V. Hobbits. The Lord of the Rings. Johan de Meij

[97MusicChic]

We are playing this in my highschool band

I never realized the song is this long

As a freshmen I need as much practice as I can get

I never played music anywhere near this grade b4

[hawksong312]

We're playing this in my college band. I didn't like it at first because I am absolutely in love with Howard Shore's music based on the movies, but this movement changed my mind. It really captures the lifestyle of the hobbits in the Shire and just makes me want to smile. :)

[MrProbin30]

Ah, senor year of high school wind ensemble all over again. :)

[MrRocknost]

The one thing the movie has over this is the chorus. Those voices really add a lot of feeling to the picture. I think there is a lot more musicality in Johan de Meij's version though. More contrasting and interweaving themes and such. I mean you really don't need a visual aid to know what Johan was trying to depict through his music. Simply magnificent.

[Sarahx30STM]

I play this with my orchestra ! (:

[MinecraftingPlatypus]

Listening to this while playing skyrim=Win.

[ThePatrickMacalister]

@MinecraftingPlatypus Listening to this while attaching fake hair to your feet and jumping around in your room = win

[hrcurtis1]

@fergalga, isn't there a sixth movement to this symphony called The Sorcerer's Apprentice? I see this fifth movement is the last of this symphony that you uploaded.

[Gibbsdu29]

1st trumpet 1:38 <3

[utupoe111]

This song is like a lifetime. It begins new and exciting, has it's scary and dark parts, and ends on a gentle, peaceful note.

[MuffinMrs]

played it and it's so cool :)

[lyAnneee]

It makes me happy when I'm listening, but it's a little bit boring to play (saxophone).

[StarWarsChick27]

2 people never made it out of Mordor.

[Shordanna20]

I love 3rd trombone for this movement <3

[themadmallard]

wow, this recording is ridiculously bright.

[orcinus74]

Hobbits never once crossed my mind when listening to or playing this piece.

[LilDrummerBoy74]

@orcinus74 I'd imagine you are using the Hobbits as portrayed in the film as your reference point. This piece was written well before the movies were made (1984). This is an entirely different interperetation, which also explains the imaginative artwork in the slideshow which little resembles the visuals portrayed in the films.

[Shordanna20]

@orcinus74 Not even the cut time?

[TrueWorship95]

I played this in symphonic band my freshman year!!! It was great!!! :)

[DannyDaWriter]

Yeah, Mahler was a genius, I agree.

[ParisDakota]

Anyone think that at 5:20 the music sounds almost exactly like Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera? Seriously, its uncanny. I know they were both released around the same time too... :)

[FuMrDolphin]

@ParisDakota I see your point, but the only thing they have in common is the octave jump :) very well heard tho! :)

[ThomasSurrett]

@ParisDakota This music was actually compsed by Johan De Meij way before the movies came out.

[Baileyplaysthesax]

@ParisDakota It totally does!!! I just watched phantom like an hour ago xD Totally does. You could almost sing along to it.

[folkie1946]

@ParisDakota I heard this performed last night live, and as it was playing it hit me as soon as I heard it.

[cdjbear87]

I remember when I first heard about the Lord of the Rings movies, I couldn't wait to hear de Meij. But alas they went a different musical route. The music in this symphony is a musical interpretation to the book. So I guess it would undermine the placement of the music if it were the score to the movies themselves.

[Seraliena]

@cdjbear87 I completely agree with you. However, this piece is growing on me, so I suppose it wasn't so bad. Love the beginning so much. :D

[Wierdoinc]

not that I don't like Howard Shore's soundtrack, but they should have hired this guy for the LOTR movies

[CHRIS1974100]

nice painting for a great music 

[EXW9]

i had the honor to play this music as solist clarinet with 15 years old, and its so ... don´t have words, i can´t whait to play this again, specialy as a solist, in Chaves

[Trombonist777]

I got the privilage to play this in my college wind ensemble and I loved the music! I would give anything to get to perform this again!

