September 21, 1937: The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is first published by Allen and Unwin with a limited run of 1,500 copies. It sold out in under three months, featuring a color dust cover and story illustrations in black and white by the Professor himself.
Wikipedia has a wonderful breakdown of more-than-you-want-to-know re: The Hobbit. Meanwhile, happy birthday! 85 years is far too short a time to spend amongst such excellent and admirable authorship. Thank you to Tolkien and his children, to Stanley and Rayner Unwin, and all who provided influence, feedback, and audience for Tolkien’s first published fantasy novel.
Roads go ever, ever on… and wither then? I cannot say.
While McCreary has crafted Season One’s score, Shore’s contribution to the show is the title theme. Shore has won three Academy Awards for his music for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit feature film trilogies. McCreary is an Emmy and BAFTA winner for his music scores on Outlander and God of War.
In this new segment, two of our Discord regulars, Reading Room Moderator DrNosy and composer Mike T, debate the show’s title theme and whether it is ‘musically’ suited to the score of The Rings of Power.
DRNOSY
The French horns.
It is that instrument that I closely relate to the music of The Lord of the Rings, particularly in the soundtrack Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All. Hearing them again, in the first second of the Main Title, I was immediately pulled back towards the story and events that launched the Third Age — Sauron with the One Ring in hand laying waste to the armies of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves.
However, as I keep listening to the track, I start to feel something is off. This music sounds like a watered-down version of that track from The Lord of the Rings. A “lite” version of The Lord of the Rings is absolutely not what the Second Age should sound like. It is also almost completely at odds with the rest of the themes in the album.
Listening to the entire album, it is clear that McCreary (following in Shore’s footsteps with the film tracks) has created a succinct soundscape for the Second Age, complete with themes for each character and narrative arcs for the events of Season One. Shore’s theme does not seem to fit with any of McCreary’s tracks.
MIKE T
I think this might be the biggest thing driving negative reactions to Main Title, as well as the opposing negative reactions that favor the theme over the score, and it’s definitely a misstep on the part of the people behind the show, but is it a problem with the music itself?
Not from where I stand: both composers have done what they were tasked with, and done it well.
If there is a question to ask, it’s this: why wasn’t part of that task, for either of them, to strive for more musical unity with each other. For now, it seems pointless to speculate on that.
Perhaps we’ll get more insight into the circumstances of the composition eventually, or maybe we’ll even have a situation where Bear does start to weave some of Shore’s ideas in. In any case, some of us just seem more willing to “bridge the gap” ourselves, and to take Shore’s theme as a welcome bit of torch-passing that will nicely frame each episode of the series.
DRNOSY
While I take your point about “bridging the gap” between the films and the show, I simply do not see how or why they should be linked in Main Title itself.
Main Title’s fairy-esque tones simply do not fit with the characterization of the factionalized, bloodied, and catastrophic ending of the many races of Middle-earth in the Second Age. Not to mention how it completely seems to miss the themes and leitmotifs of the other peoples of Middle-earth, i.e., the Dwarves, Harfoots, Númenor, and Orcs.
I appreciate Shore’s use of the musical leitmotif representing Galadriel (ethereal ‘Elven’ feminine vocals at 0:35), but that moment also rings along the lines of a ‘fairy lady in the woods singing to the birds’, which is closely followed by ‘evil has come to the woods and it threatens the lady and her birds’ (0:53). It is the ultimate mischaracterization of the Galadriel of the Second Age, especially as the Galadriel we meet in The Rings of Power is an Elf at war with herself.
Why is it that we don’t hear that conflict in Shore’s theme?
MIKE T
As you noted at the outset, from the very first notes heard it is clear, from both the voicing of the chord and the way it is orchestrated, where this music is supposed to take us. It follows exactly the rhetorical and stylistic precedents Shore first set over 20 years ago. And yes, his writing is indeed always committed to very tightly-woven leitmotivic processes. His Main Theme does in fact seem to make reference to a number of musical structures that are present in his previous Middle-earth music, related to the various story elements you mention.
