SoundCast Ep. 78 - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Episode 78 - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Author Doug Adams (The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films) joins Christopher Coleman and Marius Masalar to break down Howard Shore's score for the final Hobbit installment:  The Battle of the Five Armies.   Richard Buxton joins in for our first WHYBLT (What Have You Been Listening To) segment of 2015 and we also take a few twitter questions for Doug Adams about The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings scores.

Episode Highlights

00:30 — Introduction and "What Have You Been Listening To?"
22:39 — Battle of the Five Armies - movie discussion
33:25 — Battle of the Five Armies - movie discussion (spoilers)
45:08 — Battle of the Five Armies - music in context (spoliers)
50:27 — The Hobbit versus The Lord of the Rings
63:09 — Twitter question - "Will there be a Complete Recordings of The Hobbit?"
66:29 — "Unexpected Unresolution"
76:48 — Twitter questions:  LOTR re-recordings? The Music of the Hobbit Films book?
84:02 — The Hobbit on vinyl - digital versus physical releases
94:03 — The legacy of the six films and the six scores

Music Selections

00:02 —  Sons of Durin (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore
12:46 —  The Seeding  (Civilization: Beyond Earth) by Jeff Knorr
16:37 —  Bathfime  (The Homesman) by Marco Beltrami
17:51 —  Into The Starscape (The Last Starfighter) by Craig Safan
22:13 —  Battle for the Mountain (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore
44:39 —  The Darkest Hour (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore
49:08 —  Sons of Durin (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore
56:01 —  The Ruins of Dale  (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore
60:21 —  Feast of Starlight  (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) by Howard Shore
102:30 —  There and Back Again (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) by Howard Shore

Notes:
Follow Doug Adams on Twitter (@DougAdamsMusic)

Support Tracksounds:
Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Special Edition Soundtrack) by Howard Shore - Review

Buried Treasure
by Edmund Meinerts

After getting off to a somewhat uneven start with AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, Peter Jackson’s tripartite adaptation/expansion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE HOBBIT seems to have found slightly more secure footing in THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG. Although some of the issues that plagued the first entry continue – there really never was enough material in the source novel to justify three lengthy films, and the subsequent Jackson-inserted subplots, extra characters and protracted action sequences are hit-and-miss – at least the jarring tonal shifts between the brooding foreboding material and the more cartoonish episodes in the first entry have been smoothed out.

Also present, of course, is the score by Middle-earth court composer HOWARD SHORE. His music for AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, despite still being among the very best of its year, was treated poorly in the film. Plenty of fantastic new material made it onto the albums, but much of it was replaced in film by tracked-in or re-orchestrated music from THE LORD OF THE RINGS, occasionally to the point of apparently glaring thematic incongruence – particularly aggravating in a series that has been otherwise meticulous in its leitmotivic attribution. It is a relief to report, therefore, that these issues don’t seem to be present in THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG; although some of what is heard on album has been dialed out in film – quite disconcertingly during the Forest River action scene – at least there is no tracked-in material, and certainly no thematic headscratchers. And neither is there any significant divergence between the standard and special editions this time (i.e. no “Roast Mutton” fiasco or the like, thankfully).

That aside, however, this is probably the weakest score in the series so far. Considering what a high bar that is, perhaps there need be no shame in that – and make no mistake about it, this is still a HOWARD SHORE Middle-earth score through and through, with all of the richness and depth of thematic attribution that entails, and it still stands head and shoulders above most of the competition of its year, just as its predecessors all do. Indeed, THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG introduces us to over half a dozen new themes and motifs, as well as reprising and developing many other existing ones. But what this entry lacks is a core, a central theme that seems to hold the work together and make it unique, as well as fitting within the larger context of the series. The three LORD OF THE RINGS scores each had one: the Fellowship theme for FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the Rohan theme for THE TWO TOWERS and the Gondor theme for RETURN OF THE KING.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Soundcast Ep. 70 - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Episode 70 - "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" 

