Lord Of The Rings: How Music Elevates Story

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SOURCES:
Judith Bernanke, "Howard Shore's Ring Cycle: The Film Score and Its Operatic Strategy" (From: Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings) New York: Manchester University Press, 2008.
Editorial Review of "The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring"
www.filmtracks.com/titles/lord...
The Annotated Score: "The Music of The Lord of The Rings Films - Part One: The Fellowship of The Ring"
www.elvish.org/gwaith/pdf/fotr...
Eric Rawlins, "Musical Themes in The Lord of The Rings"
www.woodzie.org/lotr/

[@bulut6759]

Me:*literally 3 seconds into the video* I NEED TO WATCH THE WHOLE TRILOGY FOR THE 482nd TIME

[@Supermax2206]

Bulut I am watching this because I have to for a band assignment. I have never watched the lord of the rings

[@bulut6759]

@@Supermax2206 this video will make the movie more meaningful. it sammurizes the creation and lore of middle earth ,I sugest watching the video after watching the movie. Video includes spoiler: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6nKpKuXe7yKfrM

[@blossomingbeelzebub]

@@Supermax2206 watch them dude, absolute masterpieces. Never seen any book adaptions as stellar as these.

[@JustinWPruett]

Holy shit, I just became the 482 like on this comment. That’s amazing.

[@playmaxz4335]

@@Supermax2206 Do It!!

[@ahmarsaeed6085]

I've always said it. It's the damn music that makes this trilogy so epic.

[@mattsuperfreak]

Ahmar Saeed so true

[@SatanicBunny666]

I love the books. I love the movies. I love the movies a lot. But as much as I fucking adore the performances and scenery in the movie, as much as I thin Ian McKellen is the perfect Gandalf etc, the music is, in my opinion, still the BEST thing about the trilogy. It's just so good that I feel the movies would be less than half of what they currently are if not for the music. I'm going to go as far as to say it's the best movie-soundtrack. But then again that's kinda unfair because it's 3 soundtracks instead of 1, so it's much more wider and detailed than anything standard movies get. I love stuff by guys like Hans Zimmer who do solid scores for even mediocre movies, but Shore's work is truly immortal.

[@ahmarsaeed6085]

SatanicBunny You said it buddy.

[@SatanicBunny666]

Ahmar Saeed Thanks. I was thinking about the 'best score ever' remark and realised that that place may have 1 contender, which too comes from a trilogy. The original 3 star wars trilogy are the only thing I can think of that come close to the kind of depth and effect that LoTR has. I still thinks Shore is a slightly superior composer to Williams, but I wouldn't blame anyone for putting it the other way around,

[@pablomolina3041]

if they bring a composer like john willians or han zimmer and make him be in all their movies, BUT give him the chance to use different ways to express the same feeling like in this the LoTR trilogy, use different instruments in different ways without losing the theme, it will be perfect idk why they dont do that, they have disney, disney¡¡¡ the most powerful entertaiment company, well nothing is perfect XC

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

We literally hear the Fellowship forming, battling, being overcome, and breaking in the music. It's genius

[@jaredpeacemaker795]

@Matthew Sawczyn youtube the lord of the rings in concert the best clips I've ever heard and watched.

[@ba6561]

@@jaredpeacemaker795 a wizard is never late...

[@wattsnottaken1]

Movies suck so bad nowadays in 2022 😭 it hurts because whenever a new movie comes out I just roll my eyes because we all KNOW it’s going to suck. They don’t make amazing well detailed passion projects anymore. Prime examples of amazing passion projects would be The Lord Trilogy and also Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong

[@eusouluizgustavo]

That's quite poetic to notice, since the creation of Arda was made in songs by Eru and the Ainur.

[@Magnorage]

Relevant funfact: When bilbo and gandalf are smoking from a pipe at the beginning of the first movie, Bilbo makes blows a smoke-ring. And as the smoke-ring takes the senter of the screen, you can hear a fragmented version of the ring-theme.

[@onstable3184]

If that's true (haven't checked myself so I am just relying on this comment) I don't even know what would be fair to even try and compare this soundtrack to... Truly amazing...

[@The_Devil_Himself]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oavQo5-go7yDjsk I can hear the first two notes of it at 0:22

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

That's incredible!

[@aragonnetje]

To me it sounds more like an upbeat addition to prepare for the loud explosions form the fireworks immediately after

[@ARCtrooperblueleader]

@Maggi Bjerkeli - Wow.

[@dion789]

Dammit, why am I watching this? Now I have to watch the movies again. I've already had my yearly rewatch.

[@DaProHobbit]

Yearly??! Not nearly enough, my friend.

[@emrys9547]

Don't want to get too familiar with a good film, I find. You get too used to it, it loses something special. I've only watched them twice properly.

[@sharonrose7748]

I watch them at least 5 times every year and can recite most of the script by heart, and still I cry and laugh and have goosebumps every single time.

[@darkrai6543]

I don't watch them as much as I used to - it used to be around a dozen times a year, now I watch somewhere around twice a year. They're poignant reminders of what I strive to eventually create (I want to be a writer)

[@TheZBUCKNER]

Dion7 Lol this comment... so true though, I try to limit my LOTR marathons to twice a year.

[@arvinsim]

In the Silmarillion, the world of LOTR was created into existence using music. It's only fitting that a movie adaptation should have great music.

[@i.j.dragonfly3123]

I read this comment just as the brass in the video swelled. Gave me goosebumps all over, man.

