As the credits roll for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a lengthy end to an epic 12+ hour journey through the land of Middle Earth, I feel obligated to post a piece by the fabulous Johan de Meij. A notable part of the three Peter Jackson films is Howard Shore's score, which encapsulates the atmosphere of all areas of Middle Earth and guides us on the journey. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring starts off concerning hobbits. The feel of the movie in this introductory scene to set the stage for what follows is driven by a brief narrative but mainly by Shore's score. It seems absurd to think that Shore was completely uninspired by de Meij.
In 1984, de Meij began writing his first symphony titled "The Lord of the Rings". After four years, he finished his first symphony, having only composed one piece prior. It premiered in 1988 with the Groot Harmonieorkest van de Belgische Gidsen conducted by Norbert Nozy. The symphony features five movements:
I: Gandalf (The Wizard)
II: Lothlórien (The Elvenwood)
III: Gollum (Sméagol)
IV: Journey in the Dark
A: The Mines of Moria
B: The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm
V: Hobbits
Each of these movements is an expert representation by de Meij's of these places or visages from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Personally, I favor the fifth movement. I've also performed the fifth movement in my high school's Wind Ensemble. If you don't get a feeling of hobbitishness, then all is lost.
FIRST
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