Author and musicologist Doug Adams joins Christopher, Marius and Edmund to discuss Howard Shore's latest score from Middle-Earth, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Intro: The Movie Goes On and On ...
02:20 - Guest: Doug Adams and his upcoming book
08:46 - General reaction to the film
22:03 - Spoiler film discussion
43:47 - Music as heard in the film (spoilers!)
58:42 - Music as heard on soundtrack (spoilers!)
89:08 - Final thoughts on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Music Selections

00:11 - "Bag End" (LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring SE) by Howard Shore
00:36 - "Wilderland" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
08:30 - "Smaug" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
21:33 - "Mirkwood" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
43:22 - "The Forest River" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
45:42 - "Over Hill" (TH: An Unexpectd Journey SE) by Howard Shore
47:06 - "Durin's Folk" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
54:50 - "Flies and Spiders" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
57:49 - "Feast of Starlight" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
61:24 - "Weathertop" (LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
69:52 - "Smaug" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore
78:16 - "Moria" (LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
91:44 - ""Beyond the Forest" (TH: The Desloation of Smaug SE) by Howard Shore

Support Tracksounds:

Most of the  soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon.  Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on!  Thank You!

Buy The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com



Other notes:

Visit Doug Adam's site - The Music of the Lord of the Rings

Follow Doug Adams on Twitter

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Peter Jackson Spots The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with Howard Shore

Recently, director Peter Jackson live-blogged his last day of shooting on The Hobbit trilogy.  One of the many things that took place on that day was some spotting of the second film with composer Howard Shore. What he says should be encouraging for those who suffered any level of disappointment with The Unexpected Journey.  If you are wanting some new thematic material, sounds like that's what they have in  store for us ...

Here's what Jackson said...

The score for Film 2 is going to be terrific. Last year, we were a little frustrated because we had to revisit so many of the LotR themes - The Shire, Rivendell, Galadriel, Gollum, and the Ring - we did this because I'm wanting these 3 Hobbit movies to have great unity with the Rings films in design, wardrobe, story and music, so it meant "An Unexpected Journey" had to acknowledge what had gone before. But this time around, apart from a couple of Ring moments, it's all new: Beorn, Mirkwood, The Woodland Realm, Laketown, Bard and Smaug all give Howard the chance to write brand new themes, and he's knocking it out of the park!

So how does this blip make you feel about the upcoming score for The Desolation of Smaug?

You can read more Peter Jackson's Facebook page.

Music from The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (Silva Screen) - Review

There is only one Score of the Rings…and it does not share power!

Review by Edmund Meinerts

The latest compilation/rerecording work from Silva Screen sees them slipping into the MovieScore Media role, trying to bring some exposure to the scores from a little-known series of low-budget fantasy films based on the all-but-forgotten novels of J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, well, all joking aside, one can see why they would be tempted to release this album, which is a compilation of cues from the four ridiculously successful Peter Jackson-directed Middle-earth related fantasy eposes (…epi?). Does this mean they will release another such album in a year’s time when THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG hits theaters? Only time will tell, but meanwhile, the City of Prague Orchestra has offered up their renditions of some of the highlights of HOWARD SHORE’s music for the concept.

It goes without saying, naturally, that this album, like Silva’s yearly film music roundup series, is aimed firmly at the very casual moviegoer. More dedicated score collectors, especially those with any sort of affinity for this particular series, will likely not have any use for it. To put this hour-long single-disc release in perspective, the full extent of SHORE’s music for the series on album, combining the special edition of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY with the Complete Recordings of the three LORD OF THE RINGS scores, clocks in at about twelve hours. That’s not to say that this album is poorly made, of course; for one thing, their selection of highlights is solid, especially considering just how enormous and thematically rich this series is. Pretty much all of the more prominent themes from the series, the ones that the aforementioned casual moviegoer might have a chance of recognizing, are covered.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

SoundCast #54 - The Hobbit: A Game of Themes

Episode #54 - The Hobbit: A Game of Themes


Author Doug Adams returns to the SoundCast to talk about Howard Shore's score for part one of THE HOBBIT trilogy.  Find out which Tracksounds staffer has yet to see the film, how the presentation format of the film effected our experience, how the score caused some headscratching, and how this whole thing is just a huge "game of themes."

