Showing posts with label lord of the rings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lord of the rings. Show all posts

Saturday, July 21, 2012

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?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

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

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...


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Soundtrack (Inon Zur) to be Released

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Soundtrack (Inon Zur) to be Released

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and WaterTower Music are pleased to announce the November 1 release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score by award-winning composer Inon Zur. The soundtrack will debut day and date with the Action RPG video game, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. After three highly acclaimed performances of the music at E3, Inon Zur has continued the tradition of iconic The Lord of the Rings music and crafted an epic and beautiful nineteen track score to the game, recorded at famed Abbey Road studios in the U.K.

"Composing the music for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was a very inspirational, creative process," said Zur. "The story is very compelling, and this had a direct influence on my music. As a long time fan of The Lord of the Rings, I always dreamed to be a part of this franchise, and when this dream came true, I was extremely motivated to tell the emotional story of this dark heroic adventure and its captivating characters. Bringing on board the London Philharmonia Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road studios magnified the music to new heights. I am so grateful to Warner Bros. for their support and I'm very excited to have you, the players, be a part of this musical experience and hope you will be as engaged as myself."

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Original Video Game Score will be available at all digital retailers and the CD will be available at Amazon.com on November 1, 2011.

The track listing is as follows:

Echoes Of Angmar
Between Hammer And Anvil
Sons Of Forgotten Kings
Nordinbad
Ghosts Of The Grey Mountains
The Savage Ettenmoors
Before The Citadel Gate
Into The Heart Of The Storm
Realm Of Ancient Kings
A Gathering Storm
The Savage Peaks
Men Of Carn Dûm
Trolls!
Beast Among The Ruins
In The Footsteps Of Kings
The Forges Of War
Halls Of Valor
Shadow On The Ettenmoors: Reprise
Against The Darkness

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

SoundCast Episode #29 - More of the Rings with Doug Adams

SoundCast Episode #29 - More of the Rings with Doug Adams



Episode #29 - More of the Rings with Doug Adams

Author Doug Adams (The Music of The Lord of the Rings) joins the crew to talk Howard Shore's score for the epic trilogy.  In addition, we hit our usual "What We've Been Listening To" segment, and also talk patriotic scores for the US, Canada, and UK.

Episode Highlights

00:20 — Introduction and welcome
02:18 — The Music of the Lord of Rings book reactions
12:30 — What have we been listening to?
24:44 — Patriotic/ Americana Scores
34:53 — More Lord of the Rings
43:32 — What's the next best thing to The Lord of Rings music?
61:10 — Anticipating The HObbit

Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 — "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" (The Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
06:25 — "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" (The Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
15:51 — "Autobots" (Transformers) by Steve Jablonsky
19:49 — "Prologue" (Harry Potter/ Philosophers Stone) by John Williams
23:10 — "Fawkes the Phoenix" (Harry Potter/ Chamber of Secrets) by John Williams
24:05 — "Along for the Ride" (Monte Carlo) by Michael Giacchino
28:24 — "Finale" (The Ice Storm) by Mychael Danna
30:32 — "The Queen" (The Queen) by Alexandre Desplat
33:59 — "Flight from Edoras" (The Return of the King) by Howard Shore
37:05 — "The Lighting of the Beacon" (The Return of the King) by Howard Shore
38:02 — "The Tales That Really Matter" (The Two Towers) by Howard Shore
39:11 — "Minas Tirith" (The Return of the King) by Howard Shore
41:33 — "For Frodo" (The Return of the King) by Howard Shore
44:36 — "Guilty Of Being Innocent Of Being Jack Sparrow" (Pirates/Stranger Tides) by Hans Zimmer
50:57 — "The Empire State Building" (King Kong) by James Newton Howard
53:13 — "Dream is Collapsing" (Inception) by Hans Zimmer
56:02 — "The Blitz, 1940" (The Lion, Witch, Wardrobe) by Harry Gregson-Williams
60:10 — "Bag End" (Fellowship of the Ring) by Howard Shore
66:11 — "The Shire-The Hobbits (Mock-Up)" (Lord of the Rings: Rarities CD) by Howard Shore
73:10 — "The Return Of The King Trailer" (Lord of the Rings: Rarities CD) by Howard Shore





Monday, June 13, 2011

Inon Zur Composes and Conducts Score for Lord of the Rings: War in the North



Composer Inon Zur talks a bit about writing the original game score for the upcoming LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH, as well as conducting a performance of his score at the recent E3.

