The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Piano/Vocal/Chords) Paperback – March 1, 2003

Oh, this music is beautiful! It brings me right back to those incredible movies. I lost the sheet music in a move and had to order them again. The sheet music for all three movies is equally as great, but this one is my favorite. Gollum's theme is exquisite. And then, there's 'Of Light and Shadows'. Ahhhh. The music is deceptively challenging, but worth it. Many of the chords and arrangements are mind-bending and it makes me really appreciate the genius of Howard Shore. I went to a concert performance of the music of LOTR in Portland, OR, years ago and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I only wish I'd had this sheet music then to better understand what I was hearing. I listen to the soundtrack now and learning this music has brought it to a whole new level. Tears to the eyes, in fact. These arrangements for piano are so compelling and I so want to do them justice that it's brought me back to playing the piano almost every day, after being away for over 10 years! And this has been going on for the past two years. I'm quite happy with how it's helped me with my playing.

When I first looked at the music, my impression was "This is it?" I must admit I expected more, but after playing it my opinion changed. It definitely takes intermediate skills to play as written, but with a few minor adjustments (like leaving out a roll or slowing down the tempo) late beginners can enjoy this music too. While playing, I find the constant page turning annoying. The music could have been condensed into a smaller amount of pages without omitting any of the notes thus making playing easier. Overall, it is beautiful. All of the well-known melodies are there. Played with the right emotion and expression, "Gollum's Song" is heartbreaking; "Evenstar" is beautiful; and "Rohan" is powerful. The music is not as complex as I had hoped, but it sticks to the notes played in the original score. Is this a good arrangement? Yes. Is the arrangement worth $12.71? No, but I guess the higher price is for the pictures included.

Had a digital copy of this years ago, was thrilled to find this physical copy in great condition! Took me right back to how I felt about these movies when they were first released!!!

The music contained in this book is absolutely astounding, and masterfully written for piano. I have played all the songs so far, and there is not a single one that disappoints...The book is not for beginning pianists however: the music is very difficult to play and memorize. Only experienced piano players should attempt.Very impressed!

I specifically bought this to learn the Rohan theme, and Eowyns theme and it met my expectations. Of course I have been playing guitar for 11 years. Beginning musicians may find it a bit difficult, but it is something to aspire to. That is how you get better at playing your instrument. Keep playing the hard songs till they become easy, then the easier songs will become super easy.

Terrific movie

It's books like this that made me wish I had the natural talent for music, or had at least studied and practiced hard enough to develop talent. The motion picture score that Howard Shore composed for The Lord of the Rings trilogy is absolutely brilliant, and while nothing can match his magnificent orchestra, there is something unique and incredible about hearing the same music played on a simple piano -- coming from your very own fingers.The front cover is one of the promotional posters (NOT the DVD cover as was the case with the other two piano books from the trilogy) showing Saruman from the back commanding his 10,000 Uruk-hai. If you look on the right, although it is geographically incorrect, you can see Edoras in Rohan in the distance. Inside the book are forty pages, eight of which are movie pictures. Once again, there are some gruesome orcs pictured inside, in case you have little hobbits around the house that might get scared.The music includes:- Gollum's Song, the end-credits song of the movie. Not very enjoyable to play, I'd say...it's a rather mournful and melancholy song.- Evenstar, which is all-Elvish, but surprisingly doesn't provide the translation. Shouldn't be too hard to dig one up on the internet, however. The tune is pretty, the background for Aragorn's dream/vision of Arwen in The Two Towers.- Isengard Unleashed, which begins as the soundtrack score does, with the lament for Haldir upon his untimely death in the battle for Helm's Deep. Then it moves on to the score for the Ents as they march to war. This is probably the longest in the book, maybe of all three books. Afterwards, they give the translation of the war song of the Ents.- Breath of Life, the quiet but stirring tune/song that you hear when Aragorn lies wounded after a battle, and receives another vision/dream of Arwen that gives him a (let's all say it together now) "breath of life". Elvish lyrics, English translation at the end.- Forth Eorlingas, my favorite one (at least to HEAR), the tune that shows the rousing of the remaining soldiers at Helm's Deep, their death plunge out the causeway, and Gandalf's near-biblical arrival to the rescue. The second-best in this book, in my opinion.- Rohan, which was an absolutely necessary piece to include in this book. It's short, *almost* simple enough for a beginner like me to pick my way through, and beyond gorgeous. It begins with the noble theme for Éowyn, and peaks into the majestic score for the kingdom of Rohan. This one alone is worth getting the book for.This book makes an excellent addition to your piano library, or an excellent gift for your musically-inclined hobbit-heads. Go for it.

I love the LOTR music, and these books (I have all 3) are great. The music is above beginner level, but not impossible to play.