Episode Highlights

00:00 Blunt the Opening and Doug Adams Intro
05:46 What we were expecting from this film
19:58 General reactions and comparing to Lord of the Rings
11:45 Reacting to the film and it's music (spoilers)
31:21 Headscratching: Reacting to the score
49:56 A Game of Themes?
78:50 Wrapping it up


Music Selections

00:00 "Blunt the Knives" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
00:40 "The Adventure Begins" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
05:23 "The World is Ahead" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
19:25 "Warg-Scouts" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
31:04 "A Thunder Battle" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
50:40 "The Crack of Doom"(LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
57:41 "Out of the Frying-Pan" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
59:40 "The Breaking of the Fellowship" (LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
72:47 "02_Old Friends (Extended)" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
76:58 "Radagast the Brown (Extended)" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore
83:29 "Dreaming of Bag End" (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey SE) by Howard Shore

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Soundtrack) by Howard Shore - Review

An Expectedly Exceptional Journey
by Edmund Meinerts

Normally I don’t break form and talk about my personal feelings, but here I’ll make an exception, because Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT is probably my most anticipated film, and score, of all time. I’m what you might call a Tolkien nut – I’ve read the books, watched the films and listened to the scores over and over again; in fact, the latter are in no small part responsible for kindling my interest in film music to begin with, and in my humble opinion, HOWARD SHORE’s music is a strong contender for the title of greatest film score of all time.

For THE HOBBIT’s score, therefore, any choice other than SHORE would have been unthinkable. His sound has engrained itself irreversibly into Middle-earth, and fortunately Jackson was able to put aside whatever KING KONG-related differences he may have still had with the composer. SHORE responded with a score that, in its idiosyncratic “ancient” sound and meticulous attention to thematic and motivic detail, picks up where RETURN OF THE KING left off. In truth, the score feels just a little bit smaller and is a little bit less complex, but that’s relative to the previous three (and, furthermore, appropriate for THE HOBBIT’s lighter tone – this is just a treasure hunt, after all, not a quest to destroy evil); compared to the average blockbuster score of 2012, it’s still a behemoth, boasting about a dozen new themes alongside a whole host of recurring ideas from the RINGS trilogy.

READ THE FULL, SUPERSIZED REVIEW

Bonus SoundCast - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Reaction

Bonus Episode: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Reaction

Christopher Coleman knocks out this bonus “solo-cast” and shares his reaction to seeing The Hobbit in a Dolby Atmos, the film itself and the score as heard in context.

Episode Highlights

00:17 Where and when I saw The Hobbit

01:28 Comparing The Hobbit to LOTR

04:04 The Greatness of the Fellowship

05:42 I hear George Lucas' voice in my head

07:20 Meandering?

08:48 The score.  Where's the point?

Music Selections

00:00 "The White Council (Extended)" (The Hobbit: AUJ) by Howard Shore

04:05 "Khazad-Dûm " (LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore

11:16 "12_Roast Mutton (Extended)"  (The Hobbit: AUJ) by Howard Shore

14:55 "08_The World is Ahead" (The Hobbit: AUJ) by Howard Shore

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The Hobbit Special Edition Soundtrack: An Unexpected Unboxing

Quite unexpectedly my copy of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY special edition soundtrack arrived from Amazon.com today.  While I've been listening to the music for a few days already, I decided to share the "unboxing" experience with you and show you ever visual element contained therein.

So, if you pre-ordered, did yours arrive already?  What do you think of the packaging?  Even if you didn't pre-order and just watched the video, do you think what you've seen is worth $20?  Let us know...