Whether this is explicit enough for every listener, I certainly can’t decree… but there is an argument to be made for their presence (the specifics of which I will not bore readers with here!).
As for your feeling that the theme mischaracterizes Galadriel, I would simply argue that the vocal element in question is not meant to represent Galadriel in the first place. It sounds to me more like an incidental orchestration choice by the composer, rather than being intended as a direct evocation of anything or anyone previously associated with that specific color, and likewise, the darker turn you mention is a more abstract musical turn to represent the overall tumult of the events of the Second Age, not anything specific to Galadriel’s arc.
The whole piece in fact centers around this dramatic “triptych” structure, in which we are introduced to familiar-sounding material which begins confidently but then takes a darker turn, and is briefly restated in a more pure way before ending in a quite unresolved place.
This feels like an apt encapsulation of what we’re going to see play out here, a sort of grand overview of events rather than a focused musical commentary on specific characters. Does it do so in weighty enough tones for what we will experience in the substance of the show?
Again, I can’t decide that for everyone, I can only explain the possible thinking behind things.
DRNOSY
I see Galadriel as the main protagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power.
If the feminine vocal element isn’t Galadriel, it would seem that Main Title doesn’t weave any element of McCreary’s sounds for the Second Age, which is curious to say the least. I was also disappointed how Main Title drastically falls short of iconic sounding title themes we hear in other fantasy/epic shows such as A Game of Thrones, The Wheel of Time, The Witcher, Westworld, His Dark Materials, The Sandman, and others.
The whole purpose of title music is to leave a lasting impact or memory of the show on the audience every single time they tune in to watch. I still remember how I binged the entire glorious Season One of The Crown in one night. At that time, I did not dare to skip the titles (even to save time) because of my need to let the music (and title sequence) wash over me as I savored and reflected on the episodes I’d watched previously. I did the same with The Witcher, His Dark Materials, and The Wheel of Time.
It is hard to ignore the impact of ‘good’ and ‘catchy’-sounding theme music, especially because its sole purpose is to transition the audience from the opening events of the episode (or even the previous episode) into the central story arc.
I find myself forgetting Shore’s title track music even after having listened to it about 20 times now.
MIKE T
It’s true, there are ways to open with a bang and to set up a musical hook that will immediately grab the audience. It may simply be that Shore’s approach as a composer tends more towards subtlety than the expectations formed by the examples you mention, for better or worse.
There are surely important musical structures in Shore’s prologue to “The Fellowship of the Ring” which, if not for the subsequent hours of music building on them, might not be clear to us as meaningful, and which would not grab us by the heart, so to speak, without that reinforcement.
I think we have a situation similar to that hypothetical here. Nothing of Howard’s new theme is, at least based on what we’ve heard so far, built on in Bear’s score.
Those elemental structures are not reinforced. We go right from an echo of the Middle-earth sound that we know, to a younger and more vibrant Middle-earth, with no real bridge between that and the grand but poignant “civilization in decline” soundworld we’re used to.
The power of familiarity shouldn’t be underestimated though. Given what I’ve seen happen with some other scores’ themes over the years, I’m willing to bet that quite a few of those who are currently unimpressed by and unattached to this one will feel differently once they’ve heard it fifty or so times accompanying each episode, when this new journey reaches its end.
About our chat participants
DrNosy is a scientist (physical science), scholar, and Tolkien enthusiast. Her primary interests lie in review and analysis of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. She is an active contributor and Reading Room Moderator on TheOneRing.net Discord where she also hosts live open-forum panel discussions on The Rings of Power, The Silmarillion, and a variety of Tolkien-related topics. You can reach her on Twitter.
Mike T is a composer and near-lifelong Tolkien aficionado. After obsessively relying on TORn for spoiler reports during the early 2000s, and pursuing a musical life in large part due to the experience of hearing Howard Shore’s scores in darkened theaters dozens of times, he is delighted to find himself back amongst the TORn community for this new journey through Middle-Earth. You can listen to his music at https://michaeltrapasso.bandcamp.com and reach out to him on Twitter.
