From Middle Earth to Planet Earth: Johan de Meijs Depiction of Fantasy Versus Reality

Trevor Brown

MUS 607 Research and Bibliography

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Johan de Meij (1953) wrote his first symphony, titled Symphony no. 1 The Lord of the

Rings, between March 1984 and December 1987. It was premiered in Brussels by the Groot

Harmonie-orkest van de Gidsen on March 15, 1988.1 Meijs first symphony won first prize in

the Sudler International Wind Band Composition Competition in Chicago in 1989. The Lord of

the Rings consists of five movements, each of which portrays a character, event, or place from

the book, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.2 The movements are titled: I. Gandalf (The

Wizard); II. Lothlrien (The Elvenwood)"; III. Gollum (Smagol); IV. Journey in the Dark

(a. Mines of Moria/b. The Bridge of Khazad-Dm); and V. Hobbits.3

Eighteen years after his first symphony was premiered, Johan de Meijs third symphony was

premiered by the Noord Nederlands Orkest on March 2, 2006.4 This piece is titled, Symphony no.

3 Planet Earth, and is written as an ode to the entire planet. It consists of three movements,

which are titled: I. Lonely Planet; II. Planet Earth; III. Mother Earth.

In this paper I am going to analyze the techniques that Johan de Meij uses in these two

symphonies to portray the fantasy of Tolkiens Middle Earth and the reality of Planet Earth. I am

also going to evaluate how the differences in the two symphonies help to separate fantasy from

reality and how the similarities illustrate Middle Earths and Planet Earths common

characteristics.

The first movement of The Lord of the Rings characterizes Gandalf, the wizard. In the

Lord of the Rings, Tolkien describes Gandalf as having long white hair, [a] sweeping silver

1 Groot Harmonie-orkest van de Gidsen translates to Royal Symphonic Orchestra of the Guides.
2 It is a common misconception to label J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings as a trilogy. The
Lord of the Rings consists of six separate books and three parts. Parts one, two, and three contain
two books each and each part is sold and read as separate volumes.
3 Titles of movements are how they appear in the score.
4 Noord Nederlands Orkest is the North Netherlands Orchestra.
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beard, andbroad shoulders.5 Gandalf has been on many adventures in Middle Earth and is

very knowledgeable about the geography of Middle Earth and about the inhabitants of it. He is

known to have unpredictable behavior and rides a horse named Shadowfax.

Johan de Meij reflects these characteristics in his composition. The first movement of his

symphony, The Lord of the Rings, starts with a stately Andante Maestoso where the brass

section begins with a fanfare with an opening interval of a fifth. This interval will also be used in

the main theme of this movement. The woodwind section is playing sextuplet runs in the

beginning. The combination of the brass and woodwinds help to reflect the power and wonder of

the wizard. Gandalfs theme is first played in the euphonium and bassoon in measure 6.

Gandalfs Theme

This theme also begins with the interval of a fifth and frequently uses the interval of a

fifth. Overall, Gandalfs theme has a dark quality to it, yet is remains triumphant similar to the

opening fanfare.

The second theme of Gandalf is in the section of the movement titled, Shadowfax,

and reflects the quickness of the horse. This theme uses the gallop-like rhythm of an eighth note

and two sixteenth notes to mirror the rhythm of the horses footsteps.

Shadowfax Theme

5 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994), 220.
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The second movement of Meijs first symphony is titled, Lothlrien. Lothlrien is a

mystical forest home to elves. Tolkien describes the forest as such:

There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall
not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall,
and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is
golden, and golden is the roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is
smooth and grey.6

Johan de Meij uses a few different techniques to capture the essence of the mystical

Lothlrien. The movement begins with a clarinet duet, which will return later in the movement

using an E-flat clarinet. Again, the interval of a fifth is used often in this opening duet. However,

(unlike the first movement) the clarinet uses these intervals, paired with a touch of chromaticism,

to create a feeling of calm and tranquility.

Lothlrien Clarinet Duet

The Mirror of Galadriel theme is the main theme of the movement and begins in

measure 23. Although the key signature suggests C major, this theme is actually in Phrygian

mode. The use of Phrygian mode causes the theme to sound mysterious and fantasy-like.

