The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

We have reached the second installment in what we now summarize as one of the most mind-blowing trilogies ever made. The Two Towers is equally as predecessors (The Empire Strikes Back or Attack of the Clones, Back to the Future II or Aliens) darker in every sense, especially the way Frodo's character goes down under the weight of the ring and how Gollum is mindwashed by his alter ego. All signs of dark struggles against the evil but luckily the good is there is to stop it. And that good is nothing but spectacle since everything is amazing: cast and performances, display of cinematography, art design and landscapes, production design and costumes and special effects. And make no mistake about it, even though Howard Shore's score listens darker, he is ready to inject in almost every track a sense of hope, belief and justice that good will overcome. And it was simply a known fact that everyone was just looking forward to this score. How would Shore develop all the themes he wrote in the score while making the music still fresh to the ear and mind-blowing to the spirit? Simple, he wrote a bunch of other themes and created without exaggeration the most brilliant music to come out in several years time. And in a time that expectations led so many times to utter disappointments, I am so thrilled to see that The Two Towers not only put my trust stronger in the composer's choice for the film, but that he simply elevated his own superior score to insane heights. Look no further ladies and gentlemen. The Two Towers, the second installment of the Lord of the Rings is without question the only score that deserves that Oscar this year. No, the Oscar is entitled and destined to go to Shore's massive result. Because it gives all the others a run for their money.

I never actually thought this score was going to be this good. But after viewing the movie I was stunned by the sheer mass of brilliance composed by Shore. His massive choral writing and his spectacular abundance of themes were all weaving their spell on the people in the movie theatre and I, thinking we were simply getting more Fellowship statements was smacked first in the face. Themes are everyone's friend and after 10 themes of the first (Ring theme, Hobbit theme, Sauron's theme, Uruk-hai theme, Ringwraithts' theme, Elrond theme, Lothlorien theme, Aniron theme or the love theme by Enya (not appearing on this score but most definitely in the movie), Kzahad Dum theme and Fellowship theme), you are now getting 4 others namely Gollum's theme, Rohan's theme, the white rider theme and Treebeard's theme. This makes 14 themes of which 12 receive at least one performance in this score, amazing. It is the ring theme that opens 'Foundations of Stone' just like in the first film, even another theme not mentioned is showing its first appearance here and will glow several times near the end massively on speakers. However the best part is, here the theme of Kzahad Dum returns, a full force choir takes this time no warming up and unleashes for two minutes amazing stuff, ending with glorious heavenly music. Trust me, one of the ultimate highlights of the score. And in the second track 'The Taming of Sméagol' you receive two other themes, the short but sprightly Hobbit theme and then the theme for Gollum. Just as the character, the theme isn't giving any direction and fits perfectly with its dark foreboding sense alongside the creature (brilliantly played I might add through Andy Serkis).

Two tracks away and we have seen 4 themes, a fifth joins us in 'The Riders of Rohan', and its a brilliant one I might add with it. A noble and heroic powerhouse theme on hardinger fiddle when soft and through the entire orchestra is this score's big winning new theme. While Gollum's theme briefly appears in 4, it is 'The Uruk-hai' that shows us one theme after another. First a powerful Fellowship statement, then the Rohan theme, moving in full evil force to Sauron's theme with its exotic instrument and then directly to the Uruk-hai thundering motif. A sign that many themes in a trilogy do actually give utter sense when hearing it on CD. 'The King of the Golden Hall' is another winner, the fellowship theme briefly along with the Rohan theme on hardinger fiddle and then we receive a choral battle between the two wizards, resulting in a short heavenly choral moment at the end. Track 7 brings us Sauron's theme and an adaptation of the Ring theme while 'Evenstar' is the first female vocalist's performance, Isabel Bayrakdarian bringing forth beautiful heavenly music. 'The White Rider' I actually adored on screen, especially the last seconds (and expanded in the film) with the wonderful beautiful white rider theme for Gandalf on his horse, but in begin we have sensational choral flashes that work equally amazing. 'Treebeard', a wonderful character in the movie is presented slowly by xylophone, reminding me with its low tones somewhat of the sand people's motif in Star Wars. Yet two other themes show their presence next, re appearing from the first album. 'The Leave Taking' has the heavenly choral Elrond theme and the hypnotic Lothlorien theme for Cate Blanchett's character, ending shortly with the ring theme. Especially these two themes make much more impact when knowing them from the first. And be ready for 'Helm's Deep', a spectacular mix of horns, female choir and a majestic fanfare, ending with Rohan's superior theme.