Editor’s Note:we reported in September last year that McCreary was being brought onboard to work with Shore on scoring the series. It was rumored at the time that Shore didn’t “necessarily want to compose the whole series”. We now know that Shore and McCreary ended up composing the music separately.
TORn Tuesday’s co-host Justin flew around the world — at his own expense — to experience the first showings of Prime Video’s huge The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power with fellow fans in NYC and London. Now having seen it twice, after years of the most spoileriffic leaks, here is his review of the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime.
Producers Lindsey Weber, JD Payne and Patrick McKay introducing themselves to fans in NYC
Back in 2002, I sat down in a theater full of fellow Ringers at midnight as an unknown jovial British man with a deep voice walked out to introduce The Two Towers. Andy Serkis had come at the invite of TheOneRing.net to opening night. Nobody knew who he was other than the IMDb credit and 3 seconds of trailer time — and this guy looked & sounded nothing like Gollum. There was also a lot of chatter leading up to the release of The Two Towers that book lovers were terrified of — that the elves had been reassigned from the books to honor the last alliance at Helm’s Deep (ruining Tolkien’s greatest battlefield reunion in The Return of the King). Leaked set pics showed Arwen fighting at Helm’s deep. Jar Jar Binks all-CGI characterization had “ruined” Star Wars, and all-CGI Gollum was ready to ruin Tolkien.
The lights dimmed. The screen showed the familiar landscapes. Then the camera dived INTO the mountain to replay one of the greatest scenes of Fellowship (natch, film history). Oh great, I thought, another film that does “when we last left our heroes” recap. And then the camera follows Gandalf as he falls into battle with Durin’s Bane, as an epic choral music laments their fall into the great chasm. I lept out of my seat! I couldn’t believe a movie had just shown me things I had never seen before, never expected, and a style of storytelling I didn’t think possible. The Two Towers changed my movie going life, and it is still my favorite of the trilogy.
My Rings of Power take after seeing the pilot episodes twice and really diving into the visual details:
Prime Video’s The Rings of Power brings back that feeling of discovery. It changes what television is capable of. It redefines multi-storyline TV. It completely immerses you in Middle-earth from the start, and delivers an incredible storytelling experience that stays true to the tone of Tolkien while necessarily charting a new path.
The Rings of Power finally delivers on Gimli’s promise to the Fellowship that his kin would provide a warm welcome in Moria. We finally see dwarven culture at its pinnacle — a fully realized society that is well-fed, well-worked, and well-machined. These dwarves will feel familiar to Hobbit trilogy fans, with great-looking, practical makeup FX (allegedly supported by Weta Workshop), but it’s the characterizations that really take this culture beyond the comedy of the movies. Fans of deep lore will rewatch the dwarven scenes to spot the many Easter eggs of items lost to time in the books.
All the other lands and races are equally fully realized, even the orc culture. We are all aware of the amount of effort needed to accomplish creative at this level thanks to Peter Jackson’s Appendices. It’s obvious hundreds of top creative talent are collaborating on this show. There is a visible sense of pride in the work from all the details both visual and narratively. This is a billion dollar TV show and it shows. It takes that much support to realize Tolkien’s vast imagination — which is larger in the Second Age than the Third Age seen in the films. The Second Age just has more of everything. More societies. More cities. More arid lands. More areas to explore. More destruction. My biggest fear now is that future seasons of The Rings of Power may not get the same generous budget, knowing what enormous cataclysms are to come.
Writing on the show is peak television at its pinnacle. Prime has assembled an all-star fellowship of writers from the best shows on TV — Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Hannibal, Game of Thrones, and more. Absolutely no characters from the vast collective on this show feel cardboard, short changed, nor one-dimensional. Everyone quickly has motivations created and their place in society established. TV has never seen a character break as bad as Sauron, the lord of all the rings, and the pilot episodes set up the stakes for Middle-earth.