What you can hear in this video clip is quite promising as it seems to carry the same general ethos as Howard Shore's epic work for the film trilogy.

So what think ye of this?


Saturday, April 16, 2011

Inon Zur Scores The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (Video Game)

Inon Zur Scores - Lord of the Rings: War in the North (Video Game)


Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces that award-winning composer, Inon Zur, has penned the musical score for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North video game. Zur recently conducted a full 70+ piece orchestra and the Pinewood Singers choir at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London to record the game soundtrack session.

To date, Zur has composed the music to more than 40 video games, 15 television shows, and 10 movies, as well as many movie trailers. Recipient of numerous accolades for his work within the video game space, including a Hollywood Music in Media Award for Dragon Age: Origins, Zur's score sets the stage for this upcoming Action/RPG set in the brutal, war-torn unexplored lands of northern Middle-earth.

Developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North provides new story parallel to the Tolkien canon, exploring the only previously hinted at region to the North. Enriching the emotional storytelling, brutal combat, and epic exploration of the game, Zur's composition provides the compelling soundtrack as new territory is forged for one of the most significant entertainment properties of all time.

Inon Zur composes emotionally dynamic music for film, television, anime and video games. A graduate of the Music Academy of Tel Aviv in Israel, Inon moved to Los Angeles to study the art of film music at the Dick Grove School of Music and UCLA with such luminaries as Jack Smalley, Alan Ferguson and Henry Mancini. His scores for film and television include Au Pair, Escaflowne, Digimon, Power Rangers, State of Grace and Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side. Zur's Hollywood scoring expertise combined with his flair for powerful melodic writing is widely recognized in the world of interactive entertainment. Composing cinematic orchestral music for blockbuster franchises such as Dragon Age, RIFT, TERA, Prince of Persia, EverQuest, Lineage, Crysis and Fallout, he has received international acclaim including award nominations from the British Academy (BAFTA) and Spike TV as well as top honors at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Variety named Inon Zur one of the top music talents in interactive entertainment.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is an intense Action RPG video game based on the renowned works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Through innovative online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players who form their own Fellowship, the game breaks new ground as the first The Lord of the Rings video game to embrace the gritty and brutal reality of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Exploring previously unseen lands, storylines and characters as well as those familiar from past feature films, gamers experience expansive co-op gameplay and upgradeable weapons, character customization and development, skills and special abilities. Gamers must play together or perish as they work to defeat Sauron's forces in the North. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is slated to launch on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows in 2011.

Register for The Council of the North at www.WarInTheNorth.com, and don't forget to "like" us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lotrwitn and follow us on Twitter @WarInTheNorth.

Pre-Order The Lord of the Rings:  War in the North at Amazon.com.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

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

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

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

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





Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films Book Announced

The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films Book Announced


Carpentier and Alfred Music Publishing announce the release of
The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films
by Doug Adams

In-Depth Journey into Howard Shore’s Academy Award®-Winning Score

(July, 28, 2010—New York, NY) Carpentier and Alfred Music Publishing are pleased to announce the release of The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, a comprehensive account of Howard Shore’s score for the trilogy, by Doug Adams. The book will be available in the European Union on September 28 and in the U.S. and worldwide on October 5, 2010.

The culmination of almost a decade of writing and research, The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films is an unprecedented look at Howard Shore’s Academy Award®-winning score, with extensive music examples, original manuscript scores, a rarities CD, and glimpses into the creative process from the composer, himself.

The 416-page full-color volume features a Foreword by Howard Shore, an Introduction by The Lord of the Rings screenwriter/producer Fran Walsh, original sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee, and numerous images from the films. Also included in the book, courtesy of Howe Records, is “The Lord of the Rings: The Rarities Archive” a CD presenting 21 tracks of previously unreleased music created for the films, and an audio interview with Howard Shore.

The score for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy has been hailed as some of the greatest film music ever written. Sweeping in scope, it is a musical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth—an operatic tapestry of cultures, histories, languages, and people.

“Howard Shore’s [LOTR] music has touched millions of people the world over,” said Adams. “It’s been my great pleasure to assemble a piece that chronicles the creation of this music, and examines exactly how it tells this classic story.”

“Doug was a detective uncovering clues, tracing how one theme or character related to another,” said Shore. “He not only shows the themes and motifs for characters, cultures, objects, and their connection to Tolkien’s work, but also the ideas that were sometimes buried deep inside the writing.”

