Author: Bear McCreary

The Lord of the Rings: Episode 108

May 23, 2023

In this series of blogs, I explore the musical details of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For a comprehensive introduction to my approach and my creative experience, start with my introductory four-part “Appendices:” Part 1 “Journey to Middle-earth,” Part 2 “Themes of Middle-earth,” Part 3 “Forming a Fellowship,” and Part 4 “There and Back Again.” I also blogged about scoring episodes 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 107.

SCORING EPISODE 108
“ALLOYED”

SPOILERS AHEAD: In the summer of 2021, I began scoring The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In my original creative video conference with the showrunners discussing the premiere episode, I had one crucial question. “Where is Sauron?” That was the tightly guarded secret of the season finale, but the producers recognized my need for a complete understanding of the entire story.  They sent me the script to the final episode, “Alloyed.” My jaw dropped to read this episode, one packed with tension, drama, and revelation. I knew then, even before I had written a note of music, that I would need to tailor certain musical themes specifically for the shocking twist.

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The Lord of the Rings: Episode 107

May 17, 2023

In this series of blogs, I explore the musical details of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For a comprehensive introduction to my approach and my creative experience, start with my introductory four-part “Appendices:” Part 1 “Journey to Middle-earth,” Part 2 “Themes of Middle-earth,” Part 3 “Forming a Fellowship,” and Part 4 “There and Back Again.” I also blogged about scoring episodes 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 and 106.

SCORING EPISODE 107
“THE EYE”

SPOILERS AHEAD: Arguably the darkest episode of the season, “The Eye,” the penultimate episode of The Rings of Power, plays as a meditation on loss and grief that affects everyone we have come to care about. Episode 7 contains several of my personal favorite dramatic moments of the season as the characters, seeking one another amid destruction, strengthen their ties and loyalties. 

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The Lyrics to God of War

April 3, 2023

Sony PlayStation’s classic God of War franchise journeyed from Ancient Greece to Norse myth, telling the story of Kratos and his young son Atreus, in an epic saga spanning two games, God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022). I composed two scores to support the narrative, drawing influence from the soaring orchestral overtures of Hollywood and the rustic melodies of Nordic folk music. The most striking sound in both scores is the human voice, ranging from evocative solos from Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir and multi-platinum artist Hozier, to massive full choir passages featuring Iceland’s celebrated choral ensemble, Schola Cantorum. Their unique voices are even more distinct because the lyrics were written in a dead language, Old Norse.

In my previous God of War blog entries, I alluded to the team of dedicated artists and writers who collaborated with me to create the lyrics for these scores. Here, I hope to chronicle the meticulous attention to detail and ambitious scope of their work. I will also, at long last, share the lyrics and translations that fans have been clamoring for. This is the story behind the lyrics of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022). (Spoilers for both games lie ahead.)

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The Lord of the Rings: Episode 106

March 28, 2023

In this series of blogs, I explore the musical details of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For a comprehensive introduction to my approach and my creative experience, start with my introductory four-part “Appendices:” Part 1 “Journey to Middle-earth,” Part 2 “Themes of Middle-earth,” Part 3 “Forming a Fellowship,” and Part 4 “There and Back Again.” I also blogged about scoring episodes 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

SCORING EPISODE 106
“UDÛN”

SPOILERS AHEAD: “Udûn” is unlike any episode of television I have ever scored before. It was substantially more difficult and  demanding even than scoring a feature film. Scoring a big film is a sprint (as I learned on Godzilla: King of the Monsters). The composer blasts down the racetrack, gets to the end in one piece, and can collapse when done.  Television is a marathon. I could not even start “Udûn” until I had already scored five hours of narrative for nearly half a year. Even before I laid down the episode’s first notes,  I was already nearing exhaustion. And when I was done with its fiery climax, I would still need to have in reserve enough strength to keep going for another two months.

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The Lord of the Rings: Episode 105

March 8, 2023

In this series of blogs, I explore the musical details of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. For a comprehensive introduction to my approach and my creative experience, start with my introductory four-part “Appendices:” Part 1 “Journey to Middle-earth,” Part 2 “Themes of Middle-earth,” Part 3 “Forming a Fellowship,” and Part 4 “There and Back Again.” I also blogged about scoring episodes 101, 102, 103, and 104.

SCORING EPISODE 105
“PARTINGS”

The fifth episode of The Rings of Power, “Partings,” is the first to cover events in all the series’ major story arcs. As a result, this massive episode not only required I thread together quotations of every theme I’d written thus far, but also necessitated one final new one, and produce a heartfelt vocal song, as well.

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