By Mariam Sidani | Staff Writer
Film scores are the magic laced within the narrative, breathing life into images and turning them into stirring entities of harmony and dissonance. In this realm, few have reached the level of profound mastery of Howard Shore’s magnum opus— The Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Shore has received immense praise for his music in both trilogies directed by Peter Jackson (Shore et al., 2001). The score isn’t a mere supporting layer to the films. It’s a passionate vital force— providing insight into cultural aspects, character development, and foreshadowing (to name a few)— that sets the course of the story ablaze. Who knew that the seemingly simple notes of Shore’s score could carry such significance and vehemence, guiding the viewer and amplifying sensations?
Building a thorough understanding of the workings of music lies in exploring the relationship between music and emotion. So, what does being stirred up by an instance entail? Patrik N. Juslin, a Psychology Professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, developed a framework of the mechanisms behind music’s induction of emotion, known as the BRECVEMA model (Brain stem reflexes, Rhythmic entrainment, Evaluative conditioning, Contagion, Visual imagery, Episodic memory, Musical expectancy, Aesthetic judgment) (Juslin et al., 2014). The collaborative study by Maria Chełkowska-Zacharewicz and Mateusz Paliga looks into the workings of said framework. Musical associations and emotions of 157 participants were examined in response to seven categories of musical motifs from The Lord of the Rings films. The trilogy is a fine example of the utilization of motifs, for the participants’ associations and reactions were correlated with the characteristics of the musical themes (Chełkowska et al., 2019). It all goes back to the brilliant patterns, the leitmotifs, weaved in the score. In Shore’s approach, this combination of thematic material consisting of melodious languages, symphonies, and lyrics from excerpts of Tolkien’s works, described the essence of Middle Earth’s antiquity, the evil forces at work, the numerous nations and cultures, and the characters’ corruption and redemption. For instance, The Elves’ theme in the trilogy’s prologue utilizes chromatic scale, creating a Phrygian sound. This exotic undertone highlights their otherworldliness and regal quality. This chromaticism recurs in ‘The One Ring’ and “Mordor (Souron’s)” themes, both illustrating the malicious presence in the series. Shore also wanted to contrast the different races of elves clearly, giving the Lothlórien elves’ theme a more graceful quality by using choral vocals with delicate harps, light strings, and flutes. Whereas the Rivendell elves’ theme establishes an exalted air with the use of horns and violins, adding a layer of grandeur. The musical themes are simple in their main notation and are warped in between major or minor scales according to the requirements of the narrative. Howard Shore also paid great attention to the instruments used. To emphasize Isengard’s industrialism, low brass, 5/4 time signature, and metal percussion are used. Similarly, for The Ents, Shore wanted to emphasize the fading element of what once was a thriving group. Wood logs were used for percussion, as well as log drums, bassoons, and low-pitched marimbas with double basses. The theme is created by a repetition of half-step movements to show the weight and splendor of these beings while grounding them in their sluggish stiffness.
The Shire theme is characterized by its tranquil charm as it’s rooted in the green lush meadows which the score is named after. Seven main flute notes whisked with the deep rich cello and twinkling harp, all in D major. However, as protagonist Frodo Baggins goes on his quest, the moment he steps out of The Shire with his companion, The Shire theme develops a more mature tone and loses its childlike whimsical innocence.
When it comes to The Fellowship theme, before we hear it in all its glory, there’s an established E-minor played by the strings, placing a base of unease. It is then followed by the familiar melody which might sound strange but could work as it’s an E-Dorian. But as the main melody progresses, the major and the minor completely clash together, creating an alarming dissonance (Cornell, 2023). A familiar theme has been warped by the change of events. The tension builds up, even in the videography. The camera paces up the mountain until the new theme is finally introduced. The Fellowship Theme. The fellowship of the ring is shown triumphantly entering the shot in full splendor. The underlying air of tension and uncharted mystery is released by the epic force of the strings taking over. It puts the fellowship’s resilience on full display, ruling out all doubts; five main notes of invigorating strings saying yes it’s a trek to the unknown, but we will be victorious nonetheless.
Regarding leitmotifs specific to certain characters, a theme dedicated to Arwen— an elf princess with an aura of both power and sensitivity— is repeated the first and last time she appears on the screen. It’s characterized by a hauntingly beautiful high vocal chorus with soft melodious strings which is reminiscent of the depth of her elven grace.
However, a deliberate absence of motifs could occur. Shore states that he didn’t give Gandalf a theme in the first film because he remains a mysterious character with unknown dwellings. The lack of clarity aids the narrative in this case, as an approaching familiar theme serves as evident foreshadowing.
Throughout the films, Sauron’s ongoing threat plagues much of Frodo and Sam’s music material, yet there are still occasional hints of The Shire’s musical components whenever a small sweet moment is recalled, serving as their source of light amidst the darkness.
Howard Shore said that the major theme of the work is friendship and fellowship, stating “The movie is a sum of all our individual efforts, creating something more than what we could have on our own…it really was a true fellowship.” The very staff lines and notations are bursting with bonds of genuine emotion. What ensued was surely no short of the rawness of all who contributed to the trilogy. Their efforts yielded a score that sends loaded chills and piercing tears through everyone who takes a moment to listen.
References
Shore, H., Enya, Fraser, E., & Ryan, R. (2001). The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring.
Juslin, P. N., Harmat, L., & Eerola, T. (2014). What makes music emotionally significant? Exploring the underlying mechanisms. Psychology of Music, 42(4), 599-623.
Chełkowska-Zacharewicz, M., & Paliga, M. (2019). Music emotions and associations in film music listening: the example of leitmotifs from the “Lord of the Rings” movies.
Charles Cornell (2023, June 20). The Lord of the Rings is a MASTERCLASS in Theme Writing [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLj6zkmwsYU