[higuma75]

It's a great piece of music, but it doesn't capture the Hobbits at all. Parts of it remind me more of a story in the Old West. Fitting for some campy western movie, but Hobbits? Not so much.

[cemckenna721]

@higuma75 i've seen the movie and read the books a gazillion times. I love them. I think it reminds me of them lol :) espicially between 1:20-3:20 and i think you might hav been looking at the pics to much. Because the pics are very campy looking lol :)

[utupoe111]

mommy, does it have to be over?

[Reaperboy97]

I'm so happy that we're playing this in band this year! It is truly an awesome piece. Got 1st bassoon. :3

[utupoe111]

awww. its over :(

[TwiTheVillain]

I love this! Its my favorite of all the movements in this series! It is SO MUCH FUN to play on trumpet! :D

[PermanentTransparent]

FRENCH HORN FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CouldBeGas]

@PermanentTransparent de meij tested some chops on these....i was euphonium

[2br00tal216]

FUCK YEAH FRENCH HORN

[railroadmann]

Love the music

[annj60]

I would love to live in a world where you could hear this music wherever you went...

[pilita650]

Wow!!!

Beautiful, speechless.

[crocodiledundee666]

I played it twice in an orchestra. As a french horn player you'll love this piece!!

[RebirthROsBaDKiD]

@mvick2207 Vesuvius is a great piece as well (:

I'm in love with this song though P:

[71196jmg]

playing the wind ensemble version for band this semester. were screwed

[Mvick2207]

I played 3rd Trumpet Part for this song.....still pretty hard of a song. I played this song and Vesuvius for band class

[DonavanJerles]

@Mvick2207 I played second :P the question is what grade were u in when you played it?

[daniel60104]

@DonavanJerles I played first + solo flugelhorn at 4:17 during national competition several years back... this is one kick-ass piece!

[TheWiseman97]

@Mvick2207 trumpet ftw!

[Cowmelk]

these songs should be in the actual movie.

[BaalWithin]

@Cowmelk How in God's name can you call this and all the other movements songs?!?!?! >.<

[thestogs]

@BaalWithin because they're songs...

[BaalWithin]

@thestogs Songs are mean't to be sung. And there is no singing in this movement or the other ones.

[SaxophoneJ]

@Cowmelk Umm, it is in the actual movie haha.

[laasurfer]

@SaxophoneJ It's good to know they at least looked at this music before doing the scoring for the movie. Probably didn't use it because it's hard to break up a symphony for a movie...

[theguywithlonghair]

@Cowmelk Peter Jackson wanted these in the movie. But when he approached Johan de Maij he was turned down. de meij said that this was his own personal interpretation of the books and that Jackson would have to come up ith his own for his movie.

[KarenTheRetroHippie]

I live for the sweet countermelody in the cellos at 2:29. SO GOOOOD.

[xKittenKissesx]

We are playing this in my high school band and all of the brass keep singing it! I play flute so I'm not exactly to fond of it as much as they are. :P

[ApollonPythios]

Can't agree with you there, these strings sound wonderful!

[cpthornman]

@ApollonPythios Orchestra always seems to make it better.

[TimOaks]

Wow we played this song in high school. I hadn't heard this since then.

[samhandwich07]

Looking at the whole song I prefer the original, but I think my favorite part from any performance of the piece is the way the beginning is played in this version. 

[Bugleur]

Good, but the original for Wind orchestre is bester !

[kaden921]

I love when past a present band geeks can come together and truly enjoy a work of art that binds us all together somehow. Whether we played it 3 years ago or 30.

[sodapop976865]

Okay... who the heck disliked this?