While nothing special about 'The Forbidden Pool', the ending of a light choral moment gives hope for the character Gollum and is most welcome after its dreary display of dark music. The same counts for 'Breath of Life', while Sheila Chandra's contribution is lovely, it is the sensational fanfare at the end that makes the track great. 'The Hornburg' features Rohan's theme, choir, a short Fellowship statement and a very dark use of the Lothlorien theme, showing us that the witch was right, equally a dark statement of Rohan's theme is noticed after it. Still, along with the first and 17th track, 'Forth Eorlingas' is definitely containing the most spectacular music of the entire score. This is an emotional roller coaster with a fabulous display of choir and theme, the Rohan theme is brilliant on itself but the boy soprano Ben Del Maestro, a choir and the presence of the white rider theme give it a climax never to forget. 'Isengard Unleashed' is the same, Elizabeth Fraser's take on the Lothlorien theme, Rohan's brief theme and the same for the Uruk-hai short statement, and then practically 3 minutes of choral music growing to a climax, simply sensational. The wonderful Hobbit theme glows excellent in 'Samwise the Brave' before a tuba states Gollum's theme at the end. And 'Gollum's Song' performed by Bjork "sing a like" Emiliana Torrini is splendid in its sense of two faced personality. It is hopeful yet downbeat, the ending is nonetheless for another majestic statement of the Rohan theme. Overall, I'm sorry in reviewing a score like that since one theme notion after another isn't fun. But it does show the abundance of themes in this score, and sometimes on various levels or tones. The Two Towers is simply a score beyond the reach of others, even The Fellowship of the Ring can't equal the scope and resilience of this epic masterpiece. The orchestra just thunders and the choir never lets loose the massive power of Shore's and Tolkien's writing. Take it from me, you will not find another score that has more depth, themes, brilliance and emotion than The Two Towers. And to know that there is a third, climatic film coming our way in 2003. Man, I can't wait. One Howard Shore to rule us all!

The Two Towers "3 CD Deluxe Edition"

The story continues, the music that enriched us these past few years saw Howard Shore rise from a dark composer to the greatest storyteller of Middle Earth time. So rich was his music that his vision would expand on 3 CD's, 9 in total for that was and is what supported the vision of Peter Jackson and the fellowship through 9 hours of cinema magic. Now after the first deluxe edition of Fellowship of the Ring comes what probably is the best of the trilogy, his masterful The Two Towers. It came literally as a blow to the face to hear this astounding piece after he amazed us so easily with his Fellowship of the Ring, but still this score enriched us so much more with a vast array of spectacular themes, colorful emotions and strong choral powerplay that could blow Isengard alone of its foundations. The one CD was a feast from start to finish, but again like the first and third there was so much missing that again 3 CD's could cope so easily with Howard Shore's writing. And now we receive his music in the same masterful production design that deserves every penny of its costly value. However what still matters is the music and Shore started the movie with his highest formidable choral key note, the one moment that truly blew me away since I never saw him compose anything like that. Now its expanded even bigger and more powerful in 'Glamdring', so it may unleash the virtues of 3 hours upon us in style. What's surprising is the brief Rohan statement already in 'Elven Rope' but its played much more low key before variations of both Gollum and the Hobbit's theme are noticed. 'Lost in Emyn Muil' has the hard attacking music with Gollum's theme yet what I like so much about everything here are the track titles because they insert the names of the places, these sound like the Elvish language so fantasy like and spiritual, its a feast to hear the music surround these places. 'My Precious' covers the ring theme an octave lower and a percussive Gollum's theme until some 30 seconds are new because these are for the expanded versions of the movie. 'Ugluk's Warriors' and 'The Three Hunters' are great, or it inserts the Uruk-hai music or the fellowship theme in variations while other themes roll aplenty from one another, like the horn for Rohan, Sauron's powerful statement, its all ever present.

