PDA

View Full Version : Lord of the Rings Complete



Titanium Dome
02-06-2007, 09:38 AM
I've had my eye on the Howard Shore Lord of the Rings Complete musical recordings since the first one came out a couple of years ago. Currently, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are available as three CD plus one DVD-A sets. I haven't heard much about a Return of the King set, but it must be in some stage of production.

The sets are a bit pricey at $50–70 retail. They don't come up often on ebay, and Amazon's price is a pathetic 3% off or so. Recently I had the chance to get them for about 20% off, so I bit. After more than a week of shipping time, they arrived yesterday.

I did some preliminary listening, and I must say I'm awe-struck! The high resolution sound of the DVD-A in both hi-rez stereo and high-rez surround is sensational. Since the movies themselves were such enveloping experiences sonically, the surround versions sound just right to me.

As I get more time, I'll add more reactions to the thread. I have not been a big fan of soundtrack albums, though occasionally I've liked one here or there. This is not a simple soundtrack album, however; it's a complete orchestral rendering of the monumental music scored for the films.

Anyone else have either or both of these?

clmrt
02-06-2007, 10:57 AM
I'd be interested in the catalog numbers, if you have time.:)

Titanium Dome
02-06-2007, 11:03 AM
I don't have them in hand right now, but here's a link:

http://www.howardshore.com/works/discography/

It shows both works.

Titanium Dome
02-08-2007, 10:08 PM
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Complete Recordings is a feature rich package. I snagged a couple of pictures of the package from this full review:

http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=173

Titanium Dome
02-08-2007, 10:12 PM
Here's a look at the cover of the box.

Titanium Dome
02-08-2007, 10:17 PM
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Complete Recordings is a similar set, but graphically distinct. Again, a review supplied these pictures, and there are more at the link.

http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=209

Titanium Dome
02-08-2007, 10:30 PM
Here's the cover of The Two Towers box.

Titanium Dome
02-08-2007, 10:32 PM
When closed, they look like books.

Titanium Dome
02-09-2007, 12:35 AM
I've listened to The Fellowship of the Ring a couple of times now, and this is destined to be a classic corpus of music in an almost operatic mode. By the time all three complete soundtracks are available, they'll rival Wagner's own Ring cycle with 10+ hours of music, minus the shrieking, pulchritudinous, horn-hatted divas.

The thematic development and the musical motifs are well-conceived and consistent without being trite or predictable. Shore's score delivers significant emotional impact and is able to convey nuances in feeling and mood.

The recording quality on the DVD-A is 48/24 and contains four different playback formats. The fidelity is first-rate.

clmrt
02-09-2007, 06:56 AM
Main Entry: pul·chri·tude http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?pulchr01.wav=pulchritude')) Pronunciation: \ˈpəl-krə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin pulchritudin-, pulchritudo, from pulchr-, pulcher beautiful Date: 15th century : physical comeliness

I should have spent my wad on this rather than the Beatles' Love. Oh well. Payday is comin' round again.

Titanium Dome
02-09-2007, 04:58 PM
Main Entry: pul·chri·tude http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/images/audio.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?pulchr01.wav=pulchritude')) Pronunciation: \?p?l-kr?-?tüd, -?tyüd\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin pulchritudin-, pulchritudo, from pulchr-, pulcher beautiful Date: 15th century : physical comeliness

I should have spent my wad on this rather than the Beatles' Love. Oh well. Payday is comin' round again.

Ah yes, I was a bit over the top there. I've always identified the concept of pulchritude with full-bodied women, which certainly would be the case in the 15th and adjacent centuries. The thin, tanned sticks we often see today as models of beauty would be considered half-starved, sterile, unfit, peasant stock, incapable of bearing healthy children or doing the work of an able-bodied woman.

You don't hear the word used much anymore, but I'd identify some of the great divas as having pulchritude—Lehman, Sutherland, Horne, Nilsson, Price, even Sills, and among pop stars, Queen Latifa, Patty LaBelle, Aretha, and Bette Midler come to mind.

JMO, YMMV ;)

kingjames
02-09-2007, 05:21 PM
this sounds like something I would like, will have to check it out.

Titanium Dome
02-09-2007, 09:58 PM
I meant to post this as an example of pulchritude. Lilli Lehmann.

Titanium Dome
02-09-2007, 10:09 PM
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Complete Recordings has more choral music than the first, and it's quite a treat to hear. It makes for great night music.

The Rohan music is stirring in its bravery and its contrast of simplicity and grandeur. The use of horns is both haunting and majestic, and balanced with vocal harmonies and even Miranda Otto's vocal at the graveside.

It so easy to close my eyes and get swept into the music's mystery and magic. It is truly transporting.

Titanium Dome
02-11-2007, 09:28 PM
Looks like maybe this fall for The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King, The Complete Recordings, which will be the ball-busting conclusion to the musical trilogy.

Howard Shore spills the beans.

http://www.tracksounds.com/specialfeatures/Interviews/interview_howard_shore_2006.htm

kingjames
02-11-2007, 11:36 PM
here it is on ebay, is this a good price Ti-Dome compared to what you paid? I also noticed the seller is from my area.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=003&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=130078420174&rd=1&rd=1

Titanium Dome
02-11-2007, 11:45 PM
That's about $4 more than I paid, so I think it's a good price.

However, I got free shipping, and the ebay seller looks like he's going to charge $8.99 for shipping. :(

Titanium Dome
02-11-2007, 11:47 PM
As an alternative, look at these with $2.59 shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000BNI90O/sr=8-2/qid=1171262550/ref=pd_bbs_sr_olp_2/102-0073143-2693771?ie=UTF8&s=music

kingjames
02-11-2007, 11:54 PM
I guess it pays to shop around!:banghead: Thanks for the link.

kingjames
02-12-2007, 11:18 PM
het TI just bought it from your link> well let you know what I think.

Titanium Dome
02-13-2007, 03:42 PM
het TI just bought it from your link> well let you know what I think.

:) Glad it was useful to you. I hope you enjoy it.

I got so obsessed I paused and watched The Two Towers extended edition. I was more cognizant of the music, predictably. ;)

kingjames
02-24-2007, 07:56 PM
Got the oppurtunity to listen to this and it is nothing short of stunning. Sitting on my office chair and kicking back my head I completely left this world for a time.Not too many pieces of music can do that for me.

I close my eyes and get lost into this musical miracle.I listen and find myself remembering the movies and what parts go with what scenes's.
It is truly an experience to behold and very uplifting. I think having JBL'S with this score is a perfect match.

Why would I want to listen to this on anything else?This is my perfect little world and when I can leave this planet by listening to a piece of music then I have achieved (at least in my mind) sonic Heaven.

I mostly prefer soundtracks and when listening to the cd or dvd you hear what you never hear in the movie.

It still amazes me to this day how a speaker is able to reproduce music and how JBL does it so good.:)

Titanium Dome
02-25-2007, 12:40 AM
Sounds like you had a good time, and I know exactly what you mean.