Gimli, having some difficulty maintaining his dignity
of late, loses control of his horse. The music, like his
steed, trots right out from under him in a brush of sixteenth
notes bounding through the string section. The
exodus from Edoras proceeds, travelers doing what
they can to keep their spirits up. Théoden sees Éowyn
smile at Gimli's misfortune and notes to Aragorn that
her smiles have been too rare over the years. He regrets
that he did not act as the father she needed. Here
Shore begins not the Éowyn and Théoden theme, as
might seem appropriate, but Éowyn Sheildmaiden of
Rohan, the theme that speaks of her in isolation.
Éowyn's principle theme (Éowyn Shieldmaiden of Rohan)
takes a few interesting turns as she speaks to Aragorn.
Théoden may not have seen much of her smile,
but Aragorn seems to elicit it freely. Here Éowyn's theme halts and starts, reacting bashfully—almost comically—to Aragorn as he
attempts to graciously accept her grisly stew. Solo clarinet enters and a new theme appears to be forming. A descending F-major
arpeggio at 1:53 gives just the slightest hint of the Éowyn and Aragorn theme, still in a state of faint self-realization.
Oboe enters, presenting the next step in the developing Fellowship in Rohan motif, but immediately following is a familiar line
in solo French horn, The Realm of Gondor. Aragorn not only links the Rohirrim to the Fellowship, but also with Gondor. In
The Realm of Gondor's opening pitches—heard here for only the second time in The Lord of the Rings—we are reminded of his
heritage, and his regal birthright.
But Aragorn is not yet ready to claim that birthright. His mind is torn
between his responsibilities inMiddle-earth, fears of his own potential weaknesses,
and his love for Arwen. Beneath the Gondor theme the Rivendell
arpeggios begin to flow, warm but somber, devoid of the lucent orchestrations
that colored the lines in The Fellowship of the Ring. Lyric soprano Isabel
Bayrakdarian enters singing "Evenstar" over female chorus divided three
ways. The line, which moves from voice to alto flute, combines the ambrosial
vocal tone of the Elves with melodic contours directly out of The Heroics of
Aragorn theme—including the crucial down-and-back-up figure. Can Aragorn
lead the World of Men without abandoning his love for Arwen?
Should he love her at all?
The Diminishment of the
Elves ("Gilrean's Song")
returns for the first time since Aragorn visited his mother's grave, reminding
him that he is a mortal man, and that even in the best of circumstances would
eventually leave Arwen bereft. The theme colors its surroundings, migrating
from female chorus to low strings. With a final sigh of the alto flute the
Evenstar and Diminishment themes are intertwined, shrouding the future in
uncertainty. Will Arwen and Aragorn accept theirs as a love inevitably doomed
to recede, or will they proceed down a path of uncertainty, sustained by their enduring affection?

UNUSED CONCEPT :
Isabel Bayrakdarian's first statement of
the Evenstar (Arwen & Aragorn) theme
is not heard in the final film. Instead,
the female chorus and the harp arpeggios
carry the first moments of Aragorn's
flashback by themselves.
Her performance is heard in its entirety
here on CD

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