Hey girl
Did you know
that um
The musical leitmotif you hear after Gandalf's death actually appears three (3) times throughout the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Its first and most famous appearance is after Gandalf's death in Moria in FOTR, where it's sung by a lone vocalist. (While most of the vocal bits in the soundtrack are in Elvish/dwarvish, this one bit of the soundtrack is entirely wordless, conveying the idea of "suffering beyond words"-- like that moment later on where Legolas is unable to translate elven singing because "the grief is too near.)
The second time we hear the leitmotif is in Return of the King, when Mount Doom erupts and Gandalf thinks Frodo is dead. But now the meaning is reversed; it's Gandalf who believes Frodo is dead. [3:00 of the first video, and the beginning of the second.]
The last time is at the Grey Havens, when Gandalf says a final farewell to all of the hobbits.
One thing I haven't seen discussed very often is that this motif is tied to Frodo and Gandalf specifically--- and the way it develops mirrors the way their dynamic changes.
In FOTR, Gandalf dies sacrificing himself to protect the Fellowship, and Frodo is overwhelmed with guilt and grief. In ROTK, it appears that Frodo sacrifices himself to defend Middle Earth, as Gandalf is overwhelmed with guilt and grief.
In FOTR, Frodo is forced to confront that the even his powerful 'mentor figures' are still human, fallible, and able to be taken away from him; in ROTK, Gandalf witness the aftermath of Frodo destroying the Ring, proving that even this small unassuming hobbit can have this unimaginable capacity for strength and self-sacrifice.
Finally, the two of them journey into the Grey Havens together, because neither of them really survived.
In a way-- Frodo died in Mount Doom, as Gandalf died in Moria.
They've returned to life, they were called back. Gandalf was called back by forces "beyond thought and time," Frodo was called back by Sam's refusal to let go of him. But despite being recalled to life, they're permanently changed, transformed in a way that means they no longer belong in Middle Earth. They have to go across the sea.
The use of this leitmotif is so excellent because it captures that thematic beat perfectly. The motif becomes a goodbye that both of them say to the Fellowship.
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