The headline says it all. Canadian residents, please click here; those hailing from the United Kingdom, please click here. I'm expecting more pre-sale sites to go active in the near future. If you catch them before I do, please feel free to post!

Meanwhile, Alfred, our intrepid distributors, have put up their own page for the book today as well.

A very exciting day around here, I must say!

Please enjoy your first look inside The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films. This is just a small sampling of our layout, but it should give you a good sense of the beautiful design Gary Day-Ellison has created. Seen here are the front and back covers, and select pages from sections on Themes, the Annotated Score, and the Recording Sessions. As you can see, we've tried to create something that crosses the most satisfying elements of storybooks, coffee table books, and textbooks -- something where notated music; hand-drawn and photographic imagery; and analytical, narrative, and lyrical writing comfortably coexist. It's a pretty unique creation, and I think it flows wonderfully. Again, you can thank Gary for that!

These preview pages will be up on Amazon, etc. in the near future. But I thought it would be appropriate to post them here first.

There's plenty more to say, of course. I could on about the exquisite art by John Howe and Alan Lee, or Shore's detailed music examples, (including some of his original pencil sketches), etc. But I have a couple weeks of press coming up, so I'll try to save some of my comments. And anyway, I think the work speaks for itself.

Enjoy!

Those of you who don't visit HowardShore.com on a regular basis (where the book's cover is proudly displayed on the splash page!) may be, as of yet, unaware of a pair of upcoming international events:

--Discover an Opera: The Fly (or Découvrir un opéra: La mouche, if you prefer), a wonderful documentary created by Elizabeth Cotnoir and François Roussillon will air August 30 at 10:30 p.m. in France. Please see ARTE.tv for more information, or to schedule yourself a reminder.

--Howard Shore's piano concerto, "Ruin and Memory" will be given its world premiere on Monday, October 11 by Lang Lang and the China Philharmonic Orchestra, as part of the Frederick Chopin Beijing Music Festival. Additional information is available on the Festival's website.


I should have some updates to my own calendar in the coming days so, as always, stay tuned!

If you've not already noticed, The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films is now available for pre-order at the US Amazon store. I'd expect other Amazon sites around the globe to follow suit, and will do my best to keep everyone updated as that happens. As you can probably guess, my blog/email time is slightly constrained right now, but it's an exciting time around here!

Back soon!

-Doug



AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT AMAZON US

As part of my research for The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films I was granted access to Howard Shore’s full archive of recorded materials. This included every single take from months of recording sessions on Fellowship, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, as well as electronic mock-ups of themes, DVD recording sessions, unused songs and lyrics, etc. All in all, it was enough raw audio to keep me in a listening room for a few hundred hours or so. Fortunately, I was able to space out these review sessions over the course of a year-and-a-half, during which time I catalogued everything I found on CD-Rs, DVDs, and abandoned hard drives, then proceeded to litter Shore’s offices with a self-devised system of post-it notes and red markers … a trail of breadcrumbs I could later use to retrace my steps.

But more pressing than the logistical concerns were the creative ones. How on Earth could this material be properly presented? We toyed with a number of ideas, but ultimately decided to let Tolkien be our guide. The Rarities told two stories, one Tolkien’s, one Shore’s. If we could retain that drama, then shape something beautiful – not simply catalogue it – we’d have a piece worthy of the lineage.

Tracks were chosen to present all our major discoveries – and believe me, it was an incredible task to ensure we squeezed everything in. They were then set into story order so as to both illustrate Shore’s creative process and echo Tolkien’s narrative voice. Finally, the music was cleaned up and remastered by Jonathan Schultz, who worked on the film scores, the original soundtrack CDs, and The Complete Recordings. As a special bonus, we included a short discussion between Howard Shore and myself at the end of the album.

The result is something that can be either studied as a fascinating collection of rare materials, or listened to as a well-rounded album experience. I think this disc is every bit as unique as the book it accompanies, and a beautiful finale to the music of The Lord of the Rings. I’m incredibly thankful to Howard Shore and Howe Records for allowing me to be a part of it.

Yet another concert update today, this one fully confirmed:

The Lord of the Rings Symphony will be performed by the Vancouver Symphony, Vancouver Bach Choir, and Vancouver Children's Choir on November 27 and 28, 2010! Click here for info and ticketing.

Is the first chapter of Howard Shore's Live to Projection series headed to the land down under? It is, if you believe The Sydney Morning Herald. According to this article, FOTR Live will hit next year, and will feature the Sydney Symphony and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

If anyone wants to start a campaign for a pre-concert lecture/book signing, you'll have my full support!