“Researching Shore’s music has been a true adventure,” described Adams. “His work is every bit as intricate and passionate as Tolkien’s Middle-earth.”

Doug Adams, a Chicago-based author and musicologist, was invited in 2001 by Howard Shore to observe and document his work on Peter Jackson’s motion picture trilogy. Adams attended recording sessions, examined the original scores, and was given complete access to the composer’s archives. As an acknowledged authority on Howard Shore’s music, Adams has become a regular fixture at concerts and events across the globe. He runs the popular blog, www.musicoflotr.com, which documents his work on this project and brings fans together in ongoing discussions.


UPCOMING EVENTS

September 27 Book signing and Q&A with Howard Shore and Doug Adams (Chappell of Bond Street, 152-160 Wardour St. London,UK)

September 28-29 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, concert (Royal Albert Hall, London, UK)

October 7 Book signing and Q&A with Howard Shore and Doug Adams (Barnes and Noble, 1972 Broadway, New York, NY)

October 8-9 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, concert (Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY)



ABOUT ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING

Alfred Music Publishing is one of the world’s largest music publishers. Alfred is based in Los Angeles with domestic offices in Miami & New York as well as around the world including Australia, Germany, Singapore & the United Kingdom.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

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


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

For more information, please visit howardshore.com

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Watch The Fellowship of the Ring in High Definition with Live Orchestral Performance!


Watch The Fellowship of the Ring in High Definition with Live Orchestral Performance


If you are longing to experience Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING a-fresh...and you're going to be in the UK next April, then you'll want to get your tickets for this unique showing of part-one of Jackson's trilogy.

While a high-definition presentation of the film plays, you'll be treated to a live performance of Howard Shore's score by the original orchestral and choirs!

London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Voices
The London Oratory School Schola

The performance is to be conducted by Ludwig Wicki.


Thanks for the heads up from our friends at THEONERING.NET. Head on over their for more info on how to book your tickets!

Monday, September 01, 2008

Lord of the Rings: Conquest with music by Howard Shore



Composer Howard Shores epic score from the LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY will be getting a "new" context in a few short weeks. EA's LORD OF THE RINGS: CONQUEST is a new video game developed by Pandemic in the tradition of STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT.

Whether or not any additional music is being composed for the game has not been revealed. EA's implementation of Shore's music for the BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH series was more than adequate, but even if they do add a few new pieces hopefully they'll bring in JAMIE CHRISTOPHERSON once again...who likewise did a great job on BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH I and II. (BFME II still remains a favorite of mine, so if any of you are also into it and want to go a few rounds, just lay your challenge down here and I'll see you on Xbox Live.)

For now, enjoy the first teaser trailer for the game below or pre-order yours here.



Sunday, January 13, 2008

Top Stuff from 2007 #4 - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Complete Recordings

Top Stuff from 2007 #4 - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Complete Recordings
#4 - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING - COMPLETE RECORDINGS

Top Stuff from 2007 #4 - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Complete Recordings

Now how could you not agree that this one of the top soundtrack releases of 2007? You might even be mildly offended that this doesn't rank higher than #4. (Trust me, my fine Middle-Earth-friend, you'll likely be ok, when we get to numero uno). Now, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING COMPLETE RECORDINGS only slides to #4 because the first release of the "complete recording" series, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, was the release that redefined our collective expectations on special release CD sets. With this release, we knew what to expect...and we got it. Other franchises have tried to step up to the plate, with the STAR WARS 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTORS EDITION and the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN COLLECTORS set, but neither have come even close to the LORD OF THE RINGS COMPLETE RECORDINGS series. This last installment of the trilogy continued the tradition of high quality packaging, insightful notes, and of course, so much of the music missing off of the original soundtrack release - and then the DVD-AUDIO disc for you audiophiles. This was one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year and Warner/Reprise delivered.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Win January Prize Pack: I AM LEGEND and LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING (THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS)!


Start 2008 off right by entering our January caption contest, which will put you in the running to win our New Year’s prize pack! The winner will receive a copy of James Newton Howard’s score to "I AM LEGEND" AND the "LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS)" boxed set, composed by Howard Shore!