[@cnovikamaharani]

What do you mean abt Silmarillion? Is there any movie about it or what? I'm addicted to this JRR Tolkien story like serioualy

[@Ryan_hey]

The Silmarillion is a collection of unfinished works that Tolkien wrote which was posthumously released by his son. It describes the beginning of the LOTR universe and events after it in 5 different sections; check it out if you're a hardcore fan for sure.

[@cnovikamaharani]

@@Ryan_hey oyeah. I thought he meant there's movie for Simillarion and the soundtrack was good. I'm sorry for mistaken. I only read 1 - 2 pages and havent finish it yet because i havent read the LOTR and The Hobbit, I only know from the movie. Thank you for your info btw

[@agostinaalvarez9254]

Created with music? Just like Narnia was!!

[@5ammy13]

I'm so glad Shore got 2 Oscars for this trilogy. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, the LOTR score is my favorite film score of all time and I don't think it'll ever get beaten. As a musician and a fan of the movies, I can't thank Howard Shore enough for creating this masterpiece. Just beautiful.

[@johnny7130]

Samarth Bellur - The Audiocrat amen to that

[@yaleyoon6856]

The film score is also by far, my favorite. I can not think of another film's music that is as quality as the music of The Lord of the Rings trilogy!

[@ohifonlyx33]

There's other great scores to be sure, many iconic ones... but none that pull me into a world so powerfully as this to the point where 35 seconds can give me chills or break me to pieces or fill me with homesickness for a place I've never been... but then, that probably also has a lot to do with Tolkien's world being so rich and Peter Jackson's trilogy being so stunning and the music simply being so perfectly fitted and inextricably linked to that story.

[@spartanK42]

Some scores might be more iconic like Star Wars but none are as nuanced as LotR's. Best use of leitmotifs in a film score.

[@danielplainview2584]

@@spartanK42 Been saying this for ages. LOTR trilogy edges out Star Wars in terms of pathos and use of leitmotif.

[@user-vi3tb3bw5t]

You missed my FAVORITE one...During the counsel Boromir disrespects Aragorn and then Legolas jumps up to defend and introduce him as the true heir, and then the future Gondor theme cuts in.

[@stefanskrinnik7923]

That was good

[@alexandrialeonora6542]

Yeah, the amazing thing is that because we heard those themes in the first film, by the time we actually get to SEE Gondor up close in the third film, we feel as though we already know it so well. It feels like a familiar friend - because we've had its theme with us since the very first film.

[@lewispearson]

I would watch an entire commentary track like this.

[@timothygarcia8721]

+Lewis Pearson I believe the extended editions have a post production commentary track where Howard Shore is involved.

[@freibier]

+Lewis Pearson Get the extended edition box set of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it has 10+ hours of behind the scenes documentaries about everything they did to create the movies (miniatures, computer animations, props, costumes etc.), including a documentary about the music by Howard Shore in which he explains several scenes. Plus, it has a commentary track (several, I think), including Howard Shore.

[@Kash-Acous]

+Lewis Pearson Agreed

[@theworldofmiddle-earth14]

+Lewis Pearson Indeed!

[@RokujyuuyonShou]

+Lewis Pearson Hell, I would pay good money for that

[@KvltKommando]

The opening title when the "ring theme" motif plays I always get goosebumps

[@MisterMajister]

This. Then add Cate Blanchett as Galadriel telling us the story about the Rings of Power.

[@EinBick]

I always start crying when I hear the Shire theme.

[@Sindor33]

The Lord of the goosebumps

[@kyankasuri]

I’ve watched this trilogy so many times and it still makes me cry

[@adityasanthosh702]

Me too

[@wattsnottaken1]

“Go home Sam” scene in RoTK = 🥺😢😭

[@minerpvpgaming2160]

i just watched it for the first time

[@Theyallfloat1]

Me 2

[@GutzOverFear]

No movie/franchise has ever made me feel the way Lotr has. And I don't think that will ever change. Thank you Professor Tolkien. Thank you Mr.Jackson.

[@FatGouf]

Thank you Mr. Shore

[@yamahatyros2]

The best movie soundtrack of all times. Period. Howard Shore is a genius.

[@LisaM-mi8lk]

yamahatyros2 Star Wars would like to have a word But I can't decide which one is better :/

[@yamahatyros2]

James Hoang Star Wars is good, but I think LOTR is better. I can listen to any track from the LOTR soundtrack on its own and it's amazing even without the context. I can't listen to Star Wars soundtrack on its own, only certain tracks (like Force theme or Imperial March)

[@benjaamin8]

so is Peter Jackson for hiring him.

[@shadowboxing7029]

I can say that for myself, I've never listened to any other score/music like I have and do the LotR trilogy.

[@donna25871]

yamahatyros2 The compositional techniques used by Shore came directly from Wagner and the Ring Cycle....about 130 years ago.

[@francescbarcelo8509]

fuck, the end of the video made me cry a bit

[@agateberzina-berzite6715]

+Francesc Barceló Squarespace is indeed an amazing webservice!

[@michaeldawson1194]

+Agate Bērziņa-Bērzīte I needed that joke thanks

[@lyingmongoose]

+Francesc Barceló Looking for this exact comment, found it immediately :) Same here, man.

[@CaberraTV]

+Francesc Barceló youre not alone im such a lord of the rings nerd

[@sintofg]

+Francesc Barceló same ugh right in my childhood.

[@soorenafirouzabadi633]

No matter how many times you hear it, the Ring theme will always give goosebumps.

