Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The Great Unknowns
Hi everyone,
As you know, I've spent the majority of 2013 on a non-Tolkien project. I'm hoping to be done with that by the end of summer, and with luck, will have more to share at that time. The upshot of that, of course, is that I've been a pretty negligent blogger as of late. True, there hasn't been much to report on lately, but I do feel bad that I haven't been able to connect with everyone.
Creative work is so odd. One dedicates years of hard, solitary effort to creating something, then finally gets to come into the sunlight and celebrate. But after that, one has to hop off the mountain and tackle the whole thing again. You're back in the foothills all by yourself--and oh, you're not allowed to take the same route in your attempt to return to the summit. The whole affair feels freeing, self-indulgent, satisfying beyond compare, and unnerving beyond recognition. I love it, but you really feel your mind straining at the seams ...
Anyway, enough of my whining. I'm actually checking in today to respond to a coupld of questions that keep popping up:
1) The LOTR: Complete Recordings seem to be very hard to find right now. The Two Towers, in fact, is listed as being out of stock, and is going for astronomical amounts on the secondary market. Will they be back, and if so when?
I've actually enquired about this, but the short answer is, I do not know the answer. The Complete Recordings have always been tricky to keep track of. Shore's company has a say in them, Reprise (the label) has a say in them, Warner Bros (who owns Reprise) has a say, CAMI (who produces the Live to Projection shows) has some say in which way stock is pushed. I, however, have no say. Thus, I don't really have any right to demand information. I can -- and have -- asked the various labels involved about what's going on, but the answers I get back usually involve a lot of checking -- again because there are simply so many fingers in the pie. If I am given information to post, I promise to post it. Otherwise, it's safe to assume that I don't know any more than you do.
It's important to note that the Complete Recordings are a very high-end product aimed at a very specific audience. They're very expensive to produce, thus labels can't go and run off an extra hundred every time stock dips. I know it's easy to assume that record companies are all conspiring to take advantage of the consumer by creating scarcities -- or that they simply are content to ignore the fans -- but this isn't the case at all. When creating something like the Complete Recordings, a company generally has to produce a massive number of units just to make it worth their while. They're paying another company huge amounts of money to create the physical products -- and each commissioned run comes with a hefty price tag. If a company did a short run every few months, they'd lose huge amounts of money, and would never again back projects like this. For such investments to make sense, record companies have to do very large runs once every couple of years. There's never a guarantee when -- or if -- the next run will take place. The labels know far better than I how to judge such things. Presumably, The Two Towers is between print runs. (I don't know this for a fact -- they could have a thousand sitting in a warehouse for all I know.) The decision, therefore, becomes whether or not a new pressing makes financial sense. Past sales are considered along with presumed demand, logarithms, forecasts, politics, chaos theory, and who knows what else! The point is, they have ways of making these decisions, and no one outside of a small handful of people is ever entirely privy to them. I have a hard time imagining that The Two Towers is gone for good ...
2) This one's a chestnut, but it bears repeating: Will The Return of the King play Radio City Music Hall?
Again, I do not know. When Fellowship and The Two Towers played Radio City, I was very involved with CAMI, the show's producers. These days, that is not the case, so I don't have the access to the same information as I once did. I continue to hear there might be more large-scale performances coming elsewhere, and certainly the LOTR Live concerts are continuing to robustly tour around the globe. The Two Towers will make its Chicago debut this August (and I think I may be appearing in some manner, so stay tuned for that), so it's not as if there's no longer interest.
If ROTK comes to Radio City, it is unlikely to be announced on this blog. The producers will rightfully want a platform bigger than good ol' MusicofLOTR.com! And were I to know about such a concert before it was publicly announced, I would certainly be asked to keep my mouth shut about it. So, until the show's producers say something, assume that I either know nothing or am ethically bound to silence. Speaking of ...
3) I get a number of emails asking for hints about upcoming LOTR performances, either Live to Projection or the Symphony.
No can do, sorry. My relationship with the concerts has always been such that I'll announce things when contacted by producers, by the orchestras themselves, or by fans who have already seen something in the press. I cannot announce anything before it's official. It's really not fair to the organizers.
So what a cheery return to posting, eh? First I moan about the rigors of the creative process, then I list three questions that I can't answer! :) Sorry, all! I actually get a heavy handful of emails each day asking about all this, and while I do have some people that have stepped in to assist with such things, I thought it might be easier to just address this en masse.
It's important to note that nothing above represents an official announcement of any kind. I'm just trying to explain why I don't know what I don't know, but I'm acting purely as an outside observer.
