isn't for me.

[@jimmiehelsen7352]

As a music therapist, this video moved me to tears. Beautiful use of the musical parameters to create the most majestic music. Thank you for this.

[@bonbonpony]

How does it work that the same damn melody can be shaped in so many different forms to convey so many different emotions? I wish I could know the secret...

[@InsidetheScore]

We recognise a melody because of it's qualities - maybe it has memorable rhythms, or intervals, or something. But it's possible to alter the speed of it, or some of the intervals, for example, and have it still be recognisable as *that melody*, even if it's not *exactly the same* sequence of notes. And through altering the melody, we have something different, something new, perhaps with a different emotional quality. Also, you could use the same melody, but have a different harmony (the accompanying chords) underneath. This can massively change the emotional quality of a melody. I hope this makes sense! Subscribe for more videos like this :)

[@bonbonpony]

Well, I'm well aware that this is possible - I can hear it. What I'd like to know is _how_ does it work. What chords, rhythms, etc. map to which emotions and why. E.g. why do we perceive major scales as happy and minor scales as sad, and why sometimes it is not that simple (a minor chord can sound happy when it is happier than other chords in the progression). And of course the range of emotions is much more broad and multi-dimensional than just happy vs. sad. So how can I use music to create the feeling of longing, amazement, being intrigued, trust, satisfaction, lust, doubts etc.? What elements of the composition cause the listener to feel those emotions? Those are the things that are rarely taught in music theory courses or books. Or how can a composer come up with the leitmotif for a particular character or thing or idea? What is it that makes the listener to associate that motif with that character and identify it every time it is heard? Why that particular melody works for that character or location?

[@InsidetheScore]

What you're asking is complex - some people (like Deryck Cooke) have suggested there's a 'Language of Music' - that composers consistently use a descending bass line, for example, to portray grief. It's interesting and goes a long way, but the thing is, I can't just throw in a descending bass line anywhere and 'guarantee' my music will portray grief. It's obviously more complex than that. I think anyone who attempts to answer your question is ignoring how complex this mystery is - why our sympathies seem to dance in parallel with the music. If you want to write music which expresses those things, there simply is no textbook. You just need to listen to the greats, hear how they did it, and then find your own voice. Music is a language of the soul. It is not a science where x = grief, and y = lust. But I would say, re your second paragraph - often we associate a leitmotif with a character because we hear it repeatedly with the character on screen. We're sort of trained subconsciously to become familiar with that theme in association with the character. Often we become familiar with a theme (e.g. Darth Vader's theme, the Imperial March) because, whether we realise it or not, that theme plays dozens of times over the course of the film - it's sort of jammed into our head.

[@naeeanvideos]

Exactly. It made me think of Up's 'Married Life', which also des this.

[@Jagonath]

Did you know that all "Good" themes are written in major, while all "Evil" themes are written in Minor? Did you know all 2nd age character themes are written in 5th intervals, while all 3rd age character themes have 3rd intervals? Did you know the Good motif (high-low-high) literally means "There and back again," while the Evil motif is low-high-low, and that Aragorn's Theme actually just the "Good" motif plus endlessly rising notes? Did you know that Gandalf has TWO themes, and that Gandalf the White ("I AM Saruman... as he should have been) is actually just Saraman's theme plus the Good motif? There's an ABSOLUTELY and AMAZINGLY deep analysis of the LOTR music on KZbin by Jaime Altozano (link below). It's in Spanish, but he goes through the music line by line, showing how each of the 90+ motifs were repeatedly integrated to create "unique" themes in almost every scene. When you see his analysis, you won't believe how much thought was put into the music. LINK: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2avfXuQm56YmLc

[@ChrisDynamo]

That sounds interesting, but why on Earth would he alienate 95% of the world by making it in Spanish?? Rather than in the world's language. Well, at least you listed the highlights.

[@vlzestar]

@@ChrisDynamo Tf is the worlds language? Mandarin has the most speakers so I guess you mean that?

[@ChrisDynamo]

@@vlzestar Considering that the world doesn't speak Mandarian, only one country, obviously not. 30% of China doesn't even speak Mandarin and even in China, English is a required subject for attending university as well as being used as a lingua franca in several fields, especially for business settings, and in schools to teach Standard Mandarin to people who are not Chinese citizens.