[@Blargshark1231]

I think that theme is very eeriest right in the beginning of Return of the King

[@justaphotographer]

"...actually what's called a leitmotif." *Quick looks around for Sideways*

[@pho3nix-]

Didn't get many seconds into this vid without breaking into goosebumps

[@Rubbergnome]

Me too. Damn, I gotta see the trilogy yet again.

[@Fordf-qu8fs]

Rebphoenix Yep

[@hekatebleble4800]

Damn, you too? :D I've already told myself: no more LotR rewatching...and here I am, calling my own Fellowship of Nerds to rewatch whole trilogy together ;) All because of the music, and this great video.

[@blackpkerstr]

More like a fresh new wave of goosebumps every 5 seconds or so. T_T

[@thehh5118]

Rebphoenix goosebumps are inevitable when it comes to anything LotR related lol!

[@batistark6951]

These three movies are timeless masterpieces.

[@illuminazi9208]

Fact

[@HigherSelfKorea]

You're the genius for making so professional videos out of your living room!!

[@Dustyholes]

This intro has the most magical and spine chilling music I’ have ever heard in a movie.

[@fatehjeetsingh1430]

Harry Potter starting theme is equally chilling.. Certainly not less chilling if not more.. Lotr is amazing as it always is.

[@MrJwarrior15]

I got so many chills throughout this video..

[@ricoarmstrong7440]

well thats LOTR :D

[@AndresPena-dn2zn]

Part of that is just the words this guy uses. He's amazing at conveying his thoughts perfectly and beautifully through words. And of course the music of LOTR is timeless ;)

[@shahabtariq6111]

ɷɷɷ I Haveeee Watchedddd This Movie Leakedd Versionnnn Here : - t.co/SjZpZXw5gt

[@PolarBearon]

From the first note, from the first melody in the beginning of the video. Instant chills.

[@aeshaeshaesh]

I'm 1½ minutes in and I've already got full body goosebumps.

[@al112v4]

Regarding of some Tolkien massive fans always bashing these films "betraying" Tolkien's work making them Hollywood-ish, even his son said so, I will always love the book trilogy, but, these movies, they're timeless. Period.

[@mrsilikeeggs]

They also allow people who can't get through Tolkien's writing to be able to experience and enjoy Tolkien. It would be more accurate to describe the Hobbit trilogy with that criticism.

[@al112v4]

+mrsilikeeggs Yeah. I honestly was very excited when Benicio Del Toro could have directed the movies (in the beginning it was planned to make 2 instead of 3) but when I saw that the producers and Jackson decided to make a trilogy, I was very disappointed, they're not terrible movies, but nowhere close to the masterpiece of LOTR. There's suprisingly some people who read the books and saw the movie trilogy. and though they prefer the movies to the books cause they don't like Tolkien's style at all. Kinda ironic.

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

I wonder if Christopher Tolkien has a little different opinion if he actually bothered to watch the films...but I kind of doupt it.

[@al112v4]

Sara Samaletdin Do you really think he lied when he said they "ruined" his father's work but never actually watched them?

[@jefferyromero8980]

+al112v5 just want to correct you it's not benicio it's Guillermo del toro.Benicio is an actor.Honest mistake tho no harm

[@dingdongdiddler2066]

I listen to some extract of the soundtrack nearly every day, watched the trilogy probably over 50 times in my life, with 3 marathons of the extended version in just the last month, yet I still get chills every time. It's incredible how the music perfectly conveys what is happening on the screen if not elevates it to another level. No soundtrack I think ever has the ability to tell the story without a single word said, just the instruments like the lotr can. It was part of my childhood, it's a big part of me now and will forever be the best trilogy in cinema, and defiantly the best soundtrack ever written.

[@maketheinternetgreatagain5146]

Daniel Prickett ah extended edition lord of the rings marathons are always the best

[@matthias9093]

I mean, not wordless; there are a couple songs in Dwarvish and Elvish.

[@wattsnottaken1]

You play any musical score from LoTR without the visuals and you know what scene it is with only hearing the music. That’s how powerful Howard shores musical score is ❤️✅

[@limeyfigdet7460]

LOTR is even cooler than I thought. I've always thought that the music was amazing, but now I'm seeing a depth and meaning to it that I'd never seen before.

[@jessiey6386]

Limey Figdet his musical analysis of the score was very well done,especially with thematic treatment and instrumentation

[@e.e.gravewalkr]

What a glorious treasure of a youtube channel I have discovered.

[@youtubecommenter2]

Officer Arcade Jones I feel you. This video has been recommended to me for months but only now have I watched it and discovered how great it seems.

[@Khalcetines]

You don't even get to scratch how deep and well thought is the music of this trilogy. Every note has a meaning, it's impressive and the most worked and polished sountrack I've ever seen.

[@alicetoniian7432]

Oh, now i have to go rewatch all the extended versions again

[@AlanKey86]

Great episode. My only (constructive) criticism is that you were often speaking over the very music we were meant to be listening to.

[@jupiterkansas]

+Chris Wright (UnderstandingMusic) This is absolutely an example of fair use. Won't stop KZbin from flagging it though.

