The Fellowship of the Ring at Radio City Music Hall – Review

Posted by Samuel Walters

Visceral.

It is, perhaps, the best way to summarize the experience of hearing the entire soundtrack to The Fellowship of the Rings performed live to a big screen presentation of the theatrical release of the film as part of the Lord of the Rings at Radio City Music Hall concert series. The evening was filled with music and, yes, magic. You almost have to be there to understand just how powerful the music to The Lord of the Rings can be, when performed live. That isn’t to say you cannot appreciate and be moved by the score on CD or mp3. Rather, it’s a testament to how music takes on a life of its own when performed live. And the union of live music to the classic film was, if nothing else, visceral.

The evening began with a 20-25 minute discussion between Howard Shore, the composer of The Lord of the Rings scores, and Doug Adams, author of The Music of The Lord of the Rings. The pair discussed the roots and beginnings of the scores, the evolution of the many leitmotifs that make the score so rich, and the prospects of a return to Middle Earth with the making of the two Hobbit films. It was a relaxed, free-flowing and informative conversation and presentation. Highlights included: Shore discussion of how the structure of Tolkien’s text – from story elements down to cultures and lunar cycles – influenced his compositions; the mention of how the Gondor theme, heard during the Council of Elrond, was an example of how the score was meant to grow, organically, as the films unfolded; and, of course, Shore’s enthusiasm on composing for The Hobbit.

But, of course, that was just the beginning.

When the film finally began, with the orchestra playing the first strains of the “History of the Ring” theme, it was immediately clear how different this viewing experience of The Fellowship of the Ring would be. On a technical level, the performance was flawless … the 21st Century Orchestra, led by conductor Ludwick Wicki, kept pace with all three hours of the epic film. But more importantly, the organic feel of live music infused the entire evening with an otherworldly emotion. If you hadn’t felt pulled into the world of Middle Earth before, this performance surely would have done the trick. The subtle differences between the recorded film score and the live performance – mostly nuances in performance – made the entire film seem, somehow, new again. Fresh. Vibrant.

Perhaps the best confluence of sight and sound came during the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. The thundering drums and guttural chorus made the danger and violence of Gandalf’s confrontation with the Balrog seem incredibly real. But of course, that wasn’t the only fantastic moment. The building crescendo of the “Fellowship Theme” at the Council of Elrond was a crowd pleaser. The desperate battle between the Fellowship and the Uruk-hai at Amon Hen was driven by the violently forceful “Isengard Theme.” And Frodo’s lakeside contemplation, as Gandalf’s voice echoes in his mind was wonderfully moving.

Perhaps what the performance allowed for was a more intimate viewing of the film – seemingly a contradiction given the mammoth size and scope of Radio City Music Hall. But that’s precisely what it was: emotional, moving, intimate.

The only criticisms I could give are exceedingly minor. For starters, the mix between the sound of the film and the performance of the score is very different from what viewers are used to from the theater, or home systems. The higher volume of music makes the few scenes absent of a score all the more noticeable. Given that the point of the film is to hear the score performed live, though, it’s hardly a flaw. More awkward, though, is the use of subtitles in the film. They were obviously included because of the few moments when the score rose above the dialogue (and really, this happened perhaps less than a half-dozen times). As a result, I’d have preferred to leave the subtitles off altogether. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it, but this is more of a subjective, aesthetic point, rather than a technical one.

All told, this was, as Bilbo would say, “a night to remember.” Within the cavernous confines of Radio City Music Hall, the music to The Lord of the Rings took on a life of its own, conjuring a performance of The Fellowship of the Ring that was, as I said to begin, visceral.

Oh … and in case you’re wondering if you’ve missed out entirely … do not fret! Next year will see the performance of The Two Towers, on October 8 & 9, 2010.