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Adrianna
Lorien
Mar 20 2015, 1:21am
Post #1 of 18
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Did the music fit!
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Don't know if this was discussed and probably not much to say about it.
But did the music throughout BOFA fit.
I saw it again at our $2 movie theater and I found myself even more paying closer details to the finer things.
The music for the dwarves was hearty and deep. Maybe trumpets
The elves were light and airey. Maybe flutes.
I like the music for the elves when they jumped over the dwarves. It may have been cheesy for some but I enjoyed it.
I believe the music throughout was well done and appropriate.
"I did free him. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."
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Brethil
Half-elven
Mar 20 2015, 2:39am
Post #2 of 18
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but we have the soundtrack. I really like the use of the Feast of Starlight theming just because I love that music; and both thematic pieces where the Dwarves are armoring and when they charge from Erebor are very moving and work very well for me and really fit the scenes.
The opening music for Smaug's demise I also think is very well done. You can really tell on the soundtrack just when his eyes go dark.
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Arannir
Valinor
Mar 20 2015, 9:56am
Post #3 of 18
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But also aprtially disappointing.
Some great stuff changed or missing from the OST... and even on the OST there is a lack of moments of grandeur, imho.
The only two moments that reach at least to some extent the level of musical moments such as "The Last March of the Ents" or "The Ride of the Rohirrim", "The Lightning of the Beacons" or "The Fall of Barad-dur" are the moment Bard aims for Smaug over Bain's shoulder and the Dwarves emerging from Erebor.
There are very nice little moments such as the goodbye between Bilbo and the Dwarves.
But moments such as the burning of Lake-town or the death of the three Dwarves, the beginning of the battle or the fight in Dol Guldur were pretty underwhelming and almost uninspired, imho.
When it comes to the big movie soundtracks in history, only few motifs of TH will imho join their famous LotR counterparts. The most recognisable has probably been the Misty Mountains tune (which was over-used in AUJ and for whatever reason missing after that which imho is really unfortunate). Smaug, the Woodland Realm and Thorin's themes are also pretty recognisable... but nothing compared to the Fellowship's theme, the RotK theme, the Rohan and Gondor themes, etc .
Not always because of the themes but also because of their use (often rather in the background, some totally over-used and with much less variation, imho).
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
(This post was edited by Arannir on Mar 20 2015, 10:00am)
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AshNazg
Gondor
Mar 20 2015, 10:28am
Post #4 of 18
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I think the elven theme you liked was Dain's theme...
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When the elves jump over the dwarves Dain's theme plays. On the soundtrack it's played on bagpipes
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Shagrat
Gondor
Mar 20 2015, 10:56am
Post #5 of 18
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In the film it breaks up the grand rendition of Dain's theme as heard in 'Battle for the Mountain'. That particular Woodland Realm statement is not on the soundtrack, presumably for reasons of listening experience, since it does break up the momentum somewhat.
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Adrianna
Lorien
Mar 20 2015, 1:00pm
Post #6 of 18
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I would have never thought that it was bagpipes playing for that particular theme.
I never considered buying a soundtrack to a movie it hadn't ever crossed my mind. Did they use the same music sound company from the LOTR? If not then could explain why there is such a difference.
"I did free him. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."
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Imladris18
Lorien
Mar 20 2015, 1:31pm
Post #7 of 18
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I can see where you're coming from.
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I think in a vacuum, the BotFA OST is the same quality and has the same amount of detail as any LotR soundtrack. The difference comes in where LotR had 'moments of grandeur' in the actual films that remain unmatched which allowed the music to really follow suit.
There simply was no scene like "The Last March of the Ents" or "The Ride of the Rohirrim", "The Lightning of the Beacons" or "The Fall of Barad-dur" in the Hobbit movies. I feel like my biggest disappointment from the Hobbit is that there was potential there to have moments at least close to those scenes, but it never really fully developed, and it felt like succinctness was always given priority over grandeur.
Regardless, after listening to the soundtrack many times, it has really grown on me (I was a huge fan to begin with) to the point where I have it on the same pedestal as LotR, it just gets there in different ways.