[@narayanvk5010]

+Chris Wright (UnderstandingMusic) I loved your channel and the way things are presented. Please consider using reddit to viral market your channel. Good content like your's are welcomed on reddit

[@narayanvk5010]

***** Do try the more famous subreddits to go viral. Esp with the classical music explanation. It would fit in at any learning subreddit. Wish you all the very best :)

[@troopieeeeee]

+AlanKey86 agreed, drop the voice volume just a little

[@itsvoogle]

+Narayan V K could you explain how reddit helps in this manner and how to properly post something on there that will help to aid traffic to ones channel? i am very interested in learning thanks :D

[@LimeyLassen]

I'm imagining the composer watching a score-less cut of the film and taking notes at different timestamps, with ideas for instrumentation, key changes, tempo, transitions into other themes etc. Surely there has to a back and forth where the editors cut the footage so it syncs perfectly with the music afterward. But from any angle the work sounds like stapling jello to cats blindfolded.

[@drossword]

+Limey Lassen Surprisingly no, there is no back-and-forth with the editors. The composer typically has to write the music cues so that they sync perfectly with the locked picture.

[@LimeyLassen]

+drossword So.. do they perform while watching the film or what?

[@drossword]

+Limey Lassen Yes. They add visual cues for the conductor if the tempo is free/rubato (these used to be created by literally scratching lines and punching holes in the work print). If it requires more precision, they'll play to a click track.

[@Serai3]

+Limey Lassen The commentaries on the extended editions go into how the work was done. Both Howard Shore and Peter Jackson talk about the process. And there are extras about the scoring as well. Honestly, pretty much any question about the making of these films is answered somewhere on those massive DVD sets. Watching them thoroughly is like taking a entire course on filmmaking.

[@joachimlunger520]

+Limey Lassen in case of The Lord of the Rings Howard Shore was at the set of the movies nearly all 6 years of production. He had lots of time to think about how he is going create themes and also had lots of inspiration because he could see how the movie was made and observing the thoughts behind art design and such. He also had to rewrite the Score about a hundret times since Peter Jackson changed the scenes constantly throughout production (wich drove Shore nearly insane lol) :)

[@arturs4024]

Damn, the Shire theme must be one of the best music pieces ever

[@hungrylikealoup]

It doesn't matter how, when, or why, whenever I hear the soundtracks from LOTR, I get goosebumps. Howard Shore is absolutely a musical genius.

[@Paint]

You've so suddenly become my favorite youtuber! I look forward to your content every week. Excellent work again revolving around my two favorite things, the LOTR trilogy and movie scores!

[@tkornfeld]

+Paint Totally agree. I have something to look forward to every wednesday now.

[@tardisboby]

+Paint You are one of MY favorite youtubers, Cozart. Paint and Nerdwriter are awesome!

[@alexandermills9965]

+Paint He's done Harry Potter analysis as well

[@matttennis]

+Paint Paint! I'm so glad to see you commenting on this video! Great work to you, too!

[@raiseaglass1607]

+Paint Harry Potter analysis is my favorite.

[@Cwillz303]

3:55 Boromir: The only character whose standard equipment includes a shield... also the only member of the Fellowship to be killed by arrows.

[@headphonic8]

Chris Williamson Fitness I mean one man can’t kill hundreds of orcs alone and avoid all their arrows just because he has a shield. That’s exactly how it happens in the book

[@purtyboi4901]

If you go back and watch the end of Fellowship, Boromir doesn't even have his shield on him during that whole fight sequence; he had left it by the riverside when he went to confront Frodo, and presumably didn't have enough time to go get it before the forest was swarmed with orcs. Plus, I'm pretty sure Boromir had no intention of making out of there alive. He feels remorse for having failed Frodo, and decided to sacrifice himself to save Merry and Pippin to redeem himself. A shield wouldn't help much when you've already decided you're gonna die

[@milamber319]

Yeah but then he has sean bean nega-armor...so he was fucked either way

[@HenrikJonasson]

Because Sean Bean

[@foxeh123]

This reminds me of the end of Two Towers, where the music slowly sets in and the camera goes above the mountains and you see what's to come (Barad-dûr, Sauron etc) Perfection.

The score is simply magical. Howard Shore invaded Heaven, wrote down their songs and brought it back for us here on Earth

[@mariajoelcosta8676]

Nicely said.

[@SorinOltean77]

you mean Valinor!

[@GrainneMhaol]

This is one of the reasons why Fellowship is my favourite of the trilogy. It's so complete in itself as a film with the amazing character arcs of Frodo and Aragorn embracing their respective destinies and Boromir struggling and failing to resist the Ring before redeeming himself, with the creation and destruction of the Fellowship leading into the separate stories of the following films. I know the third is as epic as all hell, but this film is special (one might even say precious) to me.

[@DaProHobbit]

The music is well thought out for all three films- Howard Shore basically composed 3 acts of an opera.

[@JYT256]

you might know this, but LOTR was filmed and produced basically as a 10hr movie. Then split into thirds. First 2 years of pre-production work, followed by back-to-back filming of all the movies. On the other hand, The Hobbit was not. That's why LOTR is so much better than the Hobbit, which by no means is a bad series. LOTR is just better.

[@polaris9589]

Finally a LotR fan who doesn't hate the Hobbit. While it is a lot worse than LotR, it is still a pretty good trilogy. It has a lot of flaws, but it is still fun to watch.

[@sk8tann]

Grainne Mhaol it’s too hard for me to decide which of the 3 I like the most. I love ‘em all

[@Plathismo]

It's also my favorite of the trilogy. In fact, it's my favorite movie, period.

[@HailAzathoth]

who the fuck would dislike this video?

[@cormano64]

Sauron.

[@OliverRWeber]

orcs!

[@JoelJoel321]

People who thought the Hobbit movies were excellent cinema.

