A major problem of this music is simply that it "wants to sound. For me return was ..." too much like another Return of the King the best of the three Rings "soundtrack and still my favorite in the film music, the same on with Star Wars Episode VI - Return often he Jedi "(I've probably n penchant for Return" soundtrack ...) And when you see a film that tries to claim obsessively the same level, then does that anyway. on the music from. It's the last Hobbit "soundtrack, rightly expected to epic and thrilling sounds, but here the music has just not as much power as its predecessors ... We hear the familiar and endearing themes as the Auenlandthema that Adler theme returns finally back (moreover in a huge version in To The Death "), even a small echo of the powerful vehicle subject can be found at the end. And the newer topics of the two Hobbit" -Vorgängern are here (although the ingenious Lonely Mountain "theme is no longer there ...): The dwarves / Erebor theme" (great choir version in Sons Of Durin "), and especially the beautiful designs for the seaside city and the love of Tauriel and Kili (my favorite!), but also Smaug motif recurs here and there in tremendous shape back, but why it does not work so well?
In my opinion, trying to shore epic and majestic sounding, but loses the sight of the goal, because the weaknesses of the music, the action moments. Hardly integrations of the main topics, just loud orchestration, which often indicate the Orkthema, but that's mostly even. The music loses just in its second half a lot of charm and quality ... And it's such a shame because I wanted to love even those Hobbit "soundtrack and close to my heart, but it does not work ...
So much criticism, yet for Hobbit "is the soundtrack worth listening to, - and / or Shore fans anyway a recommendation, after all, there are so few goosebumps moments, especially the return and variations of some issues make this score worth listening And then there is! the beautiful song The Last Goodbye "sung by Billy Boyd (Pippin he plays in the original trilogy). And although it can also be heard here parallels to Annie Lennox Into The West "from Return often he King", it is a good and appropriate final song!
In the regard, I also recommend the Deluxe Edition, mainly because tracks like Iron Foot "or The Gathering of the Clouds"! 108 minutes you get with the deluxe double-disc. The normal double CD includes: 94 minutes of music.
Conclusion: Four stars are still a good rating, no question, but I'm still a bit disappointed last of Shores Tolkien work ... For many the hobbit "soundtracks are always a disappointment, but I think that just the first two much provide great material and sometimes even this soundtrack. So I can say that the three compositions by Howard Shore representing a more than successful work and for me anyway are the best part of the movies! But now I'm back right mood for Lord of the Rings "not only in the movies, but also to the grandiose Complete Recordings! It is advised to the Hobbit "soundtrack best first listening and then to The Lord Of The Rings" change, I think. Anyway, fans of the Hobbit "films can also access here calms and plunge one last time in the musical world of Middle-earth.