J.A Bayona was absolutely the right director to establish the look and feel of this show. From his water work with The Impossible to the dark tones of Penny Dreadful, Bayona captures the existential dread that Middle-earth may not know is coming. Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are living our collective fan dream overseeing this massive project. Their imaginations are reaching for the same great heights that JRR Tolkien famously attempted, yet still under the guardrails and guidelines he established. Tolkien envisioned filmmakers expanding his Legendarium with his “other minds and hands, wielding paint and music & drama” and these guys are up to the task. Having chatted with them many times over the last six months it’s clear that these other and hands are the right ones to continuing shaping the history of Middle-earth.
Fans may forget that Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings was full of no-name actors. It was Orlando Bloom’s first work, Billy Boyd’s first movie, and the biggest job for the hundreds of longtime kiwi actors. Rings of Power continues that tradition of unveiling top talent on the global stage. These folks are future stars. All the recent discourse of how they look and talk — also things fans also complained about in 2001 — is put to rest the minute the show starts. There is no wink at the camera or in-your-face notice me going on. These performances live in Middle-earth, period. Tolkien’s source text allow for a very expansive visual canon which the filmmakers are developing with the highest of standards. All the fears fans have of this “looking like television” are proven invalid. Better than other space and superhero TV shows, this is Middle-earth looking exactly like it should: the proper continuation of a $6 billion franchise and most-awarded film series of all time.
Even if it’s not a continuation. We have covered the rights situation numerous times over the last 4 years on this site and on YouTube. Testament to loyalty to JRR Tolkien is the involvement of Simon Tolkien (the current elder family stateman) in the production of the show, and no less that 11 living Tolkien relatives showing up to the London premiere. It’s a privilege to have Royd Tolkien a longtime friend of TORn, but to have his family there at The Rings of Power premiere unlocked a feeling I didn’t know this franchise needed: full support of the sub-creator’s legacy, and a proper continuation of his life’s work. There’s a trust in the show there, now, that I didn’t know was missing.
Royd Tolkien & Justin at the London ScreeningTolkien Professor Dr. Corey Olsen, Clifford Broadway and Nerd of the Rings debate lore of the TV show in NYC
I’m looking forward to the many debates fans will have, and we will have at TheOneRing.net, over the choices made by the filmmakers. I’m reminded of the TORn staff that walked out of The Two Towers theatrical opening, disgusted that Frodo and Sam were at Osgiliath with an unrecognizable Faramir. My favorite film of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings has its detractors and I respect their perspectives, and The Rings Of Power will undoubtedly generate similar debates that can only strengthen our love of Middle-earth. Maybe we should bring back RINGER REVIEWS so all us fans can share our assessment of each of the 50 episodes to come.
As I walked out of that first screening, and now a second one in London, my one word review of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power two-part pilot remains:
PERFECTION. No Notes.
Huge thanks to all the teams at Prime Video that have supported the fans throughout this journey of creation, for inviting hundreds of fans to these free screenings around the world, for all the support at Comic-Con and DragonCon, and for all the friendly (sometimes intense) conversations as we shared the excitement for this show. Fans are happy to be seen, and will be very happy with the finished product.