[@saruman706]

me hahahahahahahaha

[@oscarstainton]

Fool of a Joel. I love The Lord of the Rings from the bottom of my heart, and I love this insightful analysis; it gave me an amazing insight into how well thought out Howard Shore's LOTR scores are. But do I like The Hobbit movies? Actually yes. Alas, I don't love them because they are flawed in a number of ways. I think anyone who appreciated The Hobbit in even the greatest way way would not overlook the masterful craftsmanship of The Lord of the Rings.

[@jonathanvelazquezph.d.2719]

An Academy Award winning masterpiece of a score. Thank u Howard Shore. You deserved that Oscar!

[@Nick-sd7um]

The sheer brilliance of the music in this trilogy is that it simultaneously tells and follows the story albeit with the added bonus of musical genius. You can sit down and listen to the soundtrack from start to finish without watching the movie and be transported to each scene based off your memory of the music alone. That's the real beauty of a symphony and perhaps indeed a part of what Tolkien was trying to express albeit through his stories in the Silmarillion and indeed in many of his other writings. It's not hard to see the effect sound has on our daily lives.. Our whole world as we know it is structured around it. You speak, and make a raft of other noises in your daily life, although that sound doesn't have anywhere near as profound effect as something like this which is designed to invoke your senses and emotions. You should try to make time for yourself, free yourself from distraction and settle in for an hour or more or uninterrupted listening to Mozart or any other well known composer. Those compostions are just another form of story telling exquisite in their own right.

[@Kyuukami]

The Lord of the Rings was the first movie to me where I really paid attention to the music, and loved it so much that I bought all the soundtracks, and then listened to them over and over again. I love the movies, but they would be nothing without Shore's magical music. Not a single movie since has had a full soundtrack where I've loved all the tracks, or where the music carries the story so perfectly.

[@stopsomewhere9104]

I would love to also see an analysis of Inglorious Bastards, especially considering a comparison with the Book of Esther as a satirical form of wish fulfillment, in which the Jewish people claim a certain vengeance against those persecuting them. Also the use of awkwardness as a screen device is so fantastic.

[@stopsomewhere9104]

*Inglourious Basterds

[@dom69foco]

+Erik Howden Check out a video called "Inglourious Basterds - Making fun of you" by a channel called Now You See It. An interesting take on it.

[@fatsamcastle]

+dom69foco another excellent channel

[@beanfrompa]

Howard Shore’s work on Lord of the Rings Trilogy was impeccable. Genius

[@Nimisum]

These movies are just absolute, undeniable and perfect masterpieces.

[@nebulanebs9529]

Finished LOTR Return of the King yesterday night for like the 10th time. I already want to watch the movie again. Never, ever will this movie be boring.

[@Krustenkaese92]

Lord of the Rings is such an essential piece of cinema and the whole trilogy is the most complete movie of all time, because everything it does, it does almost perfectly. It pieces every part of the movie together in a way that Lord of the Rings wouldn't exist, if even a single part was mildly different - be it the cinematography, the camera, the story or the music. I think Peter Jackson has absolutely outdone himself, fusing those pieces into one coherent single piece of media. The effect Lord of the Rings has had on cinema is huge and can still be felt today. Basically every single high budget fantasy project in the 2000s would never have been greenlit, if it hadn't been for Lord of the Rings. The music by Howard Shore being one of the crown jewels of Lord of the Rings is only fitting for a movie that relies so heavily on emotion. It also shows how dedicated Shore was, because he actually studied Wagners Leitmotif technique just for this movie ... and boy did it pay off.

[@AshwanthMAshwaMS]

Dude, i would totally put on my earphone and just listen to the whole background music of the three films alone without the picture itself! And i would exactly know which scene it is from just the music. I wish they play this during my funeral :)

[@noradosmith]

Lol are you me. It's amazing to be able to visualise all parts of the film from the music alone.

[@flugsven]

Both me and my kids absolutely adored it. We listened to it in the car all the time. "What happens in the movie now, mum?"

[@the_mandhi2051]

Please do a video on The Wire and how it influenced modern television.

[@moksound19]

+Kenpachi zaraki The Wire! Yet, I'm not sure if it's influence has fully come to fruition yet. The things that made The Wire unique, those things that David Simon really ventured in committing to, I think very, very few other shows have attempted. And not to the degree of commitment, either. If that's the case, what can we really say about it's influence yet? Could be premature. Or much worse, maybe it just wont have much affect in the end.

[@neemo23571]

This. Pretty please.

[@johnanth]

+Kenpachi zaraki Maybe it's because I'm not American, but I saw nothing special in it. It is just a police procedural, with average cinematography and run-of-the-mill characters. The only interesting factor was that it showed you the side of the criminals the police was going after. I found Training Day a much more honest and hard-hitting AND superbly acted (Denzel Washington is brilliant) crime drama, which runs for the length of a feature film, not endless seasons.

[@the_mandhi2051]

+yinyang Well then you missed the point entirely buddy, and FYI, I'm not American myself. The Wire wasn't just a procedural show, it chronicled the failure of an American city, focusing on the drug trade in the poverty hit areas in the first season, drying up of honest work in the second, corruption in politics in the third one, the fourth one about the sad sate of the education system, and the fifth one on destruction of ethics in mass media. The Wire depicted the death of the American dream. It was extremely subtle, which is why only aficionados understand the scale of the show. The story telling was so authentic that Baltimore PD had to ask them to stop from telling certain things that could have made the ACTUAL drug trade a hell of a lot smarter. Training day was an amazing film, but it was just a simple thriller, no where close to having the number of layers that the wire did. There's a reason why the show is considered to be the greatest thing to have ever debuted on television. Also, Omar. That guy was fucking awesome.