Back soon,
Doug
As you know, I've spent the majority of 2013 on a non-Tolkien project. I'm hoping to be done with that by the end of summer, and with luck, will have more to share at that time. The upshot of that, of course, is that I've been a pretty negligent blogger as of late. True, there hasn't been much to report on lately, but I do feel bad that I haven't been able to connect with everyone.
Creative work is so odd. One dedicates years of hard, solitary effort to creating something, then finally gets to come into the sunlight and celebrate. But after that, one has to hop off the mountain and tackle the whole thing again. You're back in the foothills all by yourself--and oh, you're not allowed to take the same route in your attempt to return to the summit. The whole affair feels freeing, self-indulgent, satisfying beyond compare, and unnerving beyond recognition. I love it, but you really feel your mind straining at the seams ...
Anyway, enough of my whining. I'm actually checking in today to respond to a coupld of questions that keep popping up:
1) The LOTR: Complete Recordings seem to be very hard to find right now. The Two Towers, in fact, is listed as being out of stock, and is going for astronomical amounts on the secondary market. Will they be back, and if so when?
I've actually enquired about this, but the short answer is, I do not know the answer. The Complete Recordings have always been tricky to keep track of. Shore's company has a say in them, Reprise (the label) has a say in them, Warner Bros (who owns Reprise) has a say, CAMI (who produces the Live to Projection shows) has some say in which way stock is pushed. I, however, have no say. Thus, I don't really have any right to demand information. I can -- and have -- asked the various labels involved about what's going on, but the answers I get back usually involve a lot of checking -- again because there are simply so many fingers in the pie. If I am given information to post, I promise to post it. Otherwise, it's safe to assume that I don't know any more than you do.
It's important to note that the Complete Recordings are a very high-end product aimed at a very specific audience. They're very expensive to produce, thus labels can't go and run off an extra hundred every time stock dips. I know it's easy to assume that record companies are all conspiring to take advantage of the consumer by creating scarcities -- or that they simply are content to ignore the fans -- but this isn't the case at all. When creating something like the Complete Recordings, a company generally has to produce a massive number of units just to make it worth their while. They're paying another company huge amounts of money to create the physical products -- and each commissioned run comes with a hefty price tag. If a company did a short run every few months, they'd lose huge amounts of money, and would never again back projects like this. For such investments to make sense, record companies have to do very large runs once every couple of years. There's never a guarantee when -- or if -- the next run will take place. The labels know far better than I how to judge such things. Presumably, The Two Towers is between print runs. (I don't know this for a fact -- they could have a thousand sitting in a warehouse for all I know.) The decision, therefore, becomes whether or not a new pressing makes financial sense. Past sales are considered along with presumed demand, logarithms, forecasts, politics, chaos theory, and who knows what else! The point is, they have ways of making these decisions, and no one outside of a small handful of people is ever entirely privy to them. I have a hard time imagining that The Two Towers is gone for good ...
2) This one's a chestnut, but it bears repeating: Will The Return of the King play Radio City Music Hall?
Again, I do not know. When Fellowship and The Two Towers played Radio City, I was very involved with CAMI, the show's producers. These days, that is not the case, so I don't have the access to the same information as I once did. I continue to hear there might be more large-scale performances coming elsewhere, and certainly the LOTR Live concerts are continuing to robustly tour around the globe. The Two Towers will make its Chicago debut this August (and I think I may be appearing in some manner, so stay tuned for that), so it's not as if there's no longer interest.
If ROTK comes to Radio City, it is unlikely to be announced on this blog. The producers will rightfully want a platform bigger than good ol' MusicofLOTR.com! And were I to know about such a concert before it was publicly announced, I would certainly be asked to keep my mouth shut about it. So, until the show's producers say something, assume that I either know nothing or am ethically bound to silence. Speaking of ...
3) I get a number of emails asking for hints about upcoming LOTR performances, either Live to Projection or the Symphony.
No can do, sorry. My relationship with the concerts has always been such that I'll announce things when contacted by producers, by the orchestras themselves, or by fans who have already seen something in the press. I cannot announce anything before it's official. It's really not fair to the organizers.
So what a cheery return to posting, eh? First I moan about the rigors of the creative process, then I list three questions that I can't answer! :) Sorry, all! I actually get a heavy handful of emails each day asking about all this, and while I do have some people that have stepped in to assist with such things, I thought it might be easier to just address this en masse.
It's important to note that nothing above represents an official announcement of any kind. I'm just trying to explain why I don't know what I don't know, but I'm acting purely as an outside observer.