[@Ragitsu]

@@ChrisDynamo "world's language" Such arrogance.

[@ChrisDynamo]

@@Ragitsu How is that arrogance, you snowflake? That's just a simple fact. We are using English right now, it's the language everyone uses on the internet to communicate with anyone from any country.

[@marcb2raw]

John Williams get a lot of praises for his work on Star Wars, Superman & Jurassic Park but people don’t seem to realize the genius in Howard Shores score for LOTR. You can literally listen to the full soundtrack and visualize all the movie scenes from the prologue in FOTR to the end credits of ROTK.

[@TheLibrarianUU]

Ook! [Lighting of the Beacons is the best piece of music written in this century.]

[@InsidetheScore]

It's amazing. I once saw a huge fireworks show set to Lighting of the Beacons. I cried

[@shaggycan]

Correct.

[@joshuahart153]

You know, I used to have the soundtrack on my iPod, and I honestly like the iTunes version of that track better than the one in the movie, for two reasons. One, I think the background strings work better, just with the shape of the line being played and the fact that it actually includes some moments of D Major despite the theme being in d minor and it sounds AWESOME. Two, the actual cadence into the theme is more convincing in the iTunes version, since it's a V-I cadence instead of that weird II-I cadence we get in the film.

[@joshuahart153]

I just learned that the iTunes version I have is for the original theatrical release, while the one I'm thinking of that doesn't have the V-I cadence is the version in the extended edition (I wonder why they changed it) For reference: Extended Edition Version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXrLn4x8h9pnl9E iTunes/Original Theatrical version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aF7HYWegi5mGia8

[@JRCSalter]

I couldn't agree more. That scene could easily have been two seconds long, but Jackson decided to just take a helicopter and film some gorgeous Kiwi landscapes, and hand it over to Shore to go nuts with.

[@ToastedCigar]

Gondor theme is my favorite. Especially in "Lighting of the Beacons", I always get chills when I hear it.

[@ianmosquera3741]

Same here, its epic. Who could guess lighting the beacon could be so damd Majestic.

[@elmertjee]

The musical score of Lord of the Rings is my favorite music album(s) ever. Period. I simply can't stop listening to it. I listen to almost every other music genre out there, but these albums by the master Howard Shore, accompanied with the greatest film trilogy ever ofcourse, is the music I come back to almost every day for the past years. Can't describe how special this is for me. Great video man, always great to see other people acknowledge the greatness in a piece of art that you deeply love yourself. Cheers mate!

[@billyb580]

Can I just say how brilliant your essay is. You summarise your topic concisely and convincingly and I love that, unlike most video essays, you're tackling the subject in 3 long videos rather than racing through the topic in 7 minutes. And I love the detailed examples of every point you make too - I enjoyed the many examples of the shire theme you put in this vid. Far too many essays move from unsupported point to unsupported point, and you've put in plenty of examples to support your view. Wonderful work and a great essay :)

[@InsidetheScore]

Haha thank you! Great to hear you enjoyed it. Yeah it's a tough one, I'm constantly having to decide whether to make an engaging but limited point in an 8 minute video, or go into more depth. I'm really looking forward to making my next one, but I've had so many jobs recently that I haven't had time to do it. Hopefully at the end of this month I can make a really good one I've been ruminating on for ages Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the kind words O

[@guitarman0365]

One does not simply hate this music, there is beauty here that does not sleep. Riddled with flutes, and trumpets, and epic choirs. Not with 5 measly dislikes could you do this, it is folley!

[@tensorflow5777]

Theme Sheets - The Shire - 2:10 - Rohan - 4:20 - Gondor - 6:48 - The White Tree - 8:38 - Isengard - 10:21

[@samiyahcorelli7688]

WHY ON GOD'S GOOD EARTH DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 4.7K VIEWS

[@InsidetheScore]

You're making me blush

[@jasicjan]

“All that is gold does not glitter"

[@JCW7100]

Shore is a legend! My favorite music ever! Great video!

[@samiyahcorelli7688]

This video is honestly the BEST video I have seen on this platform. If you are in the UK I would come to wherever you are just to hug you.

