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Tibetan Hanging Gongs
(and Tam-Tams)
Although the gongs are only
mentioned in association with the Army of the Dead, and
the Army of the Dead music was in ROTK, Doug Adams has a
photo of Tibetan gongs used in May 08, FOTR Live
concert in Lucerne.
From what I can tell,
Tibetan hanging gongs are a form of chau gongs (which
are completely flat on their face with no raised nipple)
A large chau gong is called a tam-tam and tam-tams are
also used in the score. An image of a tam-tam can be
seen in the lower center of
this image from the March 09, TTT Live concert in
Lucerne.
There is a
segment in the TT, appendices feature, "Music for
Middle-earth", that deals with Peter Jackson playing the
tam-tam for a scene with Éowyn.
USE IN SOUNDTRACK
The Tibetan gongs are
combined with low men's voices and high, diaphanous
strings to create an eerie mixture that forms the
Army of the
Dead theme. The Tibetan gongs are also heard as the
Dead King contemplates Aragorn's challenge to join with
him.
The tam-tam is used
throughout the score. Although it isn't attached to any
one theme or culture, all mentions of it the
annotated
scores are associated with moments of mystery,
danger, apprehension, uncertainty, or forces of Shadow.
Sometimes it is struck with a mallet, sometimes it is
bowed, sometimes it is rubbed and sometimes it is
scraped with a stick.
ARTISTS
No artists are listed for
either types of gongs. The instruments were probably
played by percussionists in the London Philharmonic
Orchestra.
1. CR-ROTK, Disc 2, Track
11, The Paths of the Dead, 1:12-1:24
1. Sample of bowed tam-tam
from Bronzed Cloud, 10,000 Shades Of Blue, by
Richard Lainhart
I couldn't really discern
the sound of the bowed tam-tam in this sample so I
provided a non-score example for comparison. To
differentiate it from strings, keep in mind that the
bowed tam-tam will not be changing notes really. If you
visit Lainhart's site, you can hear more variations of
the bowed tam-tam.
2. Sample of bowed tam-tam
from CR-TTT Disc 1, Track 11, The Dead Marshes,
0:40-0:50
3. Sample of scraped tam-tam
from CR-TTT, Disc 1, Track 8, Night Camp, 0:53-1:03
4. Sample of struck tam-tam
from CR-ROTK, Disc 2, Track 9, Dwimorberg, The Haunted
Mountain, 1:16-1:25
Tam-tam is struck on the
last note of the sample.
5. Sample of rubbed tam-tam
from CR-FOTR Disc 1, Track 8, A Conspiracy Unmasked,
0:22-0:30
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