The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [Original Soundtrack]

by Howard Shore

Overview

The monumental task of scoring -- in rapid succession -- three of history's most anticipated films has done little to temper the fire that fuels composer Howard Shore's vision and enthusiasm. With each installment of New Line Cinema's Lord of the Rings trilogy, his seemingly bottomless cauldron of memorable motifs and affecting character themes washes over Peter Jackson's Middle Earth like a coat of varnish, bending each frame to its will. If The Fellowship of the Ring was its heart and The Two Towers its body, then The Return of the King is the series' soul. Opening with a Brahms-like veil of strings that deftly segues into a solo violin variation on the main melody, Shore begins by re-revisiting themes from the previous films. By the time he reaches the devastating "Steward of Gondor" -- featuring a heartbreaking tune sung by Hobbit (Billy Boyd) -- the mood has shifted from nostalgia to urgency, channeling the protagonists' desperation to complete their harrowing journey. "Twilight and Shadow" uses the gorgeous voice of soloist Renee Fleming to add weight to Arwen's (Liv Tyler) decision on whether or not to choose love over immortality, and "Shelob's Lair," with its dissonant bursts of percussive brass, cements Shore as this generation's Bernard Herrmann. The real magic begins with "The Black Gate Opens," a nervous breath and the calm before the storm, anchored by James Galway's tin whistle. That breath is needed, as what follows is the culmination of nearly five years of work. "The End of All Things" explodes with a variation on the choral arrangement that normally accompanies the Ringwraiths, and inter-cuts it with the voice of the ring -- a boy soprano -- before launching into the ten-minute "Return of the King." Like a Wagner opera, Shore methodically places familiar themes within the context of emotional turmoil, avoiding the forgettable nonstop dissonance that others apply to battle scenes with sweeping, often nightmarish melodies that linger for days. It's this dedication to memorable composition that makes "The Grey Havens" -- the film's epilogue -- so compelling. With its soft, bittersweet strings, it packs an emotional impact that would have resonated only on the surface had he taken a by the book approach to scoring the action sequences. Shore and Jackson are visionaries for whom this was a labor of love, and these films are a testament to their nearly inhuman resolve and tenacity. Despite the inclusion of a lovely yet unnecessary song by Annie Lennox, The Return of the King marks the end of an extraordinary collaboration that's destined to be celebrated and studied for generations to come. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2008
Label:	Wea
UPC:	0093624860921

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Howard Shore   Primary Artist,Conductor
London Voices   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
London Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
London Oratory Schola Cantorum   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Annie Lennox   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals,Soloist
Renee Fleming   Featured Artist,Vocals,Soloist,Soprano (Vocal)
Viggo Mortensen   Featured Artist,Vocals
Ben Del Maestro   Featured Artist,Soloist,Vocals
James Galway   Featured Artist,Flute,Penny Whistle
Billy Boyd   Featured Artist,Vocals
Ulrich Herkenhoff   Pan Flute
Edward Cervenka   Cimbalom
Jan Hendrickse   Low Whistle
John Parricelli   Guitar,Guitar (12 String),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Dermot Crehan   Fiddle,Irish Fiddle,Double Violin

Technical Credits

Jeffrey Lesser   Engineer,Mixing
Peter Cobbin   Mixing,Score Mixer
Peter Mew   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Michael Price   Editing,Music Editor
Isobel Griffiths   Music Contractor
Annie Lennox   Text,Composer,Lyricist
Toby Wood   Assistant Engineer
Tom Lazarus   Mixing,Engineer
Giancarlo Vulcano   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Richard Lancaster   Assistant Engineer
Paul Broucek   Producer,Music Supervisor,Executive Producer,Executive in Charge of Music
Danny Bramson   Executive Producer,Executive Soundtrack Producer
Andrew Dudman   Editing,Music Editor
Mike Cox   Assistant Engineer
Erik Jordan   Assistant Engineer
Josie Leckie   Soundtrack Coordination
Steve Price   Music Editor
Dick Ihnatowicz   Music Preparation
Mark Findon   Music Preparation
Karen Elliott   Scoring Coordinator
Charles Portney   Scoring Coordinator
Mike Hornet   Music Preparation
Lisa Otto   Creative Consultant
Steven R. Gilmore   Design,Sleeve Art,Cover Design
Andrew Eccles   Photography
Stephen Pelluet   Assistant Engineer
Jill Streater   Music Preparation
Roy Moore   Music Preparation
Mirek Stiles   Assistant Engineer
Kevin Mahonchak   Music Preparation
John Wriggle   Editing,Music Editor
Bill Foley   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Marie Ebbing   Music Editor
J.R.R. Tolkien   Text,Composer
Jason Cienkus   Soundtrack Coordination
Jeff Grace   Technical Coordinator
Jan Hendrickse   Unknown Contributor Role
Malcolm Fife   Editing,Music Editor
Paul Hicks   Mixing,Engineer
Andy Bradfield   Mixing,Engineer
Jennifer Green   Music Preparation
Billy Boyd   Performer
John Whitfield   Music Preparation
John Kurlander   Engineer,Recording
Howard Shore   Text,Composer,Producer,Liner Notes,Orchestration
Tim Stritmater   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Jim Breuning   Assistant
Becca Gatrell   Editing,Music Editor
Jonathan Schultz   Music Editor
David Salo   Translation,Text Translation
Ken George   Photography
Ann Barnard   Music Preparation
Lowell Pickett   Assistant
David Salto   Text Translation
Gill Townend   Music Preparation
Greg Rippin   Assistant
Nigel Scott   Music Editor
Edmund Sanders   Music Preparation
Steve Pelluet   Assistant Engineer
J. R. R. Tolkein   Text
Van Redlin   Photography
Tim Starnes   Music Editor
Pierre Vinet   Photography
Ruth Cornes   Music Contractor
Vic Fraser   Music Preparation
Sam O'Kell   Assistant Engineer
Van Redin   Photography
Ian Hayter   Music Preparation
Jason Poss   Music Preparation
Chris Coad   Photography
Lois Dilivio   Assistant
Steve Pelleut   Assistant Engineer
Peter Jackson   Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Anne Barnard   Music Preparation
Eric Jordan   Assistant Engineer
Lois DiLivio   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Lori Silfen   Music Business Affairs
Mark Willsher   Associate Music Producer
Fran Walsh   Text,Composer,Lyricist,Executive Producer
Simon Kiln   Editing
John F.X. Walsh   Music Business Affairs
Mitch Rotter   Soundtrack Manager,Soundtrack Executive Producer
Chris Cozens   Auricle Programming
Mike Hornett   Music Preparation
Philippa Boyens   Text,Text Adaptation
Jim Bruening   Assistant Engineer
Greg Laporta   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
David Gould   Assistant Engineer
Mark Kaufman   Music Clearance
Benjamin Ealovega   Photography