Mirror of Galadriel theme

6 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994), 326.
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Another technique Johan de Meij uses in this movement is writing interjections in the

upper woodwinds to resemble bird calls and birds chirping. An example of this is in mm. 63-65

in the piccolo and first flute part, seen below:

Bird effects in Lothlrien

The third movement of the first symphony, Gollum, uses the soprano saxophone to

represent the shy, yet slimy creature. The soprano saxophone solo begins in measure 13. The solo

consists of many half-steps and repeated figures an octave apart.

Second half of soprano saxophone solo and major theme of Gollum

The use of the different octaves is reflective of the creatures split personality. As the saxophone

is having a conversation with itself, much like Gollum has conversations with his alter ego,

Smagol. The main theme of the movement occurs at measure 40. This theme is also composed

primarily of half steps. The use of half steps here mimics the movement of the slimy creature.

The episode from The Fellowship of the Ring when the fellowship travels through the

Mines of Moria is known as the journey in the dark and the fourth movement of Meijs first

symphony is titled as such. The movement is divided into two sections: The Mines of Moria and
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The Bridge of Khazad-Dm. This movement tells the story of these two chapters of the book,

unlike the other movements which describe characteristics of people or places.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien describes a noise that comes from deep in the

mine: a rolling Boom that seemed to come from the depths far below, and to tremble in the

stone at their feet.7 As the story goes on, the drum beats get louder and louder. Johan de Meij

mimics this in the first part of Journey in the Dark. From the beginning of the movement until

the Bridge of Khazad-Dm section begins, there is a constant drum beat in the timpani. The bass

drum joins the timpani in measure 5. Overall, the drum beats stay soft but gradually increase in

dynamic over the fifty-three measure section. As the first section of the movement approaches

the second section, the texture grows thicker and the rhythms and dynamics become more

intense until measure 54, where The Bridge of Khazad-Dm starts.

The Bridge of Khazad-Dm section begins with a familiar, half-step-heavy motif from the

Gollum movement. Because of this, Johan de Meij has associated an evil force with a motif that

frequently uses the interval of a minor second. This is fitting for this point in the story, as The

Fellowship seeks to escape from the evil creature known as a Balrog. Tolkien describes a

Balrog as a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of a man-shape maybe, yet

greater; and power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before itits steaming mane kindled,

and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held

a whip of many thongs.8 At measure 75, the tempo picks up as the drum beat from the timpani

and bass drum return but in a much thicker texture and louder dynamic than before. While this is

going on, there are interjections of the evil motif first introduced in the Gollum movement. The

intensity builds until measure 108 when Gandalfs theme is presented at fff. This is in reference

7 Ibid, 315.
8 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994), 321.
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to Gandalf standing up to the Balrog and eventually being taken down with it into the crevice

beneath the bridge. As the movement comes to a close, the English horn plays a mournful

variation of the Gandalf theme.

The last movement of The Lord of the Rings symphony is titled Hobbits. J.R.R. Tolkien

describes hobbits as an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they

are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earthFor they are little people, smaller

than dwarves: less stout and stockyin the days of their peace and prosperity they were a merry

folk.9

The beginning of Hobbits resembles closely the beginning of the first movement, Gandalf.

The opening fanfare of the symphony is alluded to in measure 8 and repeated in its entirety in

measure 14. One of the two main themes of this movement is the happy folk dance in two that

begins in measure 23.

Hobbits folk dance

The dance expresses the carefree and optimistic nature of the Hobbits.10 The second major

theme of the movement is titled Hobbits Hymn and is a slower variation of the folk dance and

is written in three. According to Meij, the hymnemanates the determination and noblesse of

the hobbit folk.11

9 Ibid, 1-2.
10 This quote is taken from the notes at the beginning of the score written by Johan de Meij.
11 This quote is taken from the notes at the beginning of the score written by Johan de Meij.
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As Johan de Meijs first symphony comes to a close, themes from Gandalf and Lothlrien

return. The intensity of the piece relaxes gradually until the end. The end of the symphony

reflects the last chapters of J.R.R. Tolkiens book. As the end of the adventure comes to a close,

Gandalf and Frodo sail away to the west towards The Grey Havens.