You can, of course, order yours from Amazon.com here

The Hobbit Production Diary #9 - Goes to Abbey Road

The latest production diary (#9) from THE HOBBIT: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY shows us the final stretch of post-production and finally includes a segment on Howard Shore's original score...specifically the recording sessions at Abbey Road.  As always, the entire piece is quite entertaining, but if you want to get right to the recording sessions segment, skip to 11:02.

If you haven't already (for some reason), you can pre-order THE HOBBIT: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY soundtrack at amazon.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack by Howard Shore - 2 CD Set to come

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY SOUNDTRACK 2CD SET DUE
DECEMBER 11TH FROM WATERTOWER MUSIC

Featuring Original Music by Academy Award™ Winner Howard Shore
With An Original Song Performed by Neil Finn

2 CD Special Edition Soundtrack Also Available


(November 1, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA) – WaterTower Music has announced the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack at all retailers on December 11th.  The soundtrack will be available both digitally and as a 2 CD set.  A Special Edition of the soundtrack featuring six exclusive bonus tracks, seven extended score cues, and deluxe liner notes will also be available December 11. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey features original score by Academy Award® winner Howard Shore recorded at famed Abbey Road studios by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally it includes an original song entitled “Song of the Lonely Mountain,” written and performed by Neil Finn (Crowded House).  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of a trilogy of films from Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), will be released in the U.S. on December 14, 2012.

Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy has been performed in concerts throughout the world.  In 2003, Shore conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Wellington, New Zealand.  Since then, the work has had over 140 performances by the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and has even been the subject of a book, Music of The Lord of the Rings Films.

“I have looked forward to returning to the imaginative world of Middle-earth for quite a while,” says Shore. “I read all of the books by Tolkien, including The Hobbit, when I was in my twenties, and his deep love of nature and all things green resonates deeply with me.”

“It’s a thrill for us to work with Howard Shore on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack” stated WaterTower Music head Jason Linn, “His reputation and body of work have long inspired us, and we look forward to another successful partnership as we embark on the next chapter of our journey together.”

One of today’s most respected, honored, and active composers and music conductors, Howard Shore previously worked with director Peter Jackson on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which stands as his most towering achievement to date.  He won three Academy Awards for his music for those films, two for Best Original Score, and one for Best Original Song.  Shore has also won numerous other honors for his film work, including four Grammys and three Golden Globe Awards.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on WaterTower Music in the United States and Decca Records outside the United States. It will be available on December 11, 2012. The track listings for the 2 CD Standard and 2CD Deluxe versions are as follows:


THE HOBBIT SPECIAL EDITION TRACKLIST

DISC 1:
1.     My Dear Frodo
2.     Old Friends (Extended Version)
3.     An Unexpected Party (Extended Version)
4.     Blunt the Knives performed by The Dwarf Cast
5.     Axe or Sword?
6.     Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast
7.     The Adventure Begins
8.     The World is Ahead
9.     An Ancient Enemy
10.  Radagast the Brown (Extended Version)
11.  The Trollshaws
12.  Roast Mutton (Extended Version)
13.  A Troll-hoard
14.  The Hill of Sorcery
15.  Warg-scouts

DISC 2:
1.     The Hidden Valley
2.     Moon Runes (Extended Version)
3.     The Defiler
4.     The White Council (Extended Version)
5.     Over Hill
6.     A Thunder Battle
7.     Under Hill
8.     Riddles in the Dark
9.     Brass Buttons
10.  Out of the Frying-Pan
11.  A Good Omen
12.  Song of the Lonely Mountain (Extended Version) performed by Neil Finn
13.  Dreaming of Bag End

EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACKS
14.  A Very Respectable Hobbit
15.  Erebor
16.  The Dwarf Lords
17.  The Edge of the Wild



THE HOBBIT STANDARD EDITION TRACKLIST

Disc 1:
1.     My Dear Frodo
2.     Old Friends
3.     An Unexpected Party
4.     Axe or Sword?
5.     Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast
6.     The Adventure Begins
7.     The World is Ahead
8.     An Ancient Enemy
9.     Radagast the Brown
10.  Roast Mutton
11.  A Troll-hoard
12.  The Hill of Sorcery
13.  Warg-scouts