[@bobpolo2964]

yinyang training day better than the wire?

[@jonejonetoocold]

your voice is so soothing aaahhhh lol well nice work man

[@TehGabosh]

+John Velasco sounds like you came in the middle of your sentence haha

[@_bender4143]

+John Velasco The best part is when he changes his voice to normal at the end of the video. It's like waking up after hypnosis....

[@tkornfeld]

+Yoni B Or coming to your senses after you ejaculate as the elation fades away and you're left with emptiness and at that moment you realize biology doesn't care about you at all and its only goal is to make sure you live long enough to procreate

[@_bender4143]

+Tal Kornfeld hahaha!!! And that crappy heart beat... although I don't understand how that has anything to do with the voice thing.

[@theworldofmiddle-earth14]

+John Velasco Indeed! His voice is very clear, and enjoyable to listen to.

[@superoligarch_official]

0:36 is upsidedown and one oktave lower ^^ and in 01:30 you mistake lothlorian theme with the ring theme :P

[@Rhysman30]

1:30 is actually my favorite melody. But i can never find what the name is!

[@superoligarch_official]

@@Rhysman30 Do you mean „gollum’s song“? It’s from the Two Tower OST

[@treebeard5]

"I think that we hardly grasp the importance of music in film." What a truly understated statement this is.

[@fraukamera]

You absolutely NAILED the visuals on this.

[@SkyOnosson]

The Ring Theme at 0:38 appears to be upside down.

[@SkyOnosson]

+Sky Onosson and again at 1:30

[@nathandrake5544]

***** Haha I deleted my comment because I was like wait, there is no way it makes any sense

[@phantasos12]

+Jake Chapman Yes indeed. Good catch!

[@Philippoable]

+Sky Onosson That drove me nuts. First I thought it was backwards, tried to hum it, didn't work. Then I figured it out, but it's kinda forgivable seeing how most of the notes themselves are upside down XD

[@tomd2388]

+Sky Onosson Not only that, the motifs are frequently mixed up during the video. i.e. at 1:30 the lothlorian theme is actually upside-down ring theme. In addition, he misidentifies a some themes.

[@TheThoerlChannel]

Probably my two favorite facts about this masterpiece of a score: 1. Not only do the 3/4 and 5/4 of the Fellowship and Isengard theme clash very often, they are also divided in the way that the Fellowship-theme builds on positive, adventurous whole steps, while Isengard (and the Ring and Mordor) deal in a lot of sinister half-steps. 2. The Ring Motif in it's purest form has nine notes, like the fellowship and the Nazghul have members. And if you play all notes from the theme at once, you get the cluster that represents the Nazghul in most of their scenes. Also: Chromatic Mediants. They are quite popular in film-scores already, but in Lord Of The Rings they are EVERYWHERE and I love them.

[@pinkywinky911]

The LotR movies will never not make me tear up. The Fellowship and Shire theme were my favorites. 😭💗

[@redcrest5]

Wowwww, seriously. What a phenomenal video. And WHAT A PHENOMENAL SCORE from Howard Shore! I knew it was a wonderful, memorable score with some beautiful melodies I liked enough to buy the CDs for, but all this about how he was telling basically a parallel story to what was happening in the movies using leitmotifs/music alone, I'm totally floored. Thanks for creating this vid and pointing all this amazing stuff out!

[@SureFireShannon]

I cried while watching this.

[@kadartcostumes9842]

This is my favorite video on KZbin, period. I regularly come back to watch it. I'd love to see more analysis' of Howard Shores themes.

[@Schk8erhoff]

I know people have mentioned the “Ring Theme” being mirrored upside down already but so is the “Lothlorian Theme” @ 1:31. Otherwise, fantastic work!!!

[@alexts94]

The Lord of The Rings series have definitely had the best music, I've seen the movies multiple times and the music still gives me goosebumps :)

[@33sna]

I don't have a background in music or composition, but this was easy to follow, wonderful analysis! Great video as always.

[@lisamena874]

This is one of the greatest videos you can find in the entire KZbin site. Thank you so much for this!

[@picasso4680]

I showed this video to my son, who desperately wants to make YT content like his other fifth grade friends. I told him this is the goal,the mountain top. Educating, entertaining, brilliantly put together. I’m better for taking the time to watch this. Thank you so much for doing it!!

[@alexandrumoraras]

This is very reminiscent of the Music of the Ainur, from the Silmarillion and Tolkien lore. Through music and interchanging themes the world, good and evil, everything was created and works. So Howard Shore did a ver very good job on this, not only he gave us a good score, but he paralleled the movie's score with the actual music of the world that Tolkien created and it's importance in the overall events.

[@luxemburgist1635]

Ayy that's what I said, too. I like to believe that the different themes are *literally* the songs of Illuvatar and Morgoth playing off of and fighting each other.

[@MT-kx7ff]

I thought the same thing!

[@isakhelgikarvelsson409]

I think we hardly grasp the importance of music in film, it's an invisible layer of pure emotion that guides us or challenges us or guides or challenges the drama itself.. Masterful Assertion.

[@alexk.35]

after watching the movies 15 times all the way through, the shire theme still makes me tear up

[@rogerleao7cs]

"Invisible layer of pure emotion that challenges or guides us." Loved it!

