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Thread: Lord of the Rings Complete

  1. #1
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    Post Lord of the Rings Complete

    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?

  2. #2
    clmrt
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    I'd be interested in the catalog numbers, if you have time.

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    I don't have them in hand right now, but here's a link:

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

    It shows both works.

  4. #4
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    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
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  5. #5
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    Here's a look at the cover of the box.
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    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
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  7. #7
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    Here's the cover of The Two Towers box.
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    When closed, they look like books.
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    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.

  10. #10
    clmrt
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    Main Entry: pul·chri·tude 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.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by clmrt View Post
    Main Entry: pul·chri·tude 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

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    Senior Member kingjames's Avatar
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    this sounds like something I would like, will have to check it out.

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    I meant to post this as an example of pulchritude. Lilli Lehmann.
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    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.

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    Thirds

    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/specialfe...shore_2006.htm

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