First, check out the contest rules HERE (remember, each contestant is allowed up to THREE submissions). Then enter the contest HERE.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Complete Recordings by Howard Shore Review

Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King - Complete Recordings

Before the rest of this Sunday is committed to a full menu of fabulous football games, I wanted to post regarding the review of the LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING - COMPLETE RECORDINGS (one of the longest titles for a soundtrack ever.) If you decide to check it out after the "super bowl" today...I'll completely understand.

Here's a bit...

Hard to believe that it's been four years since Peter Jackson's climactic, part 3 of his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy hit movie screens. With subsequent release of the extended edition DVDs and then the Complete Recording releases of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and then THE TWO TOWERS, there has been plenty to keep fans of the film and its score well occupied.

Although there are plans for more LORD OF THE RINGS/ HOWARD SHORE musical-goodness to come in the not-too-distant-future, THE RETURN OF THE KING: COMPLETE RECORDINGS, does wrap up the epic set of music from the trilogy. The third film, being the longest, also featured the most music. Factor in that the extended edition of the film added almost an hour of additional footage - much of it requiring additional score, and there has been a mumakil's worth of score that has gone unreleased until now - including some of the music from the film's top moments. Now, just as the two previous Complete Recording releases did, RETURN OF THE KING delivers just about every second of music one could hope for from the film and does so in impressive fashion.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Win Howard Shore’s RETURN OF THE KING (The Complete Recordings) Soundtrack!


You don’t want to miss this month’s caption contest! The winner will receive a copy of the "LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING" boxed set, featuring all the music from the film on four discs, as well as a DVD of the entire score with superior sound—composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore.


Check out the contest rules HERE. Enter the contest HERE.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings to hit November 6,2007

Lord of the Rings:  The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings
November 6, 2007 - the date so many have been waiting for! Warner/Reprise Records has announced that this will be the date that THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING - THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS is due out. You can read their full press release below, but suffice it to say...this will be a doozy. 5 discs with almost 4 hours of music? The fifth disc is a special DVD-Audio disc with the complete 3 hours and 50 minutes of score in even higher resolution sound! Anyway...start saving your pennies...



"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings"
Set for Release November 6, 2007 on Reprise/WMG Soundtracks


Available for the First Time!

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - September 12, 2007) -

Howard Shore's complete Oscar®-winning score for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," from the epic film trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," will be available for the first time in a deluxe five-disc edition from Reprise/WMG Soundtracks on November 6, 2007.

This historic release contains 3 hours and 50 minutes of music on four CDs, comprising the full score of the 2003 film. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" marks the third and final edition of the three complete recording releases of the film trilogy whose score has been honored with three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. This deluxe set includes exclusive new artwork, packaging, liner notes written by Doug Adams, author of the forthcoming book "The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films," and features Annie Lennox performing the Oscar®-winning song "Into the West."
Composed for symphony orchestra, adult and children's choir, and soloists, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" was performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola featuring vocal performances by Annie Lennox, Renée Fleming, Sissel, Ben Del Maestro and cast members Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic Monaghan. The score also features solos performed by renowned flautist Sir James Galway.

The fifth disc is a DVD-Audio presenting the entire "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The Complete Recordings" in Advanced Resolution Surround Sound, Advanced Resolution Stereo Sound, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo Sound.

"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings" was released on December 13, 2005 and spent months in Amazon.com's top 100 Sales Ranking, garnering some of the best reviews of the year. "For fans of any of 'The Lord of the Rings' films, 'The Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings' is an essential experience," said Heather Phares, All Music Guide. "'The Complete Recordings' is last year's most important archival soundtrack release, expanding and preserving one of the finest and most significant recent scores in all of film music. Shore's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is an operatic symphony that is among the finest musical accomplishments of the last half-century. The plethora of unreleased material on this beautifully packaged edition is mouth-watering at the least, and the sonic dynamic achieved on the surround sound DVD of the entire 180-minute score is simply astonishing," said Randall Larson, Music From the Movies.

Get more info here as it becomes available

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The Battle of the Best! - Return of the King Leads...


After only a few days, THE BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF ALL TIME poll has soared to some 130 titles with over 6500 vote/rankings being made in total! While the music of STAR WARS and other JOHN WILLIAMS scores held an early lead, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy has made a huge comeback.

In the process, voters have made this Unspun list the most popular in the last 30 days and the 5th most popular of all time!

Thanks for voting, but the battle rages on!


Make sure you come back to vote up or vote down the new titles being entered.