"Theme for Rohan" by Chance Thomas скачать в хорошем качестве

"Theme for Rohan" by Chance Thomas

From Chance Thomas, "I'll never forget my first hearing of the Rohan refrain composed by Howard Shore for 2002's The Two Towers. As the Hardanger melody rang out across the theater, I was completely mesmerized. This was the Rohan of my dreams, suddenly given voice in melody! It was stunningly, intuitively perfect. Of all the themes to be found running through Peter Jackson's trilogy, this one really resonated with me. Fast forward 10 years. LOTRO has tasked me with creating a theme for their Rohan, a new and different theme than Shore's. What? How is this possible??? Shore's theme was so perfect in the film. The only way I could approach such a task was to think about Rohan in broader terms than the movie presented. How does one more broadly define Rohan? A storied nation in decline? A land simmering on the verge of all-out war? Anglo-Saxon reference with Medieval overtones? Hearty people, individual and family tenderness, triumph and tragedy, crops and kinships, determined men and women, though wary and weary? Nobility, hope, sadness and uncertainty? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes! All of these intangibles somehow had to thread themselves through a new theme for Rohan. And so it begins. The theme is introduced on classical violin played in a Celtic fiddle style. The initial modality is minor, setting up the somber tone. The melody moves on hooks of appoggiatura, so prevalent in Old English music. This places the theme squarely in the Northwestern European tradition, tying it tightly to Tolkien's Anglo-Saxon source material. Other instruments join the theme, including European Whistle, Bass Recorder and Uillean Pipes. All of these colors come from Northwestern Europe of centuries past, clueing us again that the theme is contemporary to the rise of Anglo-Saxon culture. The progressing harmonies alternate between minor and major tonalities, suggesting the ongoing struggle of the Rohirrim. Triplet melodies against a 6/4 meter further reinforce the cultural resonance. As our new theme approaches its apex, there is a strong triumphant modulation toward a sense of ultimate victory. And yet the resolve, though major, is a weak resolve (adding even a suspension to the chord) leaving a fragile uncertainty hanging in the air. These ample cultural tie-ins and musical devices are certainly geeky. But they're meaningless if the tune fails to transport LOTRO's players to the Rohan of their imaginations while playing the game. Ultimately, this is the test of all thematic music, a test which I hope desperately to pass. Time and taste will tell if I rose to triumph or fell to ruin in my quest to hit the mark."