[@InsidetheScore]

Wow! High praise! Thank you haha

[@AshtonGleckman]

So good! Great work.

[@InsidetheScore]

Thanks!

[@lety04]

HOWARD SHORE IS...A GENIUS❤❤

[@merribellewharton938]

Why do these videos not have more likes? Great analysis!!! I absolutely love every thing about these films.

[@stingfan16ify]

A masterpiece indeed my friend! This breathtaking score is in my estimation, the greatest in the history of film. Howard Shore deserves every accolade and award given him for the Trilogy as he succeeded in doing the near impossible...he took the greatest film ever and improved upon with his amazing score!

[@MrWhatdafuBOOM]

3:25 ITS: "And so, we hear it whenever they're remembering or missing the Shire." *Emotional scene plays out with Frodo and Bilbo looking at the map and the music playing* Me: "Now that's a very emotionally rich scene where the music pretty much tells us what they're feeling without having to spell it out for us-" Frodo: "I MiSs ThE sHiRe."

[@paryanindoeur]

I just watched the trilogy again yesterday & today for probably the 25th time, and I want to watch it again right now. If I'm not watching _Lord of the Rings,_ I'm watching videos about _Lord of the Rings._ How can this be? The movies are getting better every time I watch them -- an utterly unique thing!

[@chromaticvisuelle]

Most beautiful soundtrack of all time. Watching the dvds in New Zealand with my ex was amazing and unforgettable.

[@twhfeng]

No words can't describe enough how great the movie and the musical score are. I can play this all day long...

[@shanechew710]

thanks for putting these together. these reminded me why I loved lord of the rings for all these years. feels like rewatching the journey again...

[@dope3907]

8:00 Lighting of the Beacons is definitely the most epic scene in the whole trilogy. Great video btw

[@whereami2477]

3:59 warms my heart so much 😭😭😭

[@malwazerek5311]

I always love the Lord of the Rings and the soundtrack is one I often listen to. It's amazing how by even just listening to the music, You are riddled with many emotions. The music truly helps build the story and world in such a subtle way.

[@htwallace5043]

I think my fav use of the Rohan theme is when they're charging on horseback into minas tireth in ROTK

[@archbookswithJenniferBrown]

My daughter and I are loving this!! Thank you!! We made screen shots of the music motifs so we can play them on the piano.

[@stardustandstripes]

I just discovered your channel and noticed you have many guides on classical music. Even though I like to listen I have no knowledge of how things work, so this will come quite handy. Thank you so much for doing this, seriously.

[@hughgrection2336]

Never thought I'd have constant chills from watching a video. You did such a good job on this video

[@claraborgesbr]

Oooh I've been looking for a video like this for so long! Thanks for sharing!!

[@cadenobles2497]

I think it's borderline dangerous how many times I got chills watching this.

[@SphoorthyN]

Feels good when a fellow fan takes the time and analyzes the movies and the music we love so well. This, is awesome.

[@loganhadlock]

Dude, not just this video, but your other ones make so much sense. I'm glad to finally meet someone who agrees with my tastes for music.

[@staylor0902]

What a wonderful video series. Thanks!

[@austinanderson4196]

The “beauty restored” version of the White Tree gives me goosebumps every time. It’s so lovely

[@ninacena8295]

this is incredible! watching it again because i love it, you taught me so much!

[@InsidetheScore]

Wow thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@passionoflovers]

11:03 minutes of none stop chills.. God I love these movies.

[@entertain7us148]

literally brings tears to my eyes.

[@anthonyleongwannlih6378]

Absolutely appreciate your detailed analysis into the magic created by Howard Shore. I look forward to more of your narrations into the beautiful classics of movie history.

[@pablomansini6449]

Simply amazing soundtrack, moved me to tears

[@iliachigogidze6550]

Your videos are very high quality! You got a new sub here. Please, keep making these videos, we really enjoy it

[@dsatt57]

I love this, not much formal music education here but learned about leitmotif from the Star Wars liner notes back in the day and have since always been interested to see how a composer builds & connects themes.