Tune in every Tuesday at 8pm ET for TORn Tuesday LIVE with Clifford & Justin, and chat anytime on the TORn Discord at https://discord.gg/theonering
The embargo on social media first impressions has lifted. So, without further ado, here’s what various media folk are saying about the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Social media embargo is up for #LordofTheRings#TheRingsofPower#LOTR, so: I’ve seen the first 2 episodes. I had been skeptical…but I was very pleasantly surprised. It is actually good! Very good! Visuals & tone are just right. IMO, a great addition to the Tolkien world
#TheRingsofPower is CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE. The scale of this story has never been done before, making each moment EPIC & BREATHTAKING. The marriage between practical and computer generated effects will set the standard for everything that follows. @LOTRonPrime@PrimeVideoCApic.twitter.com/Grt3wsUUtC
#TheRingsOfPower is a CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE! The visionary team behind it has produced an epic that dives into its roots and delivers a story like no other. Its production is beyond comparison, masterfully orchestrating a mythology that fans have been waiting for. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/nvebQkdEx7
Have seen the first 2 episodes of the @primevideo's #LordOfTheRings series. Prepare to be blown away by the scale and scope of #TheRingsofPower. I don’t know how they managed to pull this off, but they made a ‘Lord of the Rings’ show that feels like ‘Lord of the Rings.’ ½ pic.twitter.com/OTZjH41WTS
— Daniel Baptista – The Movie Podcast (@dbapz) August 24, 2022
Definetly watch it on the largest screen you can. The world is breathtaking #TheRingsofPower
— Brock MyLaughlin Romance (@brockmclaughlin) August 24, 2022
#TheRingsOfPower is truly an impressive feat. All the money is on the screen thru its impeccable production design, costumes & FX. Manages to wield the power of Tolkien’s fantastic world building while making unique & stunning touches of its own. Wonderful character work, too! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RS2zbWl8kA
The Lord of the Rings: #TheRingsOfPower instantly captured my imagination w/ captivating stories & characters in a Middle Earth that's both familiar & new.
The story/setup is so dense, however, the pacing in EPs 1 & 2 is rather slow, but it definitely leaves you wanting more. pic.twitter.com/nJJSHFMaLo
I've seen the first 2 episodes of #LordOfTheRings#TheRingsOfPower. It is stunningly gorgeous to look at, and the score is beautiful. It also takes a while to get going, and there's a LOT going on. But for fans of the movies, it'll take you right back at points once it's rolling.
The first 2 eps of #TheRingsOfPower are… so far, very great. The trailers have already shown the show’s brilliant visual spectacle the seeds are planted for a rich & intriguing story that left me wanting more.
@brockmclaughlin checked out #TheLordoftheRings#RingsofPower in LA: "From what we've seen so far, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is a much different beast than other fantasy shows out there in both presentation and story. It's bright, bold and full of hope" pic.twitter.com/56WHP5PXnn
I watched the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: it’s grand, bold, and ambitious, and I absolutely loved it. The shots of Middle-earth were stunning and I wish everyone could see it on the big screen pic.twitter.com/agmGn3PrbZ
I've seen #RingsofPower and I can say for certain you're in for a treat. Big, bold, and beautiful to behold. TBD if it'll sit alongside Jackson's films or deserve Tolkien's name, but for now it's all the maximalist pizazz one might expect from a historically expensive production. pic.twitter.com/Fgwh5L8eYC
I can now say that the first 2 episodes of #TheRingsOfPower are as cinematic as fantasy can be on TV. Feels made especially for Tolkien fans and is as *epic* as LOTR should be.
JA Bayona and cinematographer Óscar Faura continue to make magic together, a real dream duo. pic.twitter.com/YsBRrpf6Mb
this is just to say that i have seen the first two episodes of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER and am battening down the hatches to prepare for my old-and-yet-also-new hyperfixation
Amazon’s new #LordOfTheRings series #TheRingsOfPower is impressive. The massive budget just bleeds off the screen, and it *feels* like something that would fit alongside Jackson’s films. But even with such a huge world, it’s never overwhelming and keeps it’s focus.
“#TheRingsOfPower é uma obra-prima cinemática! A equipe visionária produziu um épico que mergulha em suas raízes e oferece uma história como nenhuma outra. Sua produção é incomparável, orquestrando com maestria uma mitologia que os fãs esperavam. Bravo!” @AJJetsetpic.twitter.com/KUwItXuKUd
Having seen the first two episodes of #RingsOfPower, I have to admit I was surprised how much I liked it. The lush and expansive series very much breathes new life into the franchise. And it’s a show that I think people will enjoy once they allow themselves to be sucked into it.