However the new track that is 'The Banishment of Eomer' is super, its gloomy before the Uruk-hai percussion starts to battle the choral rise of majestic heroism with the fellowship theme, its a brilliant contrast that it lets the Uruk-hai percussion sound so more heroic, like that Pippin and Merry will be found and saved. 'Night Camp' is new too, the butterfly theme on gentle horns is spotted but the real treat is the Goldenthal frenzy unleashing the Khazad Dum music in parts, its Shore going powerfully atonal through the battle. 'Fangorn' and 'The Dead Marshes' is all about gloom, the strings do create a new action sound when Pippin and Merry run into the forest and Treebeard's theme is stated for the first time, yet the eerie vocals and thicker brass brings the Dead marshes to live scary as never before. 'Wraiths on Wings' is another new treat and the pounding suspense lets the Nazgul theme return in splendid form while 'Gandalf the White' still holds that beauty of Shadowfax and its majestic rise. The last tracks aren't really necessary yet underscore more versions of Sauron and Treebeard's themes. The second CD makes sure we are on Rohan territory and the versions then are aplenty to behold, 'Edoras' doesn't unleash it full but 'The Court of Meduseld' with its brassy action music and choral delight and 'Théoden King' do hold more than just that. 'Théoden King' especially holds the first majestic rise of the Rohan theme, on both hardinger fiddle as full orchestra but besides that it unfolds the new singing of Miranda Otto (ala Pippin in Return of the King), she makes the most of it with a growing underscore of Shore that is so spot on the money for whatever scene we may be seeing, yet the choral wash of emotion still holds more virtues and all this is new music of the highest order. The fanfare theme in 'The King's Decision' and the hardinger fiddle playing Rohan's theme in 'Exodus from Edoras' show more new music and its striking that most of the new music will be coming from this second CD. As said its hard to bring 3 hours into one CD of 70 minutes and thereby the climatic moments of the begin and end were used the most. So this CD holds new moments in abundance but not everything listens as strong as the next, like 'The Forests of Ithilien' which has a playful Treebeard's statement but a lot of boring underscore. Yet try and find the details surrounding 'One of the Dùnedain', a brief Hobbit theme, even a Minas Tirith rise is noticed so carefully between the choral Elvish music from both Rivendell and Lothlorien.

Yet every few minutes your imagination sparks new delights with a fantastic action moment and 'The Wolves of Isengard' is no different, full of brass, percussion and choir its amazing to hear the Uruk-hai music and the heroic choral human touch battling each other once more. 'Refuge at Helm's Deep' by then holds the brief fellowship theme, the Rohan statement, before a great turn in sound makes the Uruk-hai music be heard in 'The Voice of Saruman'. The Elvish singing is for both 11 and 12 yet 'Sons of the Steward' comes around again as the new moment of clever detailed scoring, witness the song melody of Gollum first, while a spectacular never before heard Minas Tirith statement and the ring theme in ever more lower string form are heard, its amazing how Shore just keeps on brewing his themes all around one another. With the somber lurking 'Faramir's Good Council' we reach the end of the second disc, and here we notice a boy's choral version of the Lothlorien theme, as the white witch knew Boromir would break the fellowship apart, astounding to discover that Shore even breaks new twists in the story just by his music. With the rapid heroic tempo of 'Aragon's Return' we gear into Helm's Deep action, because CD 3 does nothing than give us that portion of music alone. And its staggering alone to discover that one hour of exhilarating orchestral music and emotional resonance can give you the shivers. 'Where is the Horse and the Rider' has actually a theme I never noticed before, namely Eowyn's theme and that starts this cue, following into the Rohan theme and the choral build up for King Théoden's speech. And Lothlorien's somewhat more heroic version in 'The Host of the Eldar' is meeting side by side the fellowship theme, as a new fellowship is born. With 'The Battle of the Hornburg' we kick into gear for good with the Lothlorien theme, the Uruk-hai pounding version meeting a heroic blazing note and sheer adrenaline percussion, this is truly wonderful. The suspense is much more felt in 'The Breach of the Deeping Wall', another new track reaching for the highest brassy note of suspense, while heroics of both Gimli and Legolas reach for high notes, indeed with a beefed and faster fellowship theme version.

Relief is discovered with the hobbit theme in 'The Entmoot Decides' and luckily so because the breath will be necessary for round 2. 'Retreat' by then hits the emotional note again firm with first the solo vocal of the Lothlorien's theme for Haldir's demise, yet brings back steam with the fellowship rise and the Uruk-hai pounds, and what's keen is the demise of Isengard is heard here without the choir, just on thick rising brass. Briefly the notes of Gollum's song in 'Master Peregrin's Plan' is spotted yet Ben Del Maestro and the boys choir enlighten so easily 'The Last March of the Ents'. 'The Nazgul Attack' has other plans and on edge brass makes you believe its going bad but the heavenly choir decides differently at the end. It should seamlessly spring into 'Théoden Rides Forth' yet a second lies between both killer tracks, and this one still remains the best of The Two Towers, with the truly spine tingling version of Ben Dell Maestro. The rest of the track is for the full choral climax of Isengard's finish and its truly breathtaking as ever. The mammoth 'The Tales that Really Matter' is the climatic emotional version with the in dreams song music, the hobbit cue and the never before heard musical motifs in the remainder 8 minutes, like a very interesting playful flute ala hobbit tune, or the Treebeard descending version, its more moodier but still with many motifs passing by (fellowship, in dreams and Gollums), I truly would like to know what it all represents because this is an extra of 7 minutes of visuals which could change the tone of the ending truly differently. With Gollum's sad song in 'Long Ways to Go Yet' and various themes ending the 2nd movie we come to the conclusion I said for the first deluxe edition as well. Its mammoth 3 CD is perhaps just too much to enjoy it a 100% straight through, because not a lot of people will listen 3 hours straight through. 2 Cd's could arrange that and that could give us the brilliant moments we didn't spot in the original version and could delete the dying moments without a singular problem. Yet from a collector's point of view, 3 CD's still gives you a glimpse of the mastery that Howard Shore unleashed in sheer firepower in this movie alone, so many themes came with it and gave us enough thrill to await the final episode in the saga, coming this summer.

