Soundtracks of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy music was composed and conducted by Howard Shore. The scores use a technique called leitmotif, which is a musical phrase associated with a character, a feeling, an event, etc.

The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King's scores won Academy Awards in 2002 and 2004. The Return of the King also won an Academy Award for the Best Song.

Howard Shore composed a huge number of leitmotifs for the trilogy, some pinning the number as high as 80.

First appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring:

 * The One Ring theme: a minor-key string melody plays over the "Lord of the Rings" title card for all three films. Howard Shore hints in the production commentary for the film that it is a theme pertaining, in fact, to Gondor.
 * Concerning Hobbits. The theme for the Shire. On the soundtrack, it starts by a solo flute playing the theme, followed by a solo violin and then the complete orchestra repeating this theme. The track then quiets down and the solo flute plays a second melody, followed by the orchestra. The track ends with the violin and then the flute repeating the first melody.
 * The Black Riders.
 * Middle-earth motif.
 * Isengard. Ususally accompanied by a 5/4 rhythm in the percussion.
 * Lothlorien.
 * Nazgul motif.
 * Mordor theme. Played on the rhaita.
 * Fellowship theme.

First appearance in The Two Towers:

 * Gollum's motif.
 * Éowyn's theme. Using open fifth intervals (lacking the third of the chord -- this lack means that the chords cannot be defined as major or minor).
 * Rohan motif. Featuring the hardanger fiddle.
 * Evenstar.
 * The March of the Ents, though the theme was first heard while Gandalf was trapped in Isengard.

First appearance in The Return of the King:

 * Minas Tirith/Realm of Gondor Theme, though this was hinted at during the Council of Elrond, and also existed in the Extended Two Towers DVD.
 * Mitrandir/Grey Havens theme. Featured in Into the West, by Annie Lennox.

Songs

 * May It Be (FotR).
 * Nominated for Academy Award best song (2001).
 * Gollum's Song (TT).
 * Into the West (RotK).
 * Won the Academy Award for best song (2003).

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
First release by Reprise Records. It (and all Lord soundtracks) was released on that label as it is also Enya's label on which she records.

Track listing

 * 1) The Prophecy – 3:54
 * 2) Concerning Hobbits – 2:55
 * 3) The Shadow of the Past – 3:33
 * 4) The Treason of Isengard – 4:01
 * 5) The Black Rider – 2:48
 * 6) At the Sign of the Prancing Pony – 3:14
 * 7) A Knife in the Dark – 3:34
 * 8) Flight to the Ford – 4:15
 * 9) Many Meetings – 3:05
 * 10) The Council of Elrond Enya – 3:49
 * 11) The Ring Goes South – 2:03
 * 12) A Journey in the Dark – 4:20
 * 13) The Bridge of Khazad Dum – 5:57
 * 14) Lothlorien – 4:34
 * 15) The Great River – 2:43
 * 16) Amon Hen – 5:02
 * 17) The Breaking of the Fellowship – 7:21
 * 18) May It Be – 4:16

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Complete Recordings
Second release by Reprise Records. This release also includes a DVD-Audio disc containing the entire score in 5.1 and 2.0 surround sound (at 48 kHz, 24-bit).

Disc one

 * 1) Prologue: One Ring To Rule Them All – 7:16
 * 2) The Shire – 2:29
 * 3) Bag End – 4:35
 * 4) Very Old Friends – 3:12
 * 5) Flaming Red Hair – 2:39
 * 6) Farewell Dear Bilbo – 1:45
 * 7) Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe – 8:45
 * 8) A Conspiracy Unmasked – 6:09
 * 9) Three Is Company – 1:58
 * 10) The Passing Of The Elves – 2:39
 * 11) Saruman The White – 4:09
 * 12) A Shortcut To Mushrooms – 4:07
 * 13) Strider – 2:34
 * 14) The Nazgul – 6:04

Disc two

 * 1) Weathertop – 2:14
 * 2) The Caverns Of Isengard – 4:54
 * 3) Give Up The Halfling – 4:49
 * 4) Orthanc – 1:06
 * 5) Rivendell – 3:26
 * 6) The Sword That Was Broken – 3:34
 * 7) The Council Of Elrond Assembles – 4:01
 * 8) The Great Eye – 5:30
 * 9) Gilraen's Memorial – 5:01
 * 10) The Pass Of Caradhras – 5:04
 * 11) The Doors Of Durin – 6:03
 * 12) Moria – 2:27
 * 13) Gollum – 2:26
 * 14) Balin's Tomb – 8:30

Disc three

 * 1) Khazad-dum – 8:00
 * 2) Caras Galadhon – 9:20
 * 3) The Mirror Of Galadriel – 6:21
 * 4) The Fighting Uruk-hai – 11:32
 * 5) Parth Galen – 9:13
 * 6) The Departure Of Boromir – 5:29
 * 7) The Road Goes Ever On... (Part 1) – 5:58
 * 8) May It Be – 3:26
 * 9) The Road Goes Ever On... (Part 2) – 3:41

Track listing

 * 1) Foundations of Stone – 3:51
 * 2) The Taming of Smeagol – 2:48
 * 3) The Riders of Rohan – 4:05
 * 4) The Passage of the Marshes – 2:46
 * 5) The Uruk-hai – 2:58
 * 6) The King of the Golden Hall – 3:49
 * 7) The Black Gate is Closed – 3:17
 * 8) Evenstar (Featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian) – 3:15
 * 9) The White Rider – 2:28
 * 10) Treebeard – 2:43
 * 11) The Leave Taking – 3:41
 * 12) Helm's Deep – 3:53
 * 13) The Forbidden Pool – 5:27
 * 14) Breath of Life (Featuring Sheila Chandra) – 5:07
 * 15) The Hornburg – 4:36
 * 16) Forth Eorlingas (Featuring Ben Del Maestro) – 3:15
 * 17) Isengard Unleashed (Featuring Elizabeth Fraser & Ben Del Maestro) – 5:01
 * 18) Samwise the Brave – 3:46
 * 19) Gollum's Song (Performed By Emiliana Torrini) – 5:51
 * 20) Farewell to Lorien (Featuring Hilary Summers) – 4:37 1

1 — Only included on the Limited Edition release of the album.

Track listing

 * 1) A Storm is Coming – 2:52
 * 2) Hope and Memory – 1:45
 * 3) Minas Tirith – 3:37
 * 4) The White Tree – 3:25
 * 5) The Steward of Gondor – 3:53
 * 6) Minas Morgul – 1:58
 * 7) The Ride of the Rohirrim – 2:08
 * 8) Twilight and Shadow – 3:30
 * 9) Cirith Ungol – 1:44
 * 10) Andúril – 2:35
 * 11) Shelob's Lair – 4:07
 * 12) Ash and Smoke – 3:25
 * 13) The Fields of the Pelennor – 3:26
 * 14) Hope Fails – 2:20
 * 15) The Black Gate Opens – 4:01
 * 16) The End of All Things – 5:12
 * 17) The Return of the King – 10:14
 * 18) The Grey Havens – 5:59
 * 19) Into the West – 5:49
 * 20) Use Well The Days* - 3:07                                                                                                                       * Avaliabe on certain versions of Album