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Arannir
Valinor
Mar 20 2015, 1:49pm
Post #8 of 18
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Scenes such as the death scenes, the burning of Lake-town and especially Dol Guldur all had the potential but were not fully developed - the music being one of the aspects that simply weren't on par IMHO.
No make no mistake - I knew from the start that TH wouldn't have as many "moments of grandeur" due to its nature and story. But I never expected them to not fully tap the potential of these scenes... for my personal liking.
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
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tattooed_dwarf
Rivendell
Mar 20 2015, 3:17pm
Post #9 of 18
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I think it would have been perfect time to revisit "Misty Mountains" theme when dwarves blast out of ruined Erebor gates. Durins folk theme worked too but "Misty Mountains" would have suited as our company dwarves were together one last time.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 20 2015, 4:27pm
Post #10 of 18
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believe the music throughout was well done and appropriate.
I don't know enough about music to really comment in detail, but I do remember thinking the music was great - something
that struck me more than DOS' music - (often, not always, as I loved the faint chiming in DOS re Bilbo and Smaug. )
One moment in particular when the 4 dwarves are approaching Erebor - I think that's "Thorin's Theme"? - it's brief
but just seemed mournful and majestic and perfect for that moment.
And the notes? chords? when Bilbo is going down the rope to give away the Arekenstone. And Dain's arrival.
Overall, I'd say I appreciated BOFA's music more than DOS - which is not to be negative about DOS, it just didn't strike me as much,
most of the time. And as always, across three movies, the use of sound - or not - to me is completely stellar.
One moment that strikes me is the sigh of the wind and faint flapping of pennants from that enormous elven
army as Thorin bows his head on the wall "the Arkenstone for what was promised?!" - I think that adds, for me, much
to the bleakness of the moment. Until the raven appears ...
Glad you made the post - just something more to look forward to, having the disks in hand.
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Adrianna
Lorien
Mar 20 2015, 5:06pm
Post #11 of 18
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Avandel,
Yeah I was not even sure if any had posted a thread regarding the music themes throughout. I had check back through and did not see any so I thought to speak about it.
I really did not pay attention to the music until I went back the very last time. I got so caught up in the characters and the movie itself. Did not take the time to listen the themes until now.
Yes, can't wait until the EE edition. Still trying to decide if I'm going to get any of the Special Editions or just wait for the EE.
"I did free him. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."
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Mooseboy018
Grey Havens
Mar 20 2015, 5:34pm
Post #12 of 18
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I actually watched that moment with the Misty Mountains theme playing at the same time, and it works very well. Before the movie or the soundtrack came out, I was crossing my fingers for that to be the one time we hear the theme after its long absence. But deep down I knew it wouldn't happen.
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Skaan
Lorien
Mar 20 2015, 10:48pm
Post #13 of 18
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That was the House of Durin theme followed by Erebor's theme at the end. I agree with you that it's a short, but great music moment (i'd say it's actually my favorite bit of all 3 Hobbit scores). It sounds so somber but also very grand and powerful, and it perfectly captures the tone and feel of the entire BOFA score in my opinion.
I've said it before, but i think the implementation of the music in the Hobbit movies simply wasn't as good as in LOTR, which i believe is a big reason why lots of people may have been a bit disappointed with the music in general. Lots of great, important scenes in the movies could've been much more memorable to the general audience if they simply upped the volume of the music a bit more (for example, the dwarves charging out of Erebor in BOFA, or most of Bilbo's conversation with Smaug).
That being said, i'm pretty happy with the usage of music in BOFA overall. My only real complaints are that Smaug's death scene had no music and that the music when the dwarves charged out of Erebor was a bit too quiet and drowned out by the sound effects. I also didn't like how they chopped up the Nature+eagles theme, but i still have a bit of hope that we may get more of that in the EE.
So in short, i love the Hobbit scores equally as much as the LOTR scores, but they used the music in LOTR to greater effect than in The Hobbit.
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AshNazg
Gondor
Mar 21 2015, 12:22am
Post #14 of 18
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Official preview of Dain's bagpipe theme...