Disc 2:
1.     The Hidden Valley
2.     Moon Runes
3.     The Defiler
4.     The White Council
5.     Over Hill
6.     A Thunder Battle
7.     Under Hill
8.     Riddles in the Dark
9.     Brass Buttons
10.  Out of the Frying-Pan
11.  A Good Omen
12.  Song of the Lonely Mountain performed by Neil Finn
13.  Dreaming of Bag End


Order THE HOBBIT SPECIAL EDITION

Order THE HOBBIT: STANDARD EDITION

Man of Steel - Defender of Middle Earth

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, whether in front of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES or not, the Christopher Nolan produced, Zach Snyder directed, new, Superman-tale, THE MAN OF STEEL, has a teaser trailer. The visuals are compelling enough (I suppose), but, personally, I'm not looking forward to any shaky-cam-version of Superman. Aside from that, I don't yet find anything too offensive in the trail...oh wait.

 Does that music sound a bit familiar? Oh it most certainly should...but it was originally written for another earth...Middle Earth. That unforgettable solo soprano is none other than Howard Shore's "Lament for Gandalf" (THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING).

For most who view this trailer, it will be inconsequential, but some of you soundtrack-geniuses out there might find it a tad distracting.  Perhaps we can hold out hope for Princess Leia's theme in the full trailer down the road.

Does this seem like an odd pairing to you?  Does it distract or bother you?

Music from the Twilight Saga - Review

Breaking: Twilight Dawn’s New Moon Eclipse
Review by Helen San

Once in a while, Hollywood finds a product so compelling it overwhelmingly crushes all competition—sequel after sequel after sequel. The TWILIGHT juggernaut is the new gift that keeps on giving. It’s already made over $2 billion so far (yes, that’s billion with a B), so it is no wonder that TWILIGHT products keep coming out every time you turn your head. Shortly on the heels of the last TWILIGHT compilation (MUSIC FROM THE TWILIGHT SAGA FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA) comes this one: MUSIC FROM THE TWILIGHT SAGA. With music from all four existing films, this one is released by Silva Screen Records, the king of compilation albums. As usual for Silva, the recordings were made with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. If you’re familiar with work by both Silva and the City of Prague Philharmonic, you’ll know the quality is solid. Yes, there are probably better orchestras in the world, but I’ve never felt the need to complain about Prague.

The four film scores in the TWILIGHT SAGA are:

1. TWILIGHT by CARTER BURWELL
2. NEW MOON by ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
3. ECLIPSE by HOWARD SHORE
4. BREAKING DAWN I by CARTER BURWELL

It is widely known that I gush over CARTER BURWELL scores, so having two melancholic, romantic BURWELL scores in the same compilation is going to get me all tingly. Throw in DESPLAT’s incredible NEW MOON theme, and almost anything written by HOWARD SHORE, and I’m doing a happy dance even before I hear it. There, bias disclosed.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Music from the Twilight Saga for Chamber Orchestra - Review

Team Compilation or Team Original?
Review by Helen San

MUSIC FROM THE TWILIGHT SAGA FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (MTSCO) is a new compilation produced by the label BSX Records (owned by Buy Soundtrax, a retail outlet catering to hardcore soundtrack fans). Right away, you know this album is made for die-hard fans. But in this case, it is geared more toward die-hard fans of the Twilight Saga, known as “twihards”. Yes, you heard right. They’re called twihards.

In case you’ve been living on a deserted island, the Twilight Saga is a series of films based on four books (TWILIGHT, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, and BREAKING DAWN) about a young woman named Bella and her love triangle between a vampire named Edward and a werewolf named Jason. The triangle is crux of the legend, with Twilight fandom splitting into two factions: Team Edward and Team Jason. There have been four movies so far, with one more to go. There is one movie per book except for the fourth book. BREAKING DAWN is split into two films (a la HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS), with PART 1 released in November 2011, and PART 2 to be released in November 2012.

