Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Essential if you loved the movie
This CD is perfect to revisit the great movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I can listen to the music and vividly remember the movie in my mind. Music creates the tone and atmosphere of the movie, and with all the places that Frodo goes in the movie, this score does its job to take you there too.THEMES: This soundtrack has a heavy repetition of the Frodo/Hobbit theme but it is beautiful, and the repeating theme is justified because Frodo is the main character. The variation of the theme is best represented in Many Meetings. This appoximately takes place when Frodo awakens in Rivendell and reunites with Gandalf, Samwise, Pippin, and Merry. The theme is at its purest and simplest form, but is strong at the point when Frodo sees and happily embraces Bilbo. Another highly repetetive theme is the Fellowship's theme. The Ring Goes South and The Bridge Of Khazad Dum definitely showcase this theme. This strong theme brings solid familiarity to the soundtrack and great admiration for the fellowship. There are also "themes" recognizable by the scenes they represent. For example, the incredible metallic percussive theme present in tracks 7 and 16 are in the Orc and Uruk-Hai scenes. The full choir, which heavily appears in the beginning of the soundtrack, represents the Ring Wraiths. There are different styles of choirs. Most often appearing is the forceful singing of a full choir [featuring male and female voices]. In a short phrase from The Bridge Of Khazad Dum, a male choir chants in a style nearly Polynesian or tribal. Lothlorian features women singing in Elvish. And in The Breaking Of The Fellowship, a children's choir sings In Dreams. HEART-BREAKING MUSIC, HEARTBREAKING THAT THERE ISN'T MORE: After receiving this CD in the mail, I immediately wanted to find a particular musical phrase from the beginning of the movie. During the narration, the theme plays repeatedly while Galadriel gives her prophecy. That dispairing and haunting phrase is present in The Great River. Most of the music is in chronological order of the movie, but there is no denying that there is music missing from the CD. The beginning narration along with its accompanying music should've have been the first track. Enya's involvement in this project is essential. Her importance can all be wrapped up in one song, track 10, Aniron, from The Council Of Elrond. Besides the obvious beauty of the flowing melody, you can find tremendous beauty in the lyrics as well. [This version of the CD DOES contain the lyrics.] The music and lyrics successfully capture the love and emotions between Arwen and Aragorn. THIS VERSION: The CD cover has a picture Frodo holding the Sting. Smaller images of Saruman, Gandalf, and Arwen wrap around the Lord of the Rings title logo. THIS CD DOES CONTAIN the Elvish lyrics and the link to bonus materials. OVERALL: This soundtrack is absolutely essential if you want to experience the movie at home or in your car. It is holding me off until its future release of the DVD later this year. This soundtrack would have been absolutely perfect if they included the narration at the beginning of the movie as the first track. However, I still give great praise to Howard Shore, Enya and others who wrote lyrics and contributed to this amazing musical masterpiece. It has renewed my interest in film scores. I look forward to more music from The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
Rating: - No Wonder It's Been Nominated for Best Soundtrack!
My brother got this cd for his birthday on Dec. 1, eighteen days before the movies came out. I loved it from the moment I 'borrowed' it from him, and listened to it as I read the book series LOTR for the first time. (Note: Do NOT listen to the song 'The Breaking of the Fellowship' when you are finishing the last book, the Return of the King, especially late at night. I did this and actually cried. I cringe thinking about it.) Anyway. I knew I had to have my own copy of the cd, so I bought mine after seeing the movie(twice). One thing I have to say is that I am so surprised no one has ever really used Howard Shore's great talents for such a project before. He is an incredible composer, at times I am reminded of John Williams, but only in the first few songs on the cd. I love all the songs on the cd, but the ones I listen to most are 'Many Meetings', 'The Council of Elrond', 'The Ring Goes South', 'A Journey in the Dark', 'The Bridge of Khazad Dum', 'Lothlorien', 'The Great River', and 'May it Be'. (I know, that's alot. But I like them all!) If I had to name three favourites (oh, so hard!) they would be in this order: 'The Ring Goes South', 'The Great River', and 'May it Be'. So. On a final note, let me just say that this cd is worth buying whether a fan of LOTR (books, movie, or both) or just a fan of good soundtrack music. I really hope that more people will recognize Howard Shore's genius and use him more often (I know I will).
Rating: - Middle-Earth Brought to Music
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is one of the very best soundtracks I haveever heard! Howard Shore has done a spectacular job of composing, orchastrating and conducting this marvellous CD.
Every track is just as it should be, mixing the music of Tolkien's Middle-Earth with the beautiful landscapes that are seen in nearly every shot of the film. The soundtrack opens up with 'The Prophecy', a very good, darker toned piece that opens the album off right. We then go into a delightful piece that just makes you think of hobbits. 'Concerning Hobbits' is surely one of the soundtracks best songs and makes for a wonderful listening experience. The third track is 'The Shadow Of The Past', another dark, well-written piece that fits perfectly into the blend.
The next four songs, 'The Treason Of Isengard' 'The Black Rider'
At The Sign of the Prancing Pony' and 'A Knife In The Dark' are of a darker tone so as to flow along in the movie with the scenes of the Nazgul, or Ringwraiths. 'A Knife In the Dark' ends spectacularly with a beautiful elven voice out of the darkness and overcoming the evil chants of the Nazgul.
The next track, 'Flight To The Ford', opens up very much the same way as the previous track ended, with elvish music.
The track plays throughout the scene of Arwen rushing Frodo into Rivendell with the Black Riders at thier tail.
The Next track, 'Many Meetings' is a welcome departure from the darker tone of the prior six or seven tracks. It takes place in the elven city, Rivendell and works great for the scene.
'The Council Of Elrond' the next track and surely one of the best,
features Enya's first of two songs, 'Aniron' shown during the scene between Aragorn and Arwen is marvelous, soaring to just the right heights in every verse. A wonderfully written and sung track. 'The Ring Goes South' follows the Fellowship as it leaves Rivendell. 'A Journey In The Dark' has the Fellowship entering The Mines Of Moria. The darker theme here is extraordinary and put to even greater use in the following track, 'The Bridge Of Khazad Dum', very possibly the best piece in the soundtrack.
It ends tragically in the movie and emotion bleeds through the song in the last minute. Breathtaking. The fourteenth track is 'Lothlorien'. the danger here is that it would have been very easy to use the same basic theme used for Rivendell in 'Many Meetings' and 'The Council Of Elrond'. Howard Shore does a spectacular job of avoiding this by creating a different elvish theme and it is put to great use. The following track is 'The Great River' and includes 'Lament For Gandalf' which is quite exceptional in itself. 'Amon Hen', the sixteenth track is filled with the wonder and awe at the sight of the Pillars Of Argonath and is a great track. The last film score featured is 'The Breaking Of The Fellowship' and includes 'In Dreams'. All and all a marvelous piece that ends the movie wonderfully. The last track on the album is Enya's 'May It Be'. No doubt you have heard this one, but regardless of all the airtime it is a terrific song, one that should have won for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards this past year. Also is a marvelous ending for an even more marvelous album. I doubt that you can find a much better soundtrack than this one and I consider it one of the best in my collection.
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