Back soon,
Doug
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Boston
Hi everyone,
Just checking in quickly while posting the ROTK De Doelen review. If you've been following my Twitter feed (which is where I'm doing most of my mico-blogging during this busy spell), you may have noticed that I was scheduled to give a lecture at Boston's Berklee College of Music tonight. With the recent tragic events in Boston, it seemed best to hold off for the time being. We will reschedule in the fall when Berklee is back in session, and when Boston has had time to heal.
Boston is a beautiful city. I have many dear friends there. Shore attended Berklee, and I met my wife when she was a student there. If anyone is interested in helping Boston back onto its feet, please consider donating the The One Fund. You can read more about the organization HERE, but the short writeup below outlines its purpose:
Thanks, all!
More soon ...
D
Just checking in quickly while posting the ROTK De Doelen review. If you've been following my Twitter feed (which is where I'm doing most of my mico-blogging during this busy spell), you may have noticed that I was scheduled to give a lecture at Boston's Berklee College of Music tonight. With the recent tragic events in Boston, it seemed best to hold off for the time being. We will reschedule in the fall when Berklee is back in session, and when Boston has had time to heal.
Boston is a beautiful city. I have many dear friends there. Shore attended Berklee, and I met my wife when she was a student there. If anyone is interested in helping Boston back onto its feet, please consider donating the The One Fund. You can read more about the organization HERE, but the short writeup below outlines its purpose:
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino today announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, the purpose of which is to raise money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during Monday’s Boston Marathon.
“I am humbled by the outpouring of support by the business community and individuals who are united in their desire to help; The One Fund Boston will act as a central fund to receive much needed financial support,” Governor Patrick said. “At moments like this, we are one state, one city, and one people.” 2013.
More soon ...
D
ROTK De Doelen Review
April 21st 2013, the city of Rotterdam.
For the third year in a row I'm gathering up for a great event: The LOTR live on screen: the films of LOTR accompanied by a live symphonic orchestra, full choir and children's choir! Today will be the last one in the row: The Return of the King.
Mixed feelings; looking forward to the concert, but it's the last one...
When entering the venue, the excitement get's me right away, the big screen, the great Rotterdam Philharmonic orchestra with the choirs right and left. As soon as the film starts and the orchestra starts to play, you'll right away be transported to Middle-earth, to this great imaginative world. Mr. Ludwig Wicki, the great conductor of this show, leads the orchestra over mountains and great landscapes and exciting adventures. And again, I'm thinking: "How did Mr. Shore made this, how did he manage, and not only that, it is, as Peter Jackson says, really the very soul of this film?" And also, the film is so good, and the music fits so well, that watching the movie I sometimes forget to look to the orchestra! There's nothing to say, this orchestra is so good! And of course the lovely and great soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, she sings the score so easily, she really is Elven-kind! As you see, I'm still excited of the performance.
It was a while ago when I listened to the music of the LOTR, but as soon as you hear it again, it strikes you! Howard Shore, thanks for your great music for this films! I again know why your music made me a film composer too! And of course Rotterdam Philharmonic, Choirs: Laurens Collegium Rotterdam Vocaal Talent Nederland, Ludwig Wicki and Kaitlyn Lusk.
THANKS!
Arjan Kiel
For the third year in a row I'm gathering up for a great event: The LOTR live on screen: the films of LOTR accompanied by a live symphonic orchestra, full choir and children's choir! Today will be the last one in the row: The Return of the King.
Mixed feelings; looking forward to the concert, but it's the last one...
When entering the venue, the excitement get's me right away, the big screen, the great Rotterdam Philharmonic orchestra with the choirs right and left. As soon as the film starts and the orchestra starts to play, you'll right away be transported to Middle-earth, to this great imaginative world. Mr. Ludwig Wicki, the great conductor of this show, leads the orchestra over mountains and great landscapes and exciting adventures. And again, I'm thinking: "How did Mr. Shore made this, how did he manage, and not only that, it is, as Peter Jackson says, really the very soul of this film?" And also, the film is so good, and the music fits so well, that watching the movie I sometimes forget to look to the orchestra! There's nothing to say, this orchestra is so good! And of course the lovely and great soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, she sings the score so easily, she really is Elven-kind! As you see, I'm still excited of the performance.
It was a while ago when I listened to the music of the LOTR, but as soon as you hear it again, it strikes you! Howard Shore, thanks for your great music for this films! I again know why your music made me a film composer too! And of course Rotterdam Philharmonic, Choirs: Laurens Collegium Rotterdam Vocaal Talent Nederland, Ludwig Wicki and Kaitlyn Lusk.
THANKS!