[couragegirl1]

Johan de Meij came to our college and guest conducted the band I'm in about a week ago. We played a few of his Irish-themed pieces, and he guest conducted us in our performance. That was the first standing ovation I've seen in my 9 years of playing in bands. Now we're playing this piece, and performing it in a few days. I wish he could have stayed at our school for awhile longer. He's a great conductor and a really, really nice guy. He expects perfection, but obviously it paid off for us. :)

[BrettGilioMusic]

@couragegirl1 There is nothing wrong with reaching for perfection :). My moto is We strive for perfection, but excellence will do. Luck is when preparation and opportunity meet. I am also a musician for over 10 years. Check out my channel and listen to some of my works? :)

[Owlduke]

@Chimeramaster: no it is not, it is without a doubt trumpet. That melody is heard in the trombones much later in the piece.

[polarkrackin]

I saddens me that parts of this score were not incorporated into the movies. This symphony is better than that soundtrack any day, but yeah, this was not made to correspond with a movie.

[Chimeramaster]

@robster5510: That's actually a trombone. lol

But yes, much epic trumpets in this song! Actually, lots of epic everything in this song! =)

[jck1794]

@Chimeramaster nah 1:37 is a trumpet haha but, yes - epic epic :)

[Owlduke]

Is this the official arrangement? If so, I like the original wind orchestra part MUCH more. Though truthfully, this is even more majestic.

[robster5510]

epic trumpet!!!!!! 1:37 especially

[BrettGilioMusic]

This piece as a whole. All 5 movements. Every part for every instrument is just so... epically envailed.

[MrShimmy18]

Tell me how i get chillz everytime i hear this wonderful music. hobbits<50cent

[AWECEO]

Start and finish strong right? The trumpets set the entire tone open and close/

[cleonasedai]

I loved playing this back when I was in HS. I played Euph and I <3 the part.

[laben71111]

Played this in high school was my favorite piece to play then and its great to hear now. I will say I like it better without the strings This and Gandalf are my favorite movements, Gandalf is a little harder but this movement has such a lively flavor. I think everytime we played it I felt totally energized after we were done.

[Panjaquomi]

Man. This is a FANTASTIC 45 minute symphony! Thumbs up if you think that this is the music that should be in the movies!

[Oathblivion]

@Panjaquomi I realize this is about 4 months late, but after listening to the entire thing, instead of individual movements, I'm almost certain Howard Shore was inspired by it. I guess that counts for something, right, even if the movie adaptation could've used less synth, in my humble opinion.

[christianmatthe]

@Panjaquomi

have you even seen the symphony used in the movies? cause its phenomenal too.

[Panjaquomi]

@christianmatthe Indeed, but this was written before the movies using only the books for inspiration. The bamflitude of this piece is OFF THE FRIGGIN' CHARTS!

[ricwade77]

I think the French Horns really phoned it in on this one.....LOL! J/k AMAZING horn players.

[pogobi]

@Jmcc1993: I love the fact that my Orchestra is playing this piece now thanks to my wish to play it (and im 1st horn, hurr!)

Just so much fun. Actually, every part of this symphony is!

[Jmcc1993]

Love the horn as 1:21 and at 2:27

[ariastoteles]

Bravo, Hobbits!

[ShiroiTsu]

We played this back in middle school. This is the song that I started playing trombone on. <3

[paradox56533]

this is really a beautiful piece. i played the first movement of this symphony before and i wish i had played this movement instead. its amazingly breathtakeing

[EvaAngelofMusic]

We played it last weekend. Loved it!!

[nobbynooby]

played this last night :) twas awesome :)

[LiquorWithJazz]

So yeah... about criticizing the London Symphony, that probably isn't the best thing to do considering they're widely considered the best orchestra in the world right now.

[euphoniakmad]

Not.....

This year the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam is actualy the best...

It was in the news...

Nevertheless, LSO rocks!

grts

Euphoniakmad

[musicmaniacx123]

I love this song.

[stupefy07]

i think this is one of the most dragged out endings i've ever heard. lollll but i looooove this piece and gandalf too! so good!!!!

[ramarrevan]

@stupefy07 its supposed to be. if you have seen or read the return of the king at the end all it is is a boat leaving off for the grey havens. it ends on a mysterious note, so the piece ends in a silent mystery, it mirrors the actual story.

