Instrumentation
Howard Shore made use of a large orchestra using the following instruments:
- Woodwinds: 3 flutes (1st and 2nd doubling on alto flutes, 2nd doubling on piccolo, 3rd doubling on piccolo and optionally on Irish whistle, alto flute & pan flute ), 3 oboes (3rd doubling on English horn), 3 clarinets (3rd doubling on bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (3rd doubling on double bassoon)
- Brass: 5 horns in F, 4 trumpets in B-flat (doubling on rotary valve), 3 trombones, tuba
- Percussion (minimum 4 players): timpani, chimes, medium and large tamtams, 5 suspended gongs (6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, 14”), suspended cymbals: large and antique, piatti, 2 metal bell plates (14", 1" thick), distressed piano, snare drum, field (or side) drum, 2 bodhráns, Japanese taiko drums: small, medium and large, bass drum, 2 log drums, bass marimba, rattle
- Keyboard: piano (doubling on celesta)
- Strings: 2 harps, violins I and II, violas, violoncellos, double basses
- Other: musette, hammered dulcimer, cimbalom, classical guitar
- Ethnic and exotic instruments: fiddle, double fiddle, anvil, accordion, Celtic harp, chains on piano wire, Hardanger fiddle, mandolin, monochord, ney, sarangi, low whistle, wood flute, rhaita, dilruba, hanging Tibetan gongs
Read more about this topic: Music Of The Lord Of The Rings Film Trilogy