MovieScope Magazine recently conducted an interview with Karen Elliot of Hot House Music, a London-based film music coordination company. Hot House, of course, worked on all three Lord of the Rings films, and Howard Shore and his work on the series comes up a few times in MovieScope's piece:


Click here to read the full piece.

I'm going twenty directions at once this month, so I'll return to this spot for an update soon. I also promise to address a huge batch of your emails as well! In the meantime, may the hearty discussion commence!

Thank you all so much for your incredible support, both over the years and, more specifically, during this very exciting week. I am overwhelmed.

One journey is over, and another is just beginning. The jury's still out on which will ultimately be more demanding. Is it more difficult to stay focused over an extended period of slow steady work, or during a few short months of furious pace? I guess I'll let you know!

But in case I get bogged down in this or that, I wanted to give you a short laundry list of what you'll soon see announced -- if for no other reason than to slightly stem the tide of questions.

The Official 'Coming Soon' List:

Book Preview Pages
Rarities CD Tracklist
Book Pricing
Pre-Order Routing

Please understand, on this new journey, these announcements are governed by other captains. If I don't give you the information you're looking for in timely manner, I'm probably not being cagey. I simply may not know! Funny, isn't it? I finally adopt a position of full transparency, only to find I'm no longer holding all the cards! :)

Actually, this is just a typical marketing phase. And in that world information is dispensed at a very specific rate. We always forget -- and yes, I do mean "we" since I'm as guilty of this as anyone -- but marketing is seldom directed at the pre-informed/pre-sold audience. The marketing team behind this book doesn't need to focus too intently on the LOTR/film music crowd. We know why this music matters. It now needs to reach the uninitiated. They know how to do that, and I'm quite content to let them do their jobs unhindered by my pestering. That means I'm not always privy to dates and timelines, but that's OK. I've been told that August will be a quieter month for us, then September will kick us back to high gear.

However, for "we" the dedicated, I'll soon be updating the FAQ to explain a few things. I think there's still plenty to be said about the Rarities disc and how decisions were made -- the track titles alone aren't going to tell you that. It's a fascinating collection of materials you've never heard before at all, materials that you've heard before in part, pieces that never made it to the CRs, early versions of themes and compositions, etc. You'll see. I really love it because it works both as an archive -- something you can study to gain a greater understanding of Shore's creative process -- and as a beautiful album -- something you can pop in the car for a long ride. But more on that at the appropriate date.

I also want to give you a little information on the book's content and sections. Does it include the material from the liners? The Annotated Score? All new material? (1. Yes, thoroughly expanded; 2. Yes, expanded and restructured; 3. Yes, quite a bit!) The upcoming preview pages will make this a bit clearer as well, and those are coming soon.

Finally, we're still working on a few additional public appearances and signings, and I'll let you know when those are confirmed. However, do note that the September 27 event in London and the October 7 event in New York are our main events right now. I'd be completely thrilled to see as many of you there as is possible! And after so much support over the years, I think you really deserve to be there on day one. I don't know anything more about these events than what's in the press release, but when/if additional details reach me, I'll be sure to pass them on. However, I will say this:

-If you wish to have a book signed at the event in London on September 27, you will probably need to buy your book at the event itself. A pre-ordered book shouldn't be able to reach you beforehand since the book won't actually be in wide release until the day after this event.

-If you're hoping to have a book signed at the B&N event in NY on October 7, you probably have a little more leeway. Technically, our US street date is two days before this event. If you trust shipping times -- and if said times coincide properly with your own travel plans -- pre-order away.

-If you're hoping to have a book signed at either the RAH or RCMH concerts, you may be safe placing a pre-order or swinging by an old brick-and-mortar, so it's your call. We will have the book available at the concerts themselves, so take that into consideration.


And that's pretty much what I know at the moment. It's an incredibly rewarding, exciting, nerve-wracking time for me, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Oh yes, I should mention ... This Tuesday morning I received an email from Shore's office. "Let us know when you receive yours today." Somewhat confused I stumbled out to the porch. At some point during the night or early morning a delivery had been made. I opened up the box, for the first time ever, held the finished book in my hands.

It is beautiful.

That's just one of a thousand moments I'd never have had without your support. I can never, ever thank you enough.

D

(July, 28, 2010—New York, NY) Carpentier and Alfred Music Publishing are pleased to announce the release of The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, a comprehensive account of Howard Shore’s score for the trilogy, by Doug Adams. The book will be available in the European Union on September 28 and in the U.S. and worldwide on October 5, 2010.