[stupefy07]

@ramarrevan actually i have seen the movie and read the book so i know how it ends...i just thought it was funny

[sAmdud3]

haha this song is so cool, my middle school symphonic band is playing it this year

[sugarkisses888]

Aww, we played this when I was in high school band back in 1996. Such good memories!! :)

[grappleguy77]

@sugarkisses888 I am sure that it was a good performance, but I dont think that present the requirements of a piece like this on high school students i always a good idea. This is a long and demanding piece. Killing the chops on everyone and I am sure and reducing the level of excellence and goals down to just making it through the piece, which by the way is REALLY long. I am interested...did you enjoy playing it or was it a real struggle? This is really hard stuff to do well.

[wwwhyperforgamescom]

@grappleguy77 My high school band is playing this also, the concert band arrangement obviously, and we aren't having any trouble with it. The brass' chops are fine and there have been no problems except for intonation at the beginning between our bassoons and tubas. I am really enjoying playing this (being on 1st trumpet) and don't feel that my ensemble is 'just making it through the piece' but instead providing a wonderful musical experience for the ensemble members and the audience.

[laben71111]

@grappleguy77 IMO having played this in high school and took it to 1's at state I'd say any H.S. band worth its salt should be able to do this piece justice since we were definitely not any sort of powerhouse.

[auntiedena72]

This is so beautiful. Its absolutely mesmorizing.

[ijkanov]

the symphony was written specifically for a wind band, and the orchestral arrangement does sound musically inferior. don't get me wrong, this is superbly played and i have nothing against arrangements/adaptations, but emotionally I just prefer it in the original form. maybe that's to do with me having played tuba for this piece in my school band :)

[Atreus21]

Frankly I'm unsure. The strings sound nice, but maybe you're right.

[piccolomaniac]

I agree that the orchestral arrangement is missing a certain something--the effect of the clarinet-choir-like scoring of the section around 3:57 (which my high-school band director used to call the "hobbit hymn" :D), for instance, just isn't there.

[chazums1898]

why did they need to arrange it for orchestra?

[wannabedesi]

Yay syncopated woodblocks! Very happy tune, and very open...

[Rule1717]

Well done :) But I like the original wind-orchestra version better actually. Especially at 3:57; that melody should be played by 1 clarinet only, sooo beautifull..

[laben71111]

@Rule1717 I agree completely.

[jojolien23]

@Rule1717 we played it with our orchestra and there the clarinets played it (with a few) I melt because it was so beautifull

[KarenTheRetroHippie]

@Rule1717

I agree. I like the Hobbits better for a wind-orchestra. I think Gandalf is better with the full orchestra...the impacts are just spine tingling.

[71196jmg]

@Rule1717 nononononono. my school is playing this and our clarinets suck. not a good idea

[InvaderSak]

@Rule1717 we're playing this this year and that one part is only me and my clarinet haha

[eiyven]

Dude, my high school band is trying to play this right now. I love the flute part at 1:30. :D

[fredericobazzan]

Me too...

[JosiahTheBone]

You can't be in a bad mood while listening to this piece - and the occasional lovely bass trombone part doesn't hurt that!

[swimaholic123]

Playing this song in band right now!!!

[Witch1993]

This tune is so bouncy and happy. :)

[kyle7447]

go trumpet!

[stupefy07]

baaaahhhhh listening to this is so awesommmeeeee especially if you listen to gandalf then this peice, they flor nicely together haha

[Absoltastic]

My high school's wind symphony might be doing this. It looks pretty cool

[vmlnm]

Magnifico...

[Was0mache0ich0eigent]

in my opinion it gives lot better versions of this piece

[09demons]

cette musique est la meilleure de tous les mouvement !!!

vive les cors !!!

[SPARTAbassist]

Every song is more fun to play buddy. Even so, listening to this beautiful music gives me such peace I feel as if i am in Tolkien's marvelous world. That's one thing you can't do while playing...........

[monarchsoccer]

This song is a lot more fun to play than to listen to, in my opinion.