Here’s something you probably didn’t expect to hear. I thought #TheRingsOfPower was pretty great. Interesting new characters. Unusual locations. The looming threat of Sauron and some spectacular visual imagery. I devoured the episodes, and am excited to watch more. pic.twitter.com/uCTsjnLZpZ
I’ve seen the first bit of ‘Rings of Power’ and am immediately transfixed. It’s like being pulled back into Jackson’s trilogy, but this prequel is a stunning adventure that’s totally different. I cannot wait to see more. pic.twitter.com/OPqcvgbY96
Two episodes of #TheRingsOfPower in and … so far, so good! The production value is pretty remarkable. One breathtaking visual after the next, and the level of detail in the costume and production design is something else. As for the story/characters … pic.twitter.com/n2HeKHdKPM
I watched the first two episodes of #TheRingsOfPower and I was blown away. I was always more of a casual fan, with no great attachment to the source material, so I expected this to be too much for me. At times it is, but it's still engaging enough all I wanted was to know more.
RINGS OF POWER: I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen thus far — it’s often hard to tell where the VFXs end and the sets begin, Morfydd Clark is a damn star and the world is so well rendered — but it feels like the whole thing is a tightrope act that could still go either way.
"Rings of Power" is a cinematic experience. In a perfect world, we would watch it on a big screen. It's pure Tolkien and yet feels very connected to Peter Jackson's movies. The FX are brilliant, the acting is superb and the PROLOGUE itself will destroy any awful feeling you had. pic.twitter.com/OQujU0qOYP
#RingsOfPower are very much in the vein of the #LordOfTheRings films than the Hobbit. It is good stuff. You can see the budget at work. Acting is great. @LOTRonPrime
Watched the first 2 episodes of #TheRingsOfPower and it's a powerhouse of storytelling that reaffirms why I love LOTR and the kind of world building that empowers and inspires. Also, badass women. Can't forget about them! ❤️ @LOTRonPrime@PrimeVideopic.twitter.com/8ss0ixNb3n
I can finally publicly admit I've seen the first two episodes of #RingsOfPower and it is spectacular. I'm not enough of a #LOTR superfan, so I'm reacting to what I see on the screen. Which is a spectacular, complex worldview that rivals the Peter Jackson films.
"Os Anéis de Poder" não é a melhor coisa que vi na TV neste ano.
Foi a melhor coisa que vi neste ano.
PONTO.
Os dois primeiros episódios são puro suco de Tolkien (diálogos, diálogos!) ao mesmo tempo em que se conectam visualmente com os filmes de Peter Jackson. pic.twitter.com/7CLfk56V7t
I’ve seen the first two episodes of Rings of Power!
I really, really dig it so far. It’s slower, and I’m savouring all the build up. Beyond a couple of cheeky nods, it’s not trying to be Jackson’s trilogy, it’s standing apart on its own, and I am so excited to see where it goes
I've seen the first 2 eps of #TheRingsOfPower. Yes, it's as visually stunning as the trailer promises.
It also sets the stage well for the clearly epic tale heading our way. I liked some characters/storylines more than others, but I'm hooked & ready for more#TheLordOfTheRings
Just got out of the NYC premiere of Rings of Power, it was absolutely incredible. I’m so excited for everyone to see it because it was well worth the wait pic.twitter.com/DByGeJaVWw
I have seen the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and they are a total joy. Watching it feels like stepping back into Middle-earth. I cannot wait to see where this story goes.