The scores for the four released movies are as follows:

1) TWILIGHT by CARTER BURWELL
2) NEW MOON by ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
3) ECLIPSE by HOWARD SHORE
4) BREAKING DAWN, PART 1 by CARTER BURWELL.
(BREAKING DAWN PART 2 will also be by CARTER BURWELL.)

The story is filled with adolescent angst, lovelorn torment, and bittersweet pining. It is a perfect recipe for the kind of beleaguered, romantic melancholy CARTER BURWELL likes to compose. Indeed, twilighters apparently agreed and petitioned for CARTER BURWELL to return to the franchise after the project went to DESPLAT and SHORE for the second and third films respectively. I have to agree that while DESPLAT’s and parts of SHORE’s music were more melodious and easier to listen to, BURWELL’s pain-filled score resonated much better with the emotional core of the saga. It works better in the film. It works better on album to evoke the memories and essence of the Saga.

Book and movie-wise, I am nowhere near being a twihard, or even a regular twilighter. However, as a film music enthusiast, I have found the music compelling enough to spend good money on all four of the original Saga scores. The new titles of the compilation match the originals, track for track. So I was well able to compare this album to the previous works.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Choir by Howard Shore - Review

Back Again

Review by Christopher Coleman

Howard Shores epic work for THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy easily stands as the best film music to be produced in this new millennium. It certainly has garnered more attention, discussion, and dissection than any other work composed for film since the turn of the century, and even more accurately, in the last 25 years. This has happened with good reason as HOWARD SHORE’S work contains the depth and detail worthy of attachment to director Peter Jackson’s trilogy, not to mention J.R.R. Tolkien’s encyclopedic mythos.

Thankfully, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is hardly without proper soundtrack representation. There is the single-CD, original soundtrack releases, limited edition soundtracks, the respective Complete Recordings, the Rarities CD included in Doug Adams’ book, THE MUSIC OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and a plethora of re-recordings and compilations sprinkled throughout retail and online music stores everywhere. All of these releases have coming in less than ten years speaks to the appreciation and value of Shore’s compositions and, of course, its continued marketability.

Now there is one more musical channel from which the Lord of the Rings music has been exhibited. Live concert performances of Shore’s scores have been held all over world. One of them was recorded as recently as February of 2011, performed by the 21st Century Symphony and Chorus, under the direction of maestro Ludwig Wicki. It was this performance that has come to comprise the latest Lord of the Rings musical venture: Howe Records release of THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY: SIX MOVEMENTS FOR ORCHESTRA & CHORUS.

Before diving into the some of the details of this release, the most obvious question should be first posed, “Is yet another release even needed?”

Given the volume of music from the trilogy released thus far, one might immediately be inclined to answer that question with a Mumakil-sized, “No.” If that would be your answer, then I’d beg to differ on a few counts. First, if you one of those who have listened to the original and extended releases countless times, know every nuance of every note from the Shire to the Grey Havens, then a new take on those same notes may feel like grey-rain curtain washing across Shore’s score... revealing them anew with fresh appreciation. Second, if you engage in soundtrack-evangelism then how does one introduce a would-be convert to Shore’s twelve-hour thematic deluge without scaring them off? I’d suggest that THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY is a solid representation of Shore’s music which is delivered in a very digestible, double-CD format - perfect for such evangelistic efforts...

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Behind the Score: The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films

Likely the most appreciated, analyzed, and awarded scores of the new millennium has been HOWARD SHORE'S epic, original score for Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY. Years after the some of the most complete soundtrack releases ever, comes the lost awaited book and CD release, THE MUSIC OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS - A Comprehensive Account of Howard Shore's Scores. This unique volume was researched, compiled and written by author DOUG ADAMS alongside Howard Shore and his creative team. The result is an even more detailed look at, not only the music, but it's evolution.

