CD Review: Music Inspired by Middle Earth

I'm a big "Lord of the Rings" fan. I adore the books but dislike the movies more every time I watch them. This particular CD by David and Diane Arkenstone (or the Elbereth Orchestra or Middle Earth Orchestra... yeah, too many names, depending on which site you listen to it on) showed up on rhapsody for me a few months back due to a "best of" album which featured the song "Arwen and Aragon." I wasn't a big fan of the album at first, but listening to the entire thing via youtube changed my mind. And so, in honor of the 74th birthday of Tolkien's book "The Hobbit"....

"Prelude/ Hobbits of the Shire"

The CD opens up with a dark song that reminds me of a marching army, but this eventually becomes a happy, folksy tune, which likely is like a theme for hobbits.

"The Road to Rivendell"

This song is happy and bouncy, sounding like several friends going for a long, fun tramp inn the woods. Even though I think this piece is a little bit light compared to the book's dark portrayal of the journey, it's very catchy and could fit with the hobbits going around the Shire before the ringwraiths started chasing them

"The Quest"

This piece has a majestic feel to it, with the flutes serving as the hobbits' theme. This makes me think of the Fellowship first starting out and the first part of their journey, before it becomes much darker.

"Moria"

This is a very dark and shadowy piece. Unlike Howard Shore's version, Arkenstone creates an atmosphere that makes you shiver when you think of how Tolkien wrote about the darkness of the abandoned mine of Moria; Diane Arkenstone's vocals definitely add to the creepiness of the song. There is a brief part of the song where there is a sound that reminds me of glittering, that I guess may refer to the mithril that is mined there. This is one of my favorite songs on the album.

"Lothlorien"

This is a tender and pretty song, I think capturing Tolkien's Lothlorien much better than Howard Shore did.

"Galadriel's Mirror"

This is a beautiful piece. It focuses on Diane's ethereal vocals, and a stringed instrument at times serves as a hobbit's theme. It comes across as a little too pretty for the mirror scene in the book, but it's still a lovely piece of music. This is another one of my favorites from the album.

"The Riders of Rohan"

This song is majestic and bouncy. When I listen to it, I can see a group of proud riders riding across the plains of Rohan, bouncing in their seats and the wind in their hair. This is yet another highlight of the album.

"The Palantir"

This song is a little more electronic than the rest of the album, which captures the atmosphere well. It is mysterious sounding, and the electronics make me think of the spinning palantir.

"Arwen and Aragorn"

This song is what first introduced me to the rest of the album, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It is a graceful romantic piece, and I always think of a loving couple being together. There is a bit in the middle of the song that sounds like a hobbit theme and thus almost doesn't fit, but it works. This is my absolute favorite off of the album.

"To Isengard"

This is a majestic-sounding piece that makes me think of a marching army. The hobbits have their own theme at one point, as evidenced by a stringed instrument and the harp, but it quickly returns to the previous marching theme. It's not one of my personal favorites from the album.

"In the Land of Shadow"

If you thought Moria was creepy, then this song about Mordor is even creepier. The atmosphere is dark and makes me think of a post-apocalyptic landscape, where the hobbits trudge onwards against all odds. There is a brief marching section in the middle of the piece, which I think could refer to when Sam and Frodo are accidentally impressed into the orc army. This is another favorite of mine from the album.

"The Field of Cormallen"

After the darkness of Mordor, you get a triumphant, majestic theme to celebrate the triumph of the fellowship over the Dark Lord.

"The Gray Havens"

This is an ethereal piece which captures the atmosphere of the Gray Havens and Frodo and the elves sailing away. It's a very nice conclusion to the entire album.

This album is vastly different from the music that Howard Shore composed and, in some areas, I think captures the atmosphere and mood of the books much better. In other areas, I think the music is a little too light-hearted for the books. Even though David Arkenstone is known for his electronic New Age style, he does very well in his interpretation of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Even if you're not a Lord of the Rings fan, the music is lovely on its own grounds. I highly recommend it, as it is one of the few albums where I enjoy the entire thing.

I give this four and a half stars out of five.