Arjan Kiel
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Howard Shore to Score JIMMY PICARD
Howard Shore has composed the score for Arnaud Desplechin's new film, Jimmy Picard, which will play at the Cannes Film Festival later this spring. Shore recorded the score in New York this past winter.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Shore's Hobbit Wins Colonne Sonore Award
For Immediate Release:
Winners of ColonneSonore.net Award, the prize
awarded by the readers of ColonneSonore.net, announced!
ColonneSonore.net is proud to announce the
winners of ColonneSonore.net Awards 2012, the
first edition of a special prize to the best music written for film and
television voted by the readers of our website. The public survey has
encountered the enthusiastic participation of both our loyal readers and
workers of the Italian film/TV music industry.
Online voting began on February 2nd and closed on February 28th, seeing the
participation of more than 1,000 film score enthusiasts submitting their own
preferences over selections spread over six categories. The nominations were
submitted by ColonneSonore.net staff editors, who chose names and titles
through internal votes and ballots among the overall eligible works released
through year 2012. The goal was to represent at best the eclectic and
high-quality work in film and television music by both Italian and foreign composers.
Here are the results of the public survey:
In the category "Best Music for an Italian Film", composer Paolo
Vivaldi won for
the captivating score Maternity Blues, written for the intense
melodramatic film directed by Fabrizio Cattani.
Young talent Andrea Farri has been recognized both as
"Best Italian Composer of the Year" (thanks to his outstanding work
in films like Gli sfiorati and 10 regole per fare innamorare) and for
"Best Music for Italian TV Fiction" for the score of the acclaimed series Squadra
Antimafia: Palermo Oggi 4, broadcasted successfully on Mediaset
channels.
A surprising tie resulted in the category "Best Original Song for an
Italian Film": young and talented singer-songwriter Thony won for
"Time Speaks" (written for the film Tutti i santi giorni, directed by Paolo
Virzì), and Elisa and Andrea Guerra got recognized for "Love is
Requited", the main theme song of Roberto Faenza's Un
giorno questo dolore ti sarà utile (Someday This Pain Will Be Useful).
A win tie is also found in the category "Best Music for a Foreign Language
Film": Howard Shore won for his monumental score to The
Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey, while the legendary John
Williams got
recognized for his poignant musical score for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.
John Williams was also elected "Best Foreign
Composer of the Year", thanks to his exceptional work on the Steven
Spielberg film.
All winners will receive a certificated plaque.
You can see the results of the public survey to the following link:
We hope this is only the beginning of a long and lasting tradition aimed to
recognize the art of applied music both in our country and all over the world.
Thanks to everyone who participated and voted and made this possible!
The full list of winners of the
ColonneSonore.net Awards - 2012 Edition
Best Music for an Italian Film Music
PAOLO VIVALDI, Maternity Blues
Best Italian Composer of the Year
ANDREA FARRI
Best Original Song for an Italian Film
tie:
ELISA and ANDREA GUERRA, "Love is requited" - from the film Un
giorno questo dolore ti sarà utile (Someday This Pain Will Be Useful)
THONY, "Time Speaks" - from the film Tutti
i santi giorni
Best Music for Italian TV Fiction
ANDREA FARRI, Squadra Antimafia: Palermo Oggi 4
Best Music for a Foreign Language Film
tie:
JOHN WILLIAMS, Lincoln
HOWARD SHORE, The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Best Foreign Composer of the Year
JOHN WILLIAMS
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Saturn Award Nomination
Congratulations to Howard Shore on his Saturn Award nomination for Best Music for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey! See the complete list of nominees HERE.
Monday, February 11, 2013
New LOTR Performances!
The Lord of the Rings Live to Projection concert series has just added a huge number of 2013 performances in cities around the world. See the formidable list below!
Fellowship of the Ring
Nurnberg, Germany:
March 21 - 22, 2013
Munich, Germany:
March 25 - 28, 2013
Stuttgart, Germany:
March 30 - April 1, 2013
Perth, Australia:
June 21 - 22, 2013
Vienna, Austria:
May 16 - 18, 2013
Calgary, Canada:
May 16 - 18, 2013
Singapore:
June 6 - 8, 2013
Perth, Australia:
June 21 - 22, 2013
Wolf Trap, Virginia:
Sept 6 - 7, 2013
Hong Kong, China:
Oct 26 - 27, 2013
The Two Towers
Paris, France:
June 26 - 29, 2013
Melbourne, Australia:
July 12 - 13, 2013
Ravinia, Illinois:
Aug 15 - 16, 2013
Brisbane, Australia:
Oct 5, 2013
The Return of the King
Rotterdam, Netherlands:
April 19, 20 & 21, 2013
Sydney, Australia:
Sept 27 - 29, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
ROTK to De Doelen in April
Attention Netherlands-based readers: Howard Shore's The Return of the King: Live to Projection is playing Concert Hall De Doelen in Rotterdam on April 19, 20, and 21!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Bilbo Primer
Hi everyone,
I've received a number of questions regarding Bilbo's material in the AUJ score, so perhaps a simply sketched guidebook is in order. Below is a listing of Bilbo's major thematic connections. These titles are just placeholders for the moment, so don't start canonizing them just yet!