[maxyboy712]

1st trumpet part...Amazing

[kyle7447]

@maxyboy712 Yeah im playing it now in high school. its awesome!

[BluenoserLady]

I played 1st Clarinet to this in High School. Was awesome.

[Timstama]

Ah I have first trombone on this piece in my junior wind ensemble really fun tune not only to play but listen to

[caboose218]

My university's band is performing this symphony for our concert next month. This one and number 4 are my favorites.

[mursaydees]

I loved this song... High Bb on the piccolo.. BOOYAH!

[tijntjuh1991]

Being a French horn player is awesome!

[marymochaluv]

@tijntjuh1991 that;s because French horns are the best!

[TheEldestScroll]

@tijntjuh1991 I love you.

[Susannekaffeekanne]

@tijntjuh1991 I know... }@/

[2br00tal216]

@tijntjuh1991 FUCK YEAH

[jamesjonesrocket]

la la lalala la la la la

[kazumayanoitsumo]

all in all, very different from the concert band version, but it's still a great version. obviously, much longer, and more complex, but it's an amazing arrangement. both versions are great!

[fredandmish4ever]

apparently disney came to professor J.R.R Tolkien and he took one look at them and said "no!"

lol

[Staloreye]

haha no way!

[zakmac1212]

Hah, we're doing an arrangement of this symphony for marching band, it's fun!

[taekwondoyoyolego]

sometimes i wish humans could live a simple life like this.

[Leradcoris]

am i the only one? but this whole symphony reminds me alot of mahler's no.1

[QuestionsKidd]

Hahaha.  That's what I thought of too!

[Boomkinw00t]

we also played this song, but I have to confess that the cheery theme rminds me a bit of the dwarfs... I dunno how, but I don´t think "hobbits" when I hear it but "dwarfs"

....may be snow-white influenced though -.-

[Boomkinw00t]

also, the theme starting at 3:58 reminds me an awful lot of "Think of me" from PotO...

[xJasonOhx]

hm, yes, the theme at 3:58 does sound similar to Think of Me... a hobbit romance? ;)

[lpjayman]

I believe this symphony was published in 1989. I think Phantom came out in '88 or

'89. Coincidence I suppose.

[kazumayanoitsumo]

yeah, that's what i thought when i played it in concert band! gorgeous melody : )

[LordTharrion]

You're right...

This is probably what it would have sounded like if Tolkien had not had the foresight to forbid Disney from ever adapting it.

(Not insulting the exellent music rather Dsney's poor reputation for butchering and coruption)

[dimsimlord]

The trumpets in Gandalf's theme at the start; they're playing it too staccato and crisp. It's a fanfare, articulation comes second to creating a huge sound...

[514oeht]

well, when you conduct the LSO you can correct their poor performance...

[dimsimlord]

Oh, I will. :)

[cpthornman]

@dimsimlord The articulation creates the huge sound. That sudden burst of air released by the tongue is what does it.

[BrettGilioMusic]

@cpthornman actually no, the burst of air is not created by the articulation, it is created by the fact they are so perfectly in tune and the release was together (quick tip, YOU NEVER RELEASE WITH THE TOUNGE) :) :) :)

[couragegirl1]

@BrettGilioMusic You're right. Releasing with the tongue is a sin in the music world.

Source: extensive experience/ musician for 15 years.

[cpthornman]

@BrettGilioMusic I didn't word that very well. I meant to say that the tongue releases the air to start the note. And this of course happens instantly at the moment of exhalation.

[thekevingalland]

the elvish theme in the very end just kills me evey time. Fare you well Galadriel!

[PenSpinner53]

Absolutely love this song we are currently plaing it in our high school wind ensemble

[heartshapedglasses6]

we are learning this movement this week. I absolutely love it!

[osumb17]

haha mahler 9 in the opening low brass and bass

[kovu042]

This symphony was so much fun to play. Johan loves his horns and therefore I really like him. :) At about 5:20 (and 6:00 through to the end) I was in music heaven...