[@wakanda_forever6676]

Inside the Score ...These videos on leitmotifs are great..Hope you make videos on Leitmotifs of other movies

[@leightonwebber]

Truly a masterpiece of a soundtrack.

[@vasmax32]

I think the thing that I've been most amazed at (which you talked about in a previous video) is how to paint with sound. How to illustrate with sound as one would with color. I thought that way of looking at music is quite transformative. Hope you continue doing these!

[@InsidetheScore]

I will keep making them :) Thanks. Yes - I've been thinking for a while on what makes us emote to classical music, what separates classical/orchestral music from other kinds and how we can 'paint with sound'. I think I'll do a video on how we can listen for this kind of expression in music in the future. But I've got a few more movies and cool pieces of music to do before we get to that point!

[@captainkail]

I've been dying for a channel that analyzes film scores. This is great!

[@WMfin]

My all time favorite piece of music. This video was nicely put together.

[@simrsm5908]

I often play these scores and try to speak over them with similar words from the movie, it adds to the quality of the emotion that I get from listening to it and makes it feel more realistic. It's amazing how combination of sounds can directly effect you emotionally.

[@JaxonBurn]

The music in the LoTR has always moved me more than I can make sense of. Nice to see so many people appreciating these masterpieces.

[@vishnugopakumar8807]

A moment to appreciate the brilliance of this video and the editing, incredible job

[@_TheOneRing_]

Amazing video Mellon!!

[@haniffsoorian3431]

This whole video gave me goosebumps!!

[@eduardogasques5839]

Thank you so much for this content. I have been a fan of LOTR for my entire life and watching this video made me love music even more as it explained the theory behind the film and the strong felling it was trying to express through the soundtracs

[@jonathanguiltner7879]

Great video. These are things that I had noticed but never heard anyone say before. I play the music of the Lord of the Rings on the piano, and doing so has added much to my experience of this amazing music and increased my understanding of the interactions between the various themes.

[@LostwithoutCoffee]

Just found these videos and they are incredible. I’ve been considering writing music inspired by Tolkien’s work and this work has reignited my interest.

[@brandonwatson4829]

Absolutely beautiful video. Best movies of all time, and hearing any part of the score when I'm not prepared for it will bring a tear to my eye every time lol.

[@foreignlexi9409]

Wonderfully described! Thanks so much for all your work you put into this! Subscribing because I love this kind of in-depth musical analysis! Love it!

[@robbedeboer2728]

Strnge this video hasn't got more than a milion views.

[@InsidetheScore]

Haha maybe one day! glad you enjoyed it

[@12345678900987659101]

robbe de Boer What's with the meme flag?

[@alexanderhall5579]

Tarka Dal You know what mate? You're absolutely right! That's because almost nothing about the present day and even the 20th century when his books were published is even remotely similar to Tolkien's world (except maybe for the various monarchies that are still around, even though they don't have nearly as much influence today as they did before Politicians came along.) Sure, certain aspects of real life that Tolkien was inspired by can certainly be found in his work. For example, the pleasures of smoking and alcohol enjoyed by the Hobbits, who in turn were inspired by the typical attitudes of country folk. Other examples are the fact that there is an emphasis on 'the West', like there is an emphasis on the Western civilisation of our world, and also there is the fact that the Dead Marshes were inspired by his experiences in WWI, where he saw the faces of dead soldiers in big mud puddles on the trenches. Therefore, it is safe to say that Tolkien's world contains little to no allegory, not just because of the examples listed above but also because of this quote: "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history - true or feigned- with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author." The fact that the above examples are not specifically fixed to one particular event/aspect of our world shows the sheer accessibility of the stories, and the fact that someone who supports an extreme political ideology like Libertarian Socialism can appreciate the literary work of an ardent Conservative exemplifies this mass appeal. The applicability of certain aspects of Tolkien's work utterly cements their enduring popularity, so think about THAT before you go off on one about someone's political beliefs on a video about stories that can be enjoyed by anyone. robbe de Boer doesn't have to dislike Tolkien's work because of his political beliefs in the same way that you do not have to agree with robbe's political beliefs.

[@jesperburns]

Is that an Antifa flag unironically used?

