LORD OF THE RINGS SOUNDTRACKS
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King: The Complete Recordings
Limited-Edition Boxed Set Available From Rhino On September 21
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers: The Complete Recordings
Available Tomorrow
LOS ANGELES – The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains one of most successful films in cinematic history. Based on the popular J.R.R. Tolkien novel of the same name, The Lord of the Rings was directed by Peter Jackson with a score composed by Howard Shore and earned a total of 17 Academy Awards®. Three of those awards were for the film’s music which enjoyed wide commercial success and has collectively sold seven million copies.
To help celebrate International Tolkien Week (September 14-22) and International Hobbit Day (September 22), Rhino will release the third and final soundtrack from the Trilogy on September 21. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS will be released on vinyl for the first time as a 6-LP boxed set ($134.98). Housed in a collector’s box with a green leather-style spine, the collection is limited to 8,000 individually numbered copies on green vinyl. The soundtrack will also be available as a 4-CD set ($84.98), plus 1-Blu-ray audio disc containing the entire sore in high-resolution 5.1 surround sound, a reactivation of the 2007 box set featuring the entire score from the extended versions of the film. Both versions come with extensive liner notes from author Doug Adams, who analyzes many of the themes and motifs used throughout the score.
The music for all three films was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Howard Shore. The music he wrote for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with contributions from the choirs: The London Voices and The London Oratory School Schola Boys Choir.
The album was certified gold in the U.S. and the U.K. and won two Academy Awards® for Best Original Score and for Best Original Song with “Into the West” performed by Annie Lennox; two Golden Globe Awards® for Best Original Score and Song; and two Grammy Awards® for Best Score Soundtrack Album and Song Written for a Motion Picture.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS is the third in a series of three releases that also includes The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) which was released on April 6 and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) which is out tomorrow, July 27.
There’s probably never been as ambitious a film score as Howard Shore’s 10-hour epic for the “Lord of the Rings” series... the music is rich and complex, drawing on a vast range of styles and exotic instruments to evoke J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of elves, hobbits and warlocks... Shore uses an elaborate leitmotif technique (where musical themes are associated with specific characters or ideas, and are developed across the entire series) to hold the sprawling tale together. Lush, beautiful and full of intriguing surprises, it’s no wonder that it’s become one of the most popular film scores ever written. - Stephen Brookes for the Washington Post, May, 2008
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS
Track Listing:
Side A
- Roots and Beginnings
- Journey to the Cross-roads
- The Road to Isengard
- The Foot of Orthanc
- Return to Edoras
- The Chalice Passed
- The Green Dragon (Featuring Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan)
Side B
- Gollum’s Villainy
- Éowyn’s Dream
- The Palantír
- Flight From Edoras
- The Grace of Undómiel (Featuring Renée Fleming)
- The Eyes of the White Tower
Side C
- A Coronal of Silver and Gold
- The Lighting of the Beacons
Side D
- Osgiliath Invaded (Featuring Ben Del Maestro)
- The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
- Allegiance to Denethor
- The Sacrifice of Faramir (Featuring Billy Boyd Performing “The Edge of Night”)
Side E
- The Parting of Sam and Frodo
- Marshalling at Dunharrow
- Andúril–Flame of the West
- The Passing of the Grey Company
Side F
- Dwimorberg–The Haunted Mountain
- Master Meriadoc, Swordthain
- The Paths of the Dead
- The Siege of Gondor
Side G
- Shelob’s Lair
- Merry’s Simple Courage
- Grond–The Hammer of the Underworld
- Shelob the Great
Side H
- The Tomb of the Stewards
- The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
- The Pyre of Denethor
- The Mûmakil
- Dernhelm in Battle
- “A Far Green Country”
- Shieldmaiden of Rohan
Side I
- The Passing of Théoden
- The Houses of Healing (Featuring Liv Tyler)
- The Tower of Cirith Ungol
- The Last Debate (Featuring Sissel Performing Asëa Aranion)
- The Land of Shadow
Side J
- The Mouth of Sauron (Featuring Sir James Galway)
- “For Frodo” (Featuring Ben Del Maestro)
- Mount Doom (Featuring Renée Fleming)
- The Crack of Doom
- The Eagles (Featuring Renée Fleming)
Side K
- The Fellowship Reunited (Featuring Sir James Galway, Viggo Mortensen and Renée Fleming)
- The Journey to the Grey Havens (Featuring Sir James Galway)
Side L
- Elanor (Featuring Sir James Galway)
- Days of the Ring (Featuring Annie Lennox Performing “Into the West”)
- Bilbo’s Song
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