Johan de Meij depicts Planet Earth quite differently than Middle Earth, although there are

similarites in the two. The first notable difference is that Meijs third symphony, Planet Earth,

uses electronic samples of sounds. The beginning of the first movement of Planet Earth is

entirely electronic. The sounds depict a big bang that launches us into the universe. The comets

and planets fly by our ears through the loudspeakers put on the stage.12 The symphony is

performed continuously with electronic samples of music serving as the boundaries between the

movements. Another significant difference between the two symphonies is that the Planet

Earth symphony uses a female choir. The choir plays a significant role in the piece in that it

provides a text to the hymn in the third movement. This symphony also features the cello as a

soloistic instrument, along with harp and piano.

The first movement, Lonely Planet, begins with the electronic sounds and is accompanied by

long chords in the choir. When the electronic sounds fade out, the listener is greeted with a

clarinet duet very similar to the duet found at the beginning of Lothlrien. This duet has a

similar effect in that it projects a feeling of calmness. This effect is amplified in Lonely Planet

due to the addition of the harp and piano.

12 Johan de Meijs notes at the beginning of the score.

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Clarinet duet at beginning of Lonely Planet

This calm feeling is soon forgotten in the section that follows. The choir enters with a

serious of half-step intervals, similar to the evil motif found in the Gollum and Journey in

the Dark movements of The Lord of the Rings symphony. The use of half-steps in this

manner is not strongly established in the Planet Earth symphony, however. Instead, Johan de

Meij uses the minor mode to create a dark mood in the Planet Earth symphony.

The first major theme is a rhythmic melody played by the trumpets in measure 148. This

theme sounds strong and powerful and I believe it reflects the larger-than-life, natural features of

the Earth. This theme returns at the beginning of the third movement.

The second theme of the symphony is presented almost immediately after the first theme

in the first movement. This theme starts in measure 172 and is first played by the French horns,

tenor sax, and cello. Meij uses half-steps and shifts in octave much like the soprano sax solo at

the beginning of Gollum.

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Horn plays second major theme of Planet Earth

This theme does not have the same effect, however. Because of the context, it appears to sound

elegant and graceful rather than evil.

A technique that is used in the Planet Earth symphony as well as The Lord of the

Rings symphony is the use of interjections in the upper woodwinds to create a bird-like effect.

This is apparent in measure 196 of Lonely Planet.

Birds effect in Lonely Planet

The third major theme is played by the horn section at the beginning of the second

movement. This theme is based on notes of two major triads which are a major second apart.

The combination of the heavy use of perfect fourths and fifths and the instrumentation give this

theme a powerful, heroic feel.

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Variations on this theme continue until the next major theme is introduced in the second

movement. This theme is introduced in measure 294 by the bass clarinet, cello, double bass, and

piano.

This theme starts slow and soft but builds in dynamic and gets much quicker. In the third

movement this theme is introduced again through a clarinet duet. I believe the playful spirit of

this theme and the variations from the original reflect the wonderful variety of life on the Earth

and the energy that it gives the planet.

At the beginning of the third movement, Mother Earth, a familiar technique is used.

This technique is similar to the technique used at the beginning of Gandalf where the

woodwinds are playing sextuplets to create a feeling of wonder. At the beginning of Mother

Earth, this same feeling is created but with many different subdivisions of the beat. The

following subdivisions of the beat can be found in the second measure of the movement: quarter

notes, eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth notes, quintuplets, and sextuplets. Along with these

subdivisions, several instruments have tremolos on dotted half notes.

Mother Earth starts with two themes that have been played before. These themes are

further elaborated and played with different variations. After these themes have been played, a

hymn titled Hymn to Gaia is introduced in measure 243 and marks the last major section of the

symphony before it comes to an end. The hymn starts with a cello solo in B-flat major. Later, the

choir comes in and sings the text of the hymn in C harmonic minor. The shift to minor here with

the added text changes the mood of the hymn. I believe that this mood reflects the sometimes
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unforgiving and judgmental character of Mother Earth. The text of the Hymn to Gaia is

taken from a hymn written by Homer. It is sung in Greek, but the English translation is:

I will sing of well-founded Earth,

Mother of all, eldest of all beings.