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https://youtu.be/ms9NchkyGCc
Can't link you to the full track because of copyright. But there's a nice legal preview.
I definitely recommend listening to the soundtracks because there are lots of themes that were cut or changed. Gandalf and Radagast both have beautiful themes and the eagles have an alternative (and equally beautiful) theme on the soundtrack.
I don't think they are the same company. The Hobbit soundtracks are by WaterTower, which I think is owner by Time Warner. I don't know who did LotR, it may have been Warner too.
That said, there are differences in LotR's soundtracks too, but they're not quite as dramatic.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 21 2015, 12:23am
Post #15 of 18
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Yes, can't wait until the EE edition. Still trying to decide if I'm going to get any of the Special Editions or just wait for the EE.
For me, I always get the TE because I just can't wait that long, to have the disks. And with DOS, as it turned out, it was great to have both - tho hafta admit I watch the DOS EE mostly, now. (But I AM trying to wait on the WETA books until the next BOFA Chronicles book comes out, which is hard reading other people commenting on the books!)
Re the music - there are pieces of music in all three movie that I like - but I think DOS - for me - often had the least that REALLY struck me - as someone who knows very little about music. That doesn't, again, mean bad, for me. But I really noticed BOFA's music - I think all the more impressive with the flow of it with such a fast-paced film.
And I can completely understand being so caught up in the characters that a person would have to need the space? or time to refocus on the music. It's actually comments on TORn that kind of jogged me into listening more to the scores, although some pieces have always struck me, even back to LOTR - the chords? Eowyn standing, looking into the distance. The lighting of the beacons.
And for the Hobbit films, with the music, Misty Mountains in Bag End. And the prophecy reading "the Lord of Silver Fountains, the King of Carven Stone...". And the dwarves hiking along the ridge line of the mountains. And the eagles.
LOL, sounds as tho I need to buy the soundtracks at some point.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 21 2015, 12:43am
Post #16 of 18
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That was the House of Durin theme followed by Erebor's theme at the end.
I always feel wistful that that whole scene wasn't a bit longer - partly BECAUSE of that theme.
This:
It sounds so somber but also very grand and powerful, and it perfectly captures the tone and feel of the entire BOFA score in my opinion.
Because I love these characters and so I think about them - and would have liked the four dwarves to have had a bit more time, coming to Erebor - WITH that wonderful theme music.
But - I can see from a director's view, we have already seen Thorin & co. hike to Erebor, and how many long hikes do you want to keep showing the audience ? And I can imagine that same theme will be used in the EE *crosses fingers*.
Lots of great, important scenes in the movies could've been much more memorable to the general audience if they simply upped the volume of the music a bit more (for example, the dwarves charging out of Erebor in BOFA, or most of Bilbo's conversation with Smaug).
Perhaps the music was just an end result of pacing these movies differently - overall, for me, faster paced, often, than LOTR. And if so, I think it was deliberate on PJ's part (BOFA and DOS we know for sure were edited that way - especially BOFA). But agree with you in that I notice, for instance, the music IMO where Laketown is being overrun, and Bard is telling everyone to fall back, is really good - but the editing is so tight, it is hard for me to "sink into" the tragedy of what is going on - but all those scenes in sequence w. the music is terrific stuff, it's just moving too fast for me e.g. shots go from Thranduil to Gandalf, to Bard, to elves, to Laketowners.
It'll be one good reason to have the TE, to be able to linger and replay.
PS. I love Dain's theme, too when he arrives - IMO all of that music was perfect. Such an amazing moment, for me.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Mar 21 2015, 12:47am
Post #17 of 18
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Different from the film - but just EPIC-sounding! And IMO definitely DWARVISH.
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Mooseboy018
Grey Havens
Mar 21 2015, 2:33am
Post #18 of 18
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I seems like every time I got really excited about a specific piece of music, it didn't end up in the movie itself (the credits don't count).
1. Radagast's full theme
2. The Erebor bonus track for AUJ with the bagpipes
3. one of Bilbo's themes, it was only used maybe two times in the whole trilogy (it's part of the A Very Respectable Hobbit track)
4. Ironfoot/Dain's full theme
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Decisions, decisions!
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