[@Floral_Green]

Tolkien’s works are unabashedly Traditionalist in character, implementing themes of monarchism and European Christian morality, while drawing mythology directly from Germanic Pagan folklore. Basically everything that a leftist degenerate squirms at the thought of. Antifa and their noseberg financiers would be dealt with fairly quickly in such a world.

[@kirstenpaff8946]

Wow, this analysis is fantastic. Thank you so much for making this video.

[@oyaoyaoya9099]

Amazing video!! I freaking love the LoTR score

[@tommygreen741]

These videos are wonderful. I am using them in my eLearning to try and help my students fall in love with music.

[@stardustpan]

Dayum! Through the whole of the video, I was just getting constantly goosebumps. Good job :D

[@crazyrobotlady3391]

Great job! Some of this content wasn’t in my version of the movie. Looking forward to hearing more of this!

[@worthingtonproductions2579]

I haven’t watched these in over 10 years. It’s going to be like watching them anew. Kind of a treat to be honest.

[@99hbennett]

The one correction I would make is that a couple of the cues cited as the white tree theme were actually a similar but distinct theme that Doug Adams refers to as “Gondor Reborn”

[@LordMangudai]

You are absolutely right, but the themes are (purposefully, no doubt) so closely related to one another that you can almost forgive the mistake.

[@TheAndersDanilet]

Herugrim is such a beautiful sword. And this is a brilliant video. A great tribute to the greatest movie soundtrack.

[@pinkfreud62]

I was lucky to see Howard Shore conduct our Cleveland Orchestra on the LOTR tour. Really nice evening.

[@nagarjun385]

Man, this video is really Underviewed. This deserves more than a Million Views.

[@dynamosaurus2072]

Excellent video. I never noticed that Gondor had two themes - one representing its current state, and one standing as a sort of withered reminder of its past. One militaristic and regal, another wistful and nostalgic. Just a total jaw-dropper. Damn.

[@GharunLacyMusic]

Well done, my friend. Thank you for putting these together.

[@InsidetheScore]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them

[@apatheticallyconcerned6574]

When the beacons were lit and those horns sounded the Gondor motif, the crowd stood up and cheered in the theatre. The only films I ever went to midnight releases for. What a time.

[@alexfakudze]

THIS IS BRILLIANT! THANK YOU FOR THE INSIGHTS.

[@Julian-wx9cn]

Really great content. Thank you, man.

[@vurrunna]

Great video--I've watched more than a couple videos on how Howard Shore created a such a wonderful score for LotR, but you did a great job really diving into the specifics of how he accomplished that, providing solid evidence and even a well thought out structure (I really like how the intro to this video sounds like an abstract to a scholarly essay--I don't know if that was intentional or not, but it really sets a tone of professionalism that persists throughout). If I may make one suggestion: While you do great at providing a wide range of musical evidence for your claims, it would be great to get some more commentary on them. To compare it to a written essay (video essays are often quite similar in structure), you usually want about two to three lines of commentary for every one line of quotation. While this is definitely harder to do when you're dealing with music (and I definitely don't fault you for it, since the clips serve best if you just let them play out), it would have been nice to have at least an introduction/transition for every musical clip (such as just reading off the emotion or idea being conveyed) or to have a bit more extensive delving into how a couple of specific leitmotifs serve to express the related ideas. Regardless, a top quality video. The commentary present is well thought out and professional, and explains the material in a way that is easy to understand even for the uninitiated (e.g. I was able to follow along very easily despite little experience in music and the more complex nature o some of your points). Also, by taking on a wider variety of leitmotifs, you're able to expand the understanding of the score far beyond what essayists like the Nerdist might do by focusing on one theme in one film. Again, very enjoyable--I'll be sure to look into more of your videos to see what else you have to offer.

[@magruhn]

Such a great video , Thank You so much :)

[@OldTime--Gamer]

few days back i re-watched the 4k UHD extended version and ooohhh boooy what a master piece in cinematography and music

[@JakobTreml]

Great analysis of maybe the best score ever!

[@jackieboyd2152]

I love The Lord of The Rings movies and music so much, this video gave me goosebumps! Oh my God, I love this!

[@rrebarrov9234]

Love this video, should have millions of views!

[@MrHindsightProphet]

Brilliant keep up the excellent work!