Discussing the Music Part 4: The Fall of Fingolfin

This post is part four of a five part series on my latest album, The Silmarillion Symphony Ep 2: The Fall of Fingolfin. To start with part one, click here. To listen to the music, head over to silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com and buy The Fall of Fingolfin. 

“And Morgoth came.” (The Silmarillion, pg. 153)

And so we being the title track. This track was actually a speed writing exercise when I began it in early 2015. This track is all about the single combat between Fingolfin and Morgoth.

It begins with a large low bass note, some high strings, meant to signify Morgoth’s mammoth size. There is also a horn call, echoing in the mountains, with a trumpet response, which is a miniaturized arrangement of Fingolfin’s heroic theme,

 In the book, Tolkien describes it like this:

“And he issues forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.” (The Silmarillion, pg. 153) 

More music comes in, this time with repeated strings patterns, to depict how I see this combat going down - somewhat in an encircled pit. You can almost get a sense of the stage being set for this fight. I see this introduction sort of as Morgoth and Fingolfin staring each other down, somewhat trying to intimidate one another. Then another theme emerges - the heroic theme. This is Fingolfin’s theme, filled with a sense of heroism mixed with doubt. 

After that, we have more staring and little bits of sparring going on - Morgoth’s main theme has not come in yet. Then a repeat of Fingolfin’s theme. We have some string parts that for me signify the shrieks of the orcs as their master is wounded. It says in The Silmarillion:

“Then Morgoth hurled aloft Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld...Many times Morgoth essayed to smite him, and each time Fingolfin leaped away, as a lightning shoots from under a dark cloud; and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds, and seven times Morgoth gave a cry of anguish, whereat  the hosts of Angband fell upon their faces in dismay…” (The Silmarillion, pg.154)

After the shrieking, we get Morgoth’s theme - with a contrabassoon and bassoon along with pizzicato strings, giving a sense of mischievousness about what’s about to happen. Morgoth has eventually tired the King out, and the King has tripped into a pit (made by Grond). The heroic theme, now in full force, has changed - the doubt is taking over, as the hero must surely die. Yet Fingolfin has one last strike as Morgoth bears down upon him with his shield:

"But the earth was all rent and pitted about humanoid he stumbled and fell backward before the feet of Morgoth; and Morgoth set his left foot upon his neck, and the weight of it was like a fallen hill. Yet with his last on desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot with Ringil, and blood gushed forth black and smoking and filled the pits of Grond.” (Ibid)

So died Fingolfin. It is said that Morgoth broke the body of the King, and would’ve throw it to the wolves, but the Lord of Eagles came, marred Morgoth’s face, and took the King’s body to Gondolin. There he was buried. 

To get this album for yourself, click here.