The Two Towers: *****
The Two Towers "3 CD Deluxe Edition": *****

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Foundations Of Stone (3.51) Excellent Track

2. The Taming Of Sméagol (2.48)

3. The Riders Of Rohan (4.05) Excellent Track

4. The Passage Of The Marshas (2.46)

5. The Uruk-hai (2.58)

6. The King Of The Golden Hall (3.49) Excellent Track

7. The Black Gate Is Closed (3.17)

8. Evenstar * (3.15)

9. The White Rider (2.28) Excellent Track

10. Treebeard (2.43)

11. The Leave Taking (3.41)

12. Helm's Deep (3.53) Excellent Track

13. The Forbidden Pool (5.27)

14. Breath Of Life ** (5.07)

15. The Hornburg (4.36) Excellent Track

16. Forth Eorlingas *** (3.15) Excellent Track

17. Isengard Unleashed **** (5.00) Excellent Track

18. Samwise The Brave (3.45)

19. Gollum's Song: Emiliana Torrini (5.51)

* Featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian

** Featuring Sheila Chandra

*** Featuring Ben Del Maestro

**** Featuring Elizabeth Fraser & Ben Del Maestro

Total Length: 72.48

The Two Towers "3 CD Deluxe Edition"

Disk One: 63.10

1. Glamdring (3.50) Excellent Track

2. Elven Rope (2.19)

3. Lost In Emyn Muil (4.14)

4. My Precious (2.56)

5. Ugluk's Warriors (1.41) Excellent Track

6. The Three Hunters (6.12) Excellent Track

7. The Banishment Of Eomer (3.54) Excellent Track

8. Night Camp (2.50)

9. The Plains Of Rohan (4.14)

10. Fangorn (5.13)

11. The Dead Marshes (5.07)

12. "Wraiths On Wings" (2.06) Excellent Track

13. Gandalf The White (6.47) Excellent Track

14. The Dreams Of Trees (1.54)

15. The Heir Of Numenor (6.50)

16. Ent-Draught (2.53)

Disk Two: 64.07

1. Edoras (4.34)

2. The Court Of Meduseld (3.10) Excellent Track

3. Théoden King * (6.12) Excellent Track

4. The King's Decision (2.07)

5. Exodus From Edoras (5.42)

6. The Forests Of Ithilien (6.37)

7. One Of The Dùnedain ** (7.13)

8. The Wolves Of Isengard (4.22) Excellent Track

9. Refuge At Helm's Deep (3.59)

10. The Voice Of Saruman (1.11)

11. Arwen's Fate *** (3.58)

12. The Story Foretold (3.58)

13. Sons Of The Steward (6.02)

14. Rock And Pool (2.54)

15. Faramir's Good Council (2.20)

Disk Three: 61.19

1. Aragon's Return (2.11) Excellent Track

2. War Is Upon Us (3.35)

3. Where Is The Horse And The Rider (6.15)

4. The Host Of The Eldar (2.50)

5. The Battle Of The Hornburg (2.52) Excellent Track

6. The Breach Of The Deeping Wall (3.03) Excellent Track

7. The Entmoot Decides (2.06)

8. Retreat + (4.40) Excellent Track

9. Master Peregrin's Plan (2.31)

10. The Last March Of The Ents ++ (2.31) Excellent Track

11. The Nazgul Attack (2.45) Excellent Track

12. Théoden Rides Forth ++ (5.47) Excellent Track

13. The Tales That Really Matter (12.01)

14. Long Ways To Go Yet +++ (8.05) Excellent Track

* featuring "The Funeral of Théodred", performed by Miranda Otto

** featuring "Evenstar" performed by Isabel Bayrakdarian

*** featuring "The Grace of the Valar", performed by Sheila Chandra

+ featuring "Haldir's Lament" performed by Elisabeth Fraser

++ featuring Ben Del Maestro

+++ featuring "Gollum's Song" performed by Emiliana Torrini

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: Howard Shore ===