[@Jaredvic]

"The most complete and complex exploration of motifs in the history of cinema" that's a bold statement

[@PeterdenHaan]

+elmo274 well, given the qualifier "of cinema", he might be right. Otherwise the crown still rests where it has been for the last 150 years - with Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen.

[@ZianiVaatzes]

+elmo274 leitmotifs*

[@Jaredvic]

ZianiVaatzes I was quoting what he said in the video. He didn't say leitmotifs, so I didn't write it since that's not how quotes work.

[@jackdebomford]

+elmo274 He said leitmotifs in the video, try listening. edit: 6:42

[@Jaredvic]

+Frame by Frame alight, I heard it that time. I didn't think I heard it when I wrote those comments, you're correct.

[@kevin71127]

The integration of Shore's score in the lotr films might be the best *uses* of music I've ever heard a in series of movies.

[@Rockspencer12]

The transition from the departure of Boromir to Frodo on the beach brings tears to my eyes.

[@konosaphat8]

Coming back to this video to say that one of the best parts of Howard Shore’s score is the timing of when the music cuts out. Thinking particularly about the Olyphant’s attack on the Riders of Rohan in The Return Of The King. The Riders approach them with their theme playing; a triumphant, angelic, horn-heavy score that represents that formality and stoicism of the Riders. As soon as they get torn apart by the Olyphants, the music just cuts out and all you’re left with is the vicious and jarring sounds of war. Howard’s score reflects their respectability and nobility, and the stripping away of the score traumatizes you back into reality. It kind of inadvertently makes fun of the theme, makes its pretensions look silly compared to the reality of violence. Really amazing stuff.

[@Allesnik]

amazing editing. so inspiring, im going to school to compose for film! :)

[@tkornfeld]

Good luck to you! I hope I get to hear you in some movies in the future.

[@theworldofmiddle-earth14]

+Allesnik Indeed! Very inspiring and anything Tolkien is always interesting :) I have made a few videos/edits of trailer-like presentations that I think you may be inetrested to see and take some inspiration from. They are Middle-earth creations.

[@josephm.colombo604]

FYi, the Ring theme is upside down when you first show it. That music is still upside down when you show the list of themes, but now the titles have been transposed as well.

[@owlstagawn1106]

One bit I like in the Fellowship is when Boromir talks about Gondor, that leitmotif reoccurs in a very grand way in Return of the King.

[@ColumCoyle]

This was so freaking epic. You should do a full commentary of the LOTR box set

[@Azivegu]

and of course, I just finished rewatching LotR extended edition yesterday, now I want to rewatch it again because of this. Thanks Nerdwriter...

[@Azaghal1988]

+Azivegu Every rewatch of LotR is a good investment of time imo ;) I watch the trilogy at least once a year since it's release^^ Greetings

[@Azivegu]

Azaghal1988 it is, but damn it takes a fair amount of time, which isnt always easy for me with work and school (and sleep, but thats optional)

[@Azaghal1988]

Azivegu yeah. thats true :) But still, after all the rewatches, the combination of music and the movie gives me the chills in many scenes (The Rohirrim attack at Minas Tirith or the Ents charging out of the wood for example) Greetings.

[@tigereyez01]

+Azaghal1988 Yup me too. I usually re-watch it around the end of the year. Thinking about reading the books again.

[@Azaghal1988]

tigereyez01 that i do all 3-4 years. And i just reread the whole Silmarillion and the Book of forgotten Tales, wich is mostly the same. LotR i read one and a half years ago, so there's time^^ Greetings

[@fiish2334]

Music genius like this, I reeeeaaally appreciate, if only other big cinematic universes *ahem* Marvel *ahem* would do the same thing.

[@sarge019l4]

just watched every frame a painting? eh?

[@fiish2334]

+Sarge019 l What?

[@sarge019l4]

Fiish the channel "every frame a painting" recently talked about film scores and how marvels are really quite uninspired

[@Eighties_Child]

No kidding. The conspicuous dearth of a memorable, engaging film score is perhaps the greatest weakness of the MCU movies. The only film in that entire "universe" of characters that features anything close to a leitmotif is the original Captain America movie (i.e., The First Avenger). The great Alan Silvestri created a truly outstanding leitmotif/theme song for Cap that is every bit as good as the leitmotif ("Raiders March") the incomparable John Williams composed for the Indiana Jones character. Unfortunately--and mystifyingly--however, that wonderful theme was never used again sans a light "teasing" of it in the opening scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Such a waste!

[@gandalfthegrey2592]

The academy awards are a joke. super biased please stop. yeah well MCU is not as close as lotr (lotr are my favorite movies ever)most are pretty good with some being a phenomenal blockbuster movie making. And film score as wells as the color grading are the weakest parts of MCU movies. some are good at both though like infinity war.

[@lara-yc6iq]

Ever since I watched this video, I can pick out so many leitmotifs and recognise other composes doing the same thing. It’s amazing

[@amarug]

2024 and to me, by now not the youngest guy anymore, still THE most brilliant score ever made (while I truly LOVE many!). It send shivers down my spine, tears into my eyes, creeps me out, makes me happy, question the deepest thoughts of life, sends me into other worlds and feel their awe and wonder. The spectrum of FEELINGS this soundtrack evokes is nearly unfathomable. I rarely listen to it because it's just "too much" and I know that basically end up a trainwreck afterwards. But when I do - damn, that's power.

