The Lord of the Rings Symphony – Live Concert Recording
Howe Records have announced the release of Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra & Chorus on September 13, 2011, both in stores and digitally on September 13, 2011.
The album was recorded live in concert in Lucerne Switzerland this past February in partnership with Bavarian Radio who will broadcast the world premiere of the concert in its entirety on September 4, 2011. The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra & Chorus was performed by the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra & Chorus under the direction of Ludwig Wicki.
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. The Lord of the Rings Symphony – a six-movement piece spanning Howard Shore three film scores was created from the nearly 12 hours of music composed by Shore for the film trilogy. The six movements reflect each of the six books of The Lord of the Rings.
This December marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the first film and soundtrack of the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Howard Shore continued, “J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is very close to my heart. I have great respect for his writing and share the values he weaves into these stories of courage and honor, friendship and sacrifice. I love the inner aspect of his writing, the detail of the relationships, and his observance of nature.”
In tandem with the release of each of the films, single CD soundtracks of Shore’s music were released. Following the conclusion of the film series, three boxed sets containing the complete recordings from each of the films were also released. Live-to-projection symphonic concert performances have been performed in many cities worldwide and this fall 10 concerts are scheduled in the United States along the West Coast.
In other words, a highly recommended purchase for those who love the music of The Lord of the Rings, one of the best musical compositions of recent years.