Really, really fun. I remember buying the Silmarillion as a schoolboy when it was published and it very much not being the prequel I was hoping for. This is the sort of thing I wanted to experience back then. I'll watch the whole series when it drops, with enthusiasm. https://t.co/eEcGJvCOjk
The embargo is over and it's now safe to say I've been in Middle Earth! Saw the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power at a preview screening. Look forward to more #LOTRROP! In theaters 8/31 before 9/2 streaming on@PrimeVideo#jrrtolkien#LordOfTheRingspic.twitter.com/h6Dpla4m8h
After seeing the first two episodes of the series, many of my fears about the show have been assuaged and I’m looking forward to watching these stories unfold this fall. 2/2 #PrimeVideoCreator#TheRingsOfPower@LOTRonPrime@PrimeVideo
— Dana (Store Name) #AmplifyBlackVoices (@sagesurge) August 24, 2022
Gotta admit I wasn’t overly excited about #TheRingsofPower Then I watched the first 2 episodes & I’m fully converted. The production is beautiful w/ excellent blend of physical & VFX. Great cast who pull you into the various plots. It’s now on my ‘most excited to see more’ list pic.twitter.com/yxZbay2uXp
We're allowed to talk (a little) about #TheRingsOfPower now and the show is absolutely gorgeous. It's not a franchise I'm wildly familiar with, but it was still engaging and I'm curious to see more.
Yup, I’ve seen the first two episodes of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER. So far, it’s incredibly fun and promising, but moreover, gorgeous. Watch on the biggest screen you can. My only caveat is I can easily see how the plot could fall apart beyond Ep 2 or totally rule pic.twitter.com/c6pwFej8nC
Had the pleasure of joining a theater full of Tolkien fans in watching the first 2 episodes of #TheRingsOfPower . Can’t wait to say more, but there were more things for deep lore fans than I expected, and I walked away excited for what’s to come. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/f0T8IYJLuc
It looks like I had more of a mixed reaction to #TheLordOfTheRings#TheRingsOfPower than many of my peers 🤷🏻♂️ I’ll be unpacking what did and didn’t work for me about the show’s first two episodes over at @Polygon next week, so watch this space! pic.twitter.com/sSkSrQhWEW
Andy Serkis’ narration of The Fellowship of the Ring is now free on Audible through October 15th!
This year, Middle-earth comes home. Just say “Alexa, read The Lord of the Rings Book One” to hear Andy Serkis perform the timeless adventure, free on Alexa through Oct. 13. And watch the epic new series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, arriving Sept 2 on @PrimeVideo. pic.twitter.com/mbI6CLCD1H
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) August 18, 2022
Editorial note: Now THIS is marketing I can appreciate because it makes Tolkien more available! I’ve heard Andy read The Hobbit and have been waiting for that right time to listen to his read of LotR. So much Tolkien, such little time…
It appears that some, uh, overly enterprising leakers thought they could make a quick buck by posting the full OST of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to YouTube.
It was quickly caught and deleted. But, in the meantime, we were able discover a little over half of the track titles — and they provide interesting hints of what’s soon to come. Of the 37 tracks on the OST, the title theme is composed by Howard Shore, while the other 36 are by Bear McCreary.
Below are the titles of the first 19:
01. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Main Title
02. Galadriel
03. Khazad-dûm
04. Nori Brandyfoot
05. The Stranger
06. Númenor
07. Sauron
08. Valinor
09. In the Beginning
10. Elrond Half-elven
11. Durin IV
12. Harfoot Life
13. Bronwyn and Arondir
14. Halbrand
15. The Boat
16. Sundering Seas
17. Nobody Goes Off Trail
18. Elendil and Isildur
19. White Leaves
We can also now add the remaining track titles
20. The Secrets of the Mountain
21. Nolwa Mahtar
22. Nampat
23. A Plea to the Rocks
24. This Wandering Day
25. Scherzo for Violin and Swords
26. Sailing into the Dawn
27. For the Southlands
28. Cavalry
29. Water and Flame
30. In the Mines
31. The Veil of Smoke
32. The Mystics
33. Perilous Whisperings
34. The Broken Line
35. Wise One
36. True Creation Requires Sacrifice
37. Where the Shadows Lie
TORn does not condone piracy. Remember that the official release is around the corner, folks. You’ll very soon be able to stream the music to your heart’s delight via your favourite service, or even pick up a copy on physical media.