[@crtune]

The "ring" theme printed music is upside down on the screen. Is that by design, or a mistake in putting the images together?

[@DevinMooers]

Was curious about this as well! It's like how Leonardo da Vinci would write music.

[@ernesin149]

damn true!! haha i think its just design.. but.. i dont know haha

[@realalltheway]

It's probably a copyright issue

[@GeorgeUnitt]

I think it's probably just confused him that the staves were pointing the "wrong" way tbh, a small crime really

[@carlysinclair6165]

Copyright issues with the score, but not the entire soundtrack used in the video? @realalltheway

[@SimGunther]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on The Social Network/Gone Girl soundtracks. It's so chilling to hear Trent Reznor's music. :)

[@shaikhaalmulla550]

+SimGunther And Interstellar.

[@charlesdibble8487]

+SimGunther both have nothing on howard shore

[@SimGunther]

+Charles Phillips true dat.

[@TomusMedia]

+SimGunther The Social Network has one of the most influential scores of the last 20 years

[@alogh]

+SimGunther if you have the bluray of Social Network there's a wonderful special feature about the writing and mixing of the score

[@pierluigidipietro8097]

It is several years that I didn't rewatch these movies, and the reason is that I know them shot by shot, by heart. They never leave me. Same for the soundtrack. Next time for rewatch will be with my sons, when they will have the right age and background to appreciate them.

[@Serai3]

A movie that's really amazing as far as the interaction of story and music is _Amadeus_. Not only is the music all-important, it's actually a leading _character_ in the film. It's a love triangle - there's Mozart, there's Salieri, and between them, there's Mozart's music, the lover they struggle over. Mozart takes her for granted while Salieri, jealous to an insane degree, rages over how Mozart doesn't deserve her. It's an amazing view of a soundtrack, unique in film as far as I've seen.

[@benaaronmusic]

+Serai3 - Very cool.

[@Serai3]

Ben Aaron It's brilliant. Every musician should see it. Hell, anyone should see it. It contains a scene near the end, a conversation between Salieri and the dying Mozart, that is a master class on orchestrating a score, and the music is actually _there_ in the room with them as they break it down. It's hands-down the best scene _about_ music ever put on film. You've got to check it out.

[@benaaronmusic]

Serai3 I believe you. I'm going to check Netflix.... I'm watching it right now!!! Thanks for your beautiful comment.

[@Serai3]

Ben Aaron \O/ Right on, dude! Always glad to turn people on to great films they may not have seen.

[@hackersunited2000]

Got so many chills I'm practically at absolute zero.

[@nischay4719]

Hello There Haha!

[@TheGreatDearLeaderJimPickens]

0°K -273°C

[@Maty743A]

I love how I can listen to all the soundtracks and get the same emotions as I do if watching the movies. The way the music, visuals and story compliment each other is pure genius!

[@christianspencer1136]

My favorite part is around 3:05. The way the timpani interacts with those horns is just awesome.

[@jamiebrady7974]

Aw man, I was holding out for the lighting of the beacons to burst in, which may have just about sent me over the edge. That's got to be the biggest version of the theme, signifying hope being rekindled and more people joining the fray. What an amazing score. Great, great video man!

[@ElleHartStrings]

I feel like some cred should be given to the sound editor too

[@TheSliderBy]

Dude, thank you! I have always love the music in these movies, but since I know nothing about music I could never explain why. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

[@Furiousa96]

I have shared this with every person who asked me why I love movie scores so much and how much I think they matter in a movie. So thank you for helping me provide proof on how they impact the experience of watching a movie without people even knowing.

[@vivavaldez87]

The score for the theme of the ring is upside down? 0:36 Very unsettling...

[@TheJayman213]

technically, it's mirrored.

[@vivavaldez87]

Amones-Ray Mirrored top to bottom. Isn't that exactly the same as upside down?

[@TheJayman213]

VivaValdez No, upside down means rotated so that the top faces down.

[@vivavaldez87]

Amones-Ray Semantics. I call what I saw upside down, mirrored or flipped is fine too.

[@slaveNo-4028]

well so its horizontally mirrored.. thanks for pointing it out though, i didnt notice it was upside down but just wondered why the notes placement didnt make sense lol

[@samfilmkid]

First time I've welled up watching a Nerdwriter video.

[@RedAndHell]

Yesterday I watched LOTR in Concert - The Fellowship of the Ring, and I had this video in mind. It was exciting to see the music played by an orchestra with the film, in a masterful way. I cried a lot.

[@fhinnes]

Dang! That was good man. Like, GOOD. Can you do my thesis?

[@mix0nix631]

The Lord of the rings score get's me every time...

[@string1414]

BRAVO! That was incredible, your best video that I have seen!! I just discovered you and love these videos. But LOTR has always had a special place in my heart, and I have always recognized how phenomenal the music is the trilogy. But this just solidifies that to an even greater degree. There is something so magical about that score, and your video captured the how an why to perfection. I love music so much, my hat is off to you, Howard Shore, Peter Jackson, Tolkien and all. I LOVE LOTR

[@a.c.hanstedt6164]

This was fantastic. I've always loved the use of music in the LOTR trilogy, but I wasn't sure why it worked so beautifully until now.

[@aldenrobelldeloyola1502]

I never wanted to watch any commentary or analsysis about LoTR because im afraid to be overrun and overwhelmed by nostalgia and emotion. Breathtaking. Forever one of the best creations of humanity.

[@MochitoMaker]

Amazing. Thank you. I appreciate movies even more after your essays.