Tracksounds is proud to bring you this in-depth look "behind the score" of The Lord of the Rings. In this edition:

- SoundCast Interview with author Doug Adams
- Book review by Peter Nickalls
- Rarities CD review by Peter Nickalls
- Select photos from the Signature Session in London.


Check out Behind the Score here

SoundCast Interview with Doug Adams (The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films)

Interview:  Doug Adams
Recorded September 1, 2010
Published September 1, 2010

DOUG ADAMS, author of the upcoming book THE MUSIC OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS FILMS, talks about this unique and comprehensive project which put him shoulder-to-shoulder with one of his composer-idols, HOWARD SHORE. He shares about the joys and challenges of working on a project of this scale, his research process, and just who will want to get their hands on this book and compact disc! (Don't miss our little ploy to get some information on THE HOBBIT at the very end!)

Episode Highlights

00:26 - Introduction
02:30 - How did you come on to this project?
09:45 - The evolution of the project
13:00 - Who is this book intended for?
15:30 - What was the most difficult part of this project?
19:30 - How did you select the music for the Rarities CD?
25:30 - How are you feeling as this book is finally about to release?
29:04 - What's happening with Howard Shore and THE HOBBIT?


Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 - "The Road Goes Ever On Part 2" (LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring - Complete) by Howard Shore
08:53 - "The Three Hunters" (LOTR: The Two Towers - Complete) by Howard Shore
17:30 - "The Last March of the Ents" (LOTR: The Two Towers - Complete) by Howard Shore
24:34 - "The Plains of Rohan" (LOTR: The Two Towers - Complete) by Howard Shore
30:15 - "Return of the King" (LOTR: The Return of the King) by Howard Shore

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Special Appearance by Howard Shore and Doug Adams in New York!

Come see Howard Shore and Doug Adams discuss music from The Lord of the Rings -- Don't miss a special appearance by Howard Shore and Doug Adams as they discuss music from The Lord of the Rings. Howard Shore will sign Lord of the Rings CDs, as well as copies of his new CD, Collector's Edition Vol. 1. No other memorabilia please.

Priority seating with CD purchase.

Saturday, October 3rd, 6PM @

Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Triangle

1972 Broadway

New York, NY 10023

212-595-6859

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2628

For more information, please visit howardshore.com

More Eastern Promises. More Howard Shore?

The fine folk at Cinematic report that DAVID CRONENBERG will be making a sequel to EASTERN PROMISES. (I don't know about you, but I'm still recovering from the spa fight from the first film.) It was a sleeper hit film that really didn't get it's due...nor did lead actor Viggo Mortensen. Looks like Mortensen will back with Cronenberg as well as writer Steven Knight, which is great news.

Now the next question that must be asked is, "Will HOWARD SHORE return as well?" Will he have time with all of his Hobbitizing? EASTERN PROMISES was certainly one of the most beautiful scores of 2007, so let's hope he has time for it....however...if you must choose Mr. Shore...stick with the Hobbits. They need you even more.

Check the full article here

Let the Hobbit Hype Begin!

Just as things were getting unbearably boring...EMPIRE magazine comes to the rescue. Aside from the mediocre level of WATCHMAN hype, there really has been very little movie buzz this year. Granted. The year is young, but if you think back to last year, we were in the midst of post-CLOVERFIELD euphoria (aka motion sickness recovery) and well into THE DARK KNIGHT's viral hype machine. Now...finally...here's something to get some anticipatory-juices flowing again.

This months' EMPIRE magazine covers, among other films, Jackson and Del Toro's upcoming film, THE HOBBIT. I haven't gotten a copy yet, but I look forward to diving in to it...with hopes that they will touch on the film's original score by HOWARD SHORE.

For now Empire posts this VERY encouraging tidbit from del Toro:

“Whatever The Hobbit ends up being, it has to ultimately blend seamlessly into the first movie of the trilogy. We have to respect the cosmology and the canon established by the trilogy and follow it.”

Good call, G. Good call.

You can read the rest of Empire's blurb here