Customer Reviews

Lord of the Rings; Symphonie No. 1

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

de Meij's Symphony 1: Lord of the Rings is a superbly written piece of music. Evocative, brooding, descriptive, and unmannered, it captures the essence of Gandalf, Shadowfax, Lothlorien, Gollum, the journey through Moria, and Hobbits in music. Especially effective is the Moria movement and the Hobbits melody; in both sections, de Meij seems to have been conversing with Tolkien himself while writing the music.

Be that as it may, this particular recording is not particularly well done. Balance is not good, and one loses some of the magic of the piece while listening for parts which seem to disappear from other recordings I've heard. The Dutch Royal Military Band did a far better recording a few years ago, and unfortunately I've not been able to find a new copy to replace the disc I wore out. This recording is passable but not the best version out there; unfortunately, it seems to be the only one readily available at this time.

No one can deny the scope and power of De Meij's visionary work for wind ensemble. This is truly one of the gems in the literature. However, this performance is singularly bad. The balance is unforgivable, the precision is nearly nonexistent, and it gets worse from there. Most other recordings are out of print, but De Meij recommends one by the Amsterdam Wind Orchestra, if you can find it. Whether or not you can find another recording, this one is a waste of your money. You'd do better to try and hum it.

I looked everywhere for a recording of the Lord of the Rings after having the opportunity to play it, and this is a great find. My only critique is on the tone of the soprano sax solo in the gollum mvmt, It's not up to par with other versions I've heard. They seem to do better with the powerful stuff then the more sensitive sections (which is usually the case with wind ensembles) All in all though I strongly recommend this piece, if you have never heard it, you need to.

De Meij's interpretation of aspects of Tolkien's world is accurate and breathtaking. Listening to this first symphony and viewing the renderings by Alan Lee and John Howe gives me great hope that the coming films have the potenital of being just as moving and expressive, maybe (do I dare say it?) even more.

Although I haven't listened to the above recording of the symphony, I highly highly recommend a recording with The Amsterdam Wind Orchestra under the direction of Arie van Beek. I think it is difficult to come by, but if you happen to come across it I strongly urge you to buy it. It also includes an arrangement by de Meij of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet (at least portions of it) arranged for wind orchestra. This is also quite good.
The label for this CD is JE Classic 900101.

I played the Hobbits in my high school band, and since then, it inspired me to read The Hobbit and The LOTR. Gandalf the Wizard is an excellent interpretation, with its bold power and its mournful lamenting. This is the best LOTR music I've heard, and I've listened to a lot. I'm not so fond of 4, but Gollum really grows on you. I love the Hobbits, the way it changes styles, from bouncy to troublesome to peaceful-(nice flugelhorn solo! )-to victorious. You must buy this!

When I first played the bass clarinet part for this piece at my summer camp, New England Music Camp, I could feel the power of the piece. Gandalf is one of my favorite movements. If you are serious about music and feel the need for a powerful piece, this is the one for you!

I have played several sections in this symphony but had never heard the whole thing all together until ordering this CD. It is a definate must for any serious musician or classical listener.

I don't know about the rest of the music on the CD, but deMeij's Lord of the Rings is exquisite. It fits the stories flawlessly. The music adds new body to the characters that we've read so much of. It perfectly complements the stories, and makes them all the more richer for the added musical dimension. If you like The Lord of the Rings, it's practically a must have!

It is important to have an understanding of a piece of music before simply popping off and giving a review. The symphony written by Johan De Meij is NOT a reflection of what middle earth music would sound like, it was not even written to intend that. The symphony was written to reflect and evoke the feelings, emotions, and aesthetics of the story itself. Therefore, to say the music does not reflect what one might interpret middle earth music to sound like would be completley inaccurate considering the piece wasn't even written to reflect that "genre" of music.

De Meij has created a musical masterpiece. Listening to the recording is almost as fun as actually playing the music. Fantastic!