Faramir and Denethor's - A Gondorian Theme

Faramir and Denethor's Theme

A Theme for Gondor

FARAMIR AND DENETHOR, a theme associated with Gondor, is related to the Ascension Setting of the Realm of Gondor Theme

I had this as a theme - with four scenes I thought used it - attributed to Faramir before any official material was ever released on themes. I had to wait for the CR-ROTK to find out what would be said about it. Well, what's said about it was kind of vague and The Music of the LOTR Films is not adding much.

A 'first heard' time stamp was given which is the first iteration shown below. The AS-ROTK did not mention the theme for that scene but the AS portion of the book does.

The musical notation provided for this theme is heard in the second iteration listed below. Neither the AS-ROTK nor the AS portion of the book mentions the theme by name for this scene.

The third iteration below was mentioned in the CR-ROTK liner notes' discussion of Faramir and Denethor's theme.

When Faramir's body is dragged back to the gate of Minas Tirith, Shore intersperses perfect fifth leaps, weaving both settings of the Gondor theme and providing a bleak moment of doubt just before the Orcs launch their full attack on the city.

This line was deleted from the theme's discussion in The Music of the LOTR Films and neither the AS-ROTK nor the AS portion of the book mentioned the them by name for this scene.

And the final scene listed below is not discussed in context of this theme at all in either the CR material or the the book. It is about Faramir and Denethor and I believe it could be related. So, for interests sake, I'm going to leave it here.

Places this theme is heard in ROTK:

Pan flute plays with those three ascending notes as Faramir says to his father, "You wish now that our places had been exchanged. That I had died and Boromir had lived." This iteration has essentially the same rhythm and note movement as the Witch King theme. Although it is not laid over the Five Beat Pattern that accompanies the Witch King theme, it does seem to alternate between 4/4 and 3/4 measures giving it a bit of an off balance feel.
HS COMMENT
As Faramir rides out of Minas Tirith with his troops to retake the overrun Osgiliath. The Pan flute is sad and the military snare cadence underneath has a sense of foreboding to it.
HS COMMENT
As the unconscious Faramir is dragged through the city gates behind his horse. The scene quickly moves outside the gate to show Gothmog arriving on his warg. Faramir is seen only during the first 7 seconds of 22 for this piece, but I believe we continue to hear Faramir's Theme for the whole 22 seconds. This was also music I had identified as Faramir's theme in analysis done before the CR-ROTK. Although it is not directly identified as a version of Faramir and Denethor's theme, it is mentioned in the paragraph discussing this theme in the CR-ROTK liner notes: When Faramir's body is dragged back to the gate of Minas Tirith, Shore intersperses perfect fifth leaps, weaving both settings of the Gondor theme and providing a bleak moment of doubt just before the Orcs launch their full attack on the city.
As Denethor, thinking Faramir dead, descends into madness. This music is not identified as thematic in the AS-ROTK. It is a piece that was connected to Faramir in work done prior to the CR-ROTK. The scene certainly contains both Faramir and Denethor so I think it's interesting to consider. The dialog for this is:

Denethor: My sons are spent! My line his ended!

Pippin: He's alive!

Denethor: The house of the Stewards has failed!

Pippin: He needs medicine, my Lord!

Denethor: My line has ended!