She feeds all creatures that are in the world; all that
go upon the goodly land and all that are in the paths
of the seas and all that fly; all of these are fed of her store.

Hail mother of the gods, wife of starry Heaven

freely bestow upon me for this my song
substance that cheers the heart!

Hail mother of the gods, o Gaia!

Through you, O queen, men are blessed in their children and blessed
in their harvests, and to you it belongs to give means of life to mortal men
and to take it away, O Gaia!13

The text of the hymn gives a clear picture of the respect for Mother Earth and how she is

responsible for all life on the planet.

The hymn is repeated in C major which gives it a grand, noble quality much like the

Hobbits Hymn in The Lord of the Rings symphony. Also, much like the Hobbits Hymn, the

Hymn to Gaia starts in a soft and flowing nature and becomes a grandioso, triumphant statement.

The symphony ends emphatically, unlike Meijs first symphony. The difference here is

because Johan de Meij purposefully ended the Lord of the Rings symphony similar to how the

book ends. The Planet Earth symphony ends with emphatically with a loud dynamic and a

thick texturethe complete opposite of Meijs first symphony.

Based on the techniques that Johan de Meij uses to write for both the fictional land of

Middle Earth and the real Earth on which we live, we can see what characteristics from The Lord

13 English translation is taken directly from the score.

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of the Rings he believes to be true of planet Earth. The theme at the beginning of the second

movement of Planet Earth is similar to Gandalfs theme from The Lord of the Rings in that

they both rely on the use of perfect fourths and fifths. The gives the Earth many Gandalf-like

qualities such as powerful, full of wonder, and often unpredictable.

There is also a similarity in the clarinet duets in Lothlrien and the clarinet duet at the

beginning of the Planet Earth symphony. Lothlrien is a beautiful forest with plentiful plant

life and the clarinet duet helps to capture this characteristic. By including a similar duet in

Planet Earth, Johan de Meij is alluding to the vast landscapes of vegetation throughout the

world. Meij leaves out any indication of the Mirror of Galadriel theme from Lothlrien

because the Phrygian mode gives it a mystic, fantasy-like quality.

Another quality that Johan de Meij leaves out of Planet Earth is the evil that he projects

in the Gollum and Journey in the Dark movements of The Lord of the Rings. In order to

portray this evil, he wrote themes that used a lot of half-step movement. None of the major

themes in Planet Earth use half-steps in the manner that is used in those two movements of the

Lord of the Rings symphony.

Johan de Meij chooses to use a hymn to mark the end of each symphony. Both hymns

start with a soft, solemn tone and turn into grand, triumphant statements. Meij uses the Hobbits

Hymn to show the noble quality of the merry folk and I believe that the Hymn to Gaia gives a

similar, noble quality to Planet Earth.14

The difference in the end of the two symphonies reflects the difference in the two stories

themselves. Gandalf and Frodos adventure ends by sailing into the West beyond the horizon. It

is a quiet ending for both and Johan de Meijs symphony reflects that. The end of the Planet

14 merry folk is the exact terminology used by Tolkien to describe hobbits in the prologue of
The Fellowship of the Ring.
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Earth symphony is powerful and triumphant. This reflects more of the story of the Earth itself

and less of the story of the creatures that inhabit the Earth. Living things come and go frequently

but the Earth still remains in all its glory.

After analyzing these two symphonies by Johan de Meij, it is clear to see that he uses

different styles to reflect the differences in Middle Earth and Planet Earth. There are also

similarities in the two symphonies and these similarities reflect the common characteristics of the

fictional land of Middle Earth and the true Planet Earth. The combination of these similarities

and differences help us to use the music of Johan de Meij to separate fantasy from reality.
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Bibliography

Meij, Johan de. Symphony no. 1 The Lord of the Rings. Amsterdam: Amstel Music, 1988.

____________. Symphony no. 3 Planet Earth. Amsterdam: Amstel Music, 2007.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.

Recordings

Meij, Johan de. The Lord of the Rings. US Air Force Band. Lieutenant Colonel Alan L. Bonner.

Recorded in 2009. Compact disc.

____________. Planet Earth. Banda Sinfnica "La Artstica" Buol. Henrie Adams. Recorded in

2013. Compact disc.