# Lord of the Rings



## jane_pollitt (Jan 13, 2009)

I am new to forums and new to classical music. I enjoy listening to the film score from Lord of the Rings, especially the first 8 tracks from the fellowship and I would love to find more music like this. I do listen to other classical music on classic FM but as it is a new genra to me I have difficulty remembering the names of composers and movements etc. If anyone can help me find some music similar to Lord of the Rings I would be extremely grateful. Jane


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## LvB (Nov 21, 2008)

I don't have the soundtrack, so I'm not sure what the first eight cuts are-- but if it's the pastoral sound associated with the Shire which you like, you should definitely give Ralph Vaughan Williams's _Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis_ a listen, along with his third symphony. For more dramatic music to which Howard Shore is deeply indebted, listen to Gustav Holst's _The Planets_ and William Walton's first symphony. You'd probably like the music of Granville Bantock and Charles Parry also; the former is rather more dramatic and the latter more rustic in sound, but there's enough variety in both to give you something to latch on to. Try also George Chadwick's _Aphrodite_, which has a great deal of both dramatic and truly beautiful writing in it.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Hello Jane. I do love that soundtrack too - especially the way it goes from nearly a celtic feel to an epic sword and sandal type soundtrack feel in an instant, and the transitions are seamless.

I can't think of any classical music off the top of my head that quite has the same effect (I'm sure there are some), but you might try *Jean Sibelius* or *Anton Bruckner* or *Ralph Vaughan-Williams*, especially his _Fantasia on a Them by Thomas Tallis._ But then I recommend that to everybody for everything.

I envy your having all the this great music you are about to discover. Enjoy.

[Edit: Evidently LVB thought along similar lines while I was typing.^ I feel upheld.]


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## jane_pollitt (Jan 13, 2009)

Thank you for the replies, they are very helpful . 

LvB I take it your recommendations are albums rather than single tracks?

can any of you suggest wher I can sample the music you have recommende before I buy it?

Your help is much appreciated. Thank you


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## LvB (Nov 21, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> LvB I take it your recommendations are albums rather than single tracks?
> 
> can any of you suggest where I can sample the music you have recommended before I buy it?


Yes-- I tend to recommend composers rather than particular recordings. In the case of Bantock the choices are limited, and the main ones are all with Vernon Handley and the Royal Philharmonic on the Hyperion label. I would suggest starting with _Fifine at the Fair_, which is quite extended and covers a wide range of moods, though possibly the _Celtic Symphony_ would be more to your taste initially. Parry is in much the same situation; there was once a Naxos recording of his second symphony, but it seems to have been deleted, which leaves the top choice for any of the symphonies being Matthias Bamert with the London Philharmonic on Chandos. Personally, I think the 5th symphony is the best, but you might want to start with the third, the so-called "English" symphony. With Chadwick the best recording is Jose Serebrier with the Brno State Philharmonic on the Reference label (the Naxos recording is pretty good as well). As to the Holst piece-- there are so many recordings out there that I'd scarcely know where to begin.

As to hearing the music beforehand, I don't quite know what to suggest. Probably the label websites would have small excerpts, but they might be misleading. Do you live near an NPR music station? Most of these have a scheduled request program, and you might be able to hear at least substantial excerpts if not entire pieces simply by requesting them-- though this would take some time overall....

Two other pieces have come to mind since my first reply: Arnold Bax's evocation of the Irish coastline _Tintagel_ (many recordings) and the Symphony #3 of Ludolf (not Carl) Nielsen (only one recording of which I know: Frank Cramer with the Bamberg Symphony on the DaCapo label). Again, the music covers a wide range of sounds and emotions, but it's lushly romantic and often quite powerful.

Enjoy! 

Edit: Well, duh! I forgot to suggest the most obvious resource for pre-purchase listening: your local library. They probably won't have everything on the lists you're getting, but they should have at least some of the pieces, and for free, too!

It also occurs to me to suggest two other pieces. Neither of these sounds much like Howard Shore, yet if you're really responding to the underlying serenity of the quieter parts of Shore's score you might find these appealing (and they're very likely to be in your library): Beethoven Symphony #6, "Pastoral," and Mahler Symphony #3. These are arguably the two greatest 'Nature' symphonies ever written, and there is much of great beauty, as well as drama, in both.


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## mueske (Jan 14, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Thank you for the replies, they are very helpful .
> 
> LvB I take it your recommendations are albums rather than single tracks?
> 
> ...


You can always try Youtube, not the best of quality, but to get familiar with some pieces, it's a good source to start with. From my experience at least.

Try something on Youtube, if you like it, go out and buy it, that's how I do it.


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## jane_pollitt (Jan 13, 2009)

Wow, thank you so much. I will try the local library and I will try youtube too (thanks Mueske).
LVB, when I have listened to your suggestions, I will let you know what I think. Thanks again for all your advice


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