Adventure
The theme heard at 0:15 in the whistle in "The World is Ahead" relates to Bilbo's adventure. (A-B-C#-E-E-G#-G#-A-E-C#-E-D). This theme is first heard in "My Dear Frodo" at approximately 0:37 and comes right on the heels of a gesture in the strings and woodwinds that hints at the History of the Ring theme without ever fully articulating it (Bb-D-F over Bb-major; F-F# over B-minor, etc.) In my opinion, really sets the tone for the score to come. SPOILERS: You also hear this theme near the end of the film when Bilbo leaps in to protect Thorin from Azog.
Baggins/Took
This two-part theme is easily heard in "Dreaming of Bag End." The Baggins phrase appears at 0:10 and the Took phrase takes over at 0:33. It's kind of a single theme and kind of not, which is why I've been hedging my bets and referring to it as one-and-a-half themes. It relates to Bilbo's two primary impulses in the story: the urge to return home and the urge to go adventuring. As his character develops, the two halves begin to function independently. The Took phrase is often orchestrated for solo French horn, which is an unusually bold sound for Hobbit-based music.
Fussy
The "Fussy" Bilbo theme is the triple-meter figure that alternates between D-minor and A-major. That major chord is what I'm on about in the Tracksounds podcast (which you can hear HERE, if you haven't already). It's a more classical sound that we're used to in Middle-earth ... more a part of historically functional harmonies, whereas Middle-earth usually traffics in modes or chromatic leaps. It's just a bit stuffy and put-upon sounding. This theme shows up about half-way through "Axe or Sword," but you also hear in the Trolls sequence.
I've received a number of questions regarding Bilbo's material in the AUJ score, so perhaps a simply sketched guidebook is in order. Below is a listing of Bilbo's major thematic connections. These titles are just placeholders for the moment, so don't start canonizing them just yet!
Adventure
The theme heard at 0:15 in the whistle in "The World is Ahead" relates to Bilbo's adventure. (A-B-C#-E-E-G#-G#-A-E-C#-E-D). This theme is first heard in "My Dear Frodo" at approximately 0:37 and comes right on the heels of a gesture in the strings and woodwinds that hints at the History of the Ring theme without ever fully articulating it (Bb-D-F over Bb-major; F-F# over B-minor, etc.) In my opinion, really sets the tone for the score to come. SPOILERS: You also hear this theme near the end of the film when Bilbo leaps in to protect Thorin from Azog.
Baggins/Took
This two-part theme is easily heard in "Dreaming of Bag End." The Baggins phrase appears at 0:10 and the Took phrase takes over at 0:33. It's kind of a single theme and kind of not, which is why I've been hedging my bets and referring to it as one-and-a-half themes. It relates to Bilbo's two primary impulses in the story: the urge to return home and the urge to go adventuring. As his character develops, the two halves begin to function independently. The Took phrase is often orchestrated for solo French horn, which is an unusually bold sound for Hobbit-based music.
Fussy
The "Fussy" Bilbo theme is the triple-meter figure that alternates between D-minor and A-major. That major chord is what I'm on about in the Tracksounds podcast (which you can hear HERE, if you haven't already). It's a more classical sound that we're used to in Middle-earth ... more a part of historically functional harmonies, whereas Middle-earth usually traffics in modes or chromatic leaps. It's just a bit stuffy and put-upon sounding. This theme shows up about half-way through "Axe or Sword," but you also hear in the Trolls sequence.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Hilary Summers Interview
I'm very late with this, but Earl over at TheOneRing.net interviewed Hilary Summers regarding her experiences working with Howard Shore on "Gilraen's Song" in The Fellowship of the Ring. An excerpt:
Do check it out at your convince right HERE!
HILARY SUMMERS
At the time they were looking for vocalists I’d been working a lot with Michael Nyman and had done a few soundtracks with him, and the agent or ‘fixer’ who had been in the sessions happened to take my details. Luckily for me she was asked if she knew anyone with a low voice and she sent a demo cd over to Howard Shore and I was booked. A fax was sent with the music (only a solo line and the text) and I went to the recording session and did my stuff.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