The culmination of almost a decade of writing and research, The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films is an unprecedented look at Howard Shore’s Academy Award®-winning score, with extensive music examples, original manuscript scores, a rarities CD, and glimpses into the creative process from the composer, himself.

The 416-page full-color volume features a Foreword by Howard Shore, an Introduction by The Lord of the Rings screenwriter/producer Fran Walsh, original sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee, and numerous images from the films. Also included in the book, courtesy of Howe Records, is “The Lord of the Rings: The Rarities Archive” a CD presenting 21 tracks of previously unreleased music created for the films, and an audio interview with Howard Shore.

The score for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy has been hailed as some of the greatest film music ever written. Sweeping in scope, it is a musical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth—an operatic tapestry of cultures, histories, languages, and people.

“Howard Shore’s [LOTR] music has touched millions of people the world over,” said Adams. “It’s been my great pleasure to assemble a piece that chronicles the creation of this music, and examines exactly how it tells this classic story.”

“Doug was a detective uncovering clues, tracing how one theme or character related to another,” said Shore. “He not only shows the themes and motifs for characters, cultures, objects, and their connection to Tolkien’s work, but also the ideas that were sometimes buried deep inside the writing.”

“Researching Shore’s music has been a true adventure,” described Adams. “His work is every bit as intricate and passionate as Tolkien’s Middle-earth.”

Doug Adams, a Chicago-based author and musicologist, was invited in 2001 by Howard Shore to observe and document his work on Peter Jackson’s motion picture trilogy. Adams attended recording sessions, examined the original scores, and was given complete access to the composer’s archives. As an acknowledged authority on Howard Shore’s music, Adams has become a regular fixture at concerts and events across the globe. He runs the popular blog, www.musicoflotr.com, which documents his work on this project and brings fans together in ongoing discussions.

UPCOMING EVENTS
September 27 Book signing and Q&A with Howard Shore and Doug Adams (Chappell of Bond Street, 152-160 Wardour St., London, UK)
September 28-29 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, concert (Royal Albert Hall, London, UK)
October 7 Book signing and Q&A with Howard Shore and Doug Adams (Barnes and Noble, 1972 Broadway, New York, NY)
October 8-9 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, concert (Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY)

ABOUT ALFRED MUSIC PUBLISHING
Alfred Music Publishing is one of the world’s largest music publishers. Alfred is based in Los Angeles with domestic offices in Miami & New York as well as around the world including Australia, Germany, Singapore & the United Kingdom.

I've just received the confirmed schedule for the 2011 Lord of the Rings/Howard Shore Festival in Luzern, Switzerland ... and it looks amazing! Both Howard Shore and I plan to be there participating in the events, but we'll have more on that later.

Conductor Ludwig Wicki always jokes with me that his stamina comes from mountain climbing and good, Swiss chocolate. Well, somebody had better call Lindt right now! The schedule:


March 25 - The Fellowship of the Ring (7:30 p.m.)
March 26 - The Fellowship of the Ring (7:30 p.m.)
March 27 - Themes from The Lord of the Rings (11:00 a.m.)
March 27 - The Fellowship of the Ring (5:00 p.m.)
March 28 - Symphonic Music of Howard Shore (7:30 p.m.)
March 29 - The Two Towers (7:30 p.m.)
March 30 - The Two Towers (7:30 p.m.)
March 31 - The Two Towers (7:30 p.m.)
April 1 - The Return of the King (7:30 p.m.)
April 2 - The Return of the King (7:30 p.m.)
April 3 - Chamber Music of Howard Shore (11:00 a.m.)
April 3 - The Return of the King (5:00 p.m.)

I've been sitting on this information for several months, but since word is now making its way across message boards (including our own Ongoing Discussion), I'll confirm:

The Lord of the Rings Symphony is set to record this February in Luzern, Switzerland with the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra and the 21st Century Chorus. Additional details are yet to come, including conductor, soloists, release date, and format. But the wheels are in motion!

As we prepare to enter the world of press releases and higher visibility, your humble behind-the-scenes crew has decided to finally fix one thing we never really liked about this whole project ... namely, the URL for this blog!

It's actually become a bit of a running joke for us, to the point that we all groan and chuckle in concert when asked for the blog address. Once you've actually navigated your way through three 'the's, and if you can actually remember the 'films' at the end, oh and that 'dot-blogspot' before 'dot-com' ... let's just say that graceful memorability was not exactly achieved.

So starting this week, the blog will be available at the much simpler www.musicoflotr.com

The old address will still work for a little while longer, and after that an auto redirect code will kick in and automatically bump you to the new URL. So it's up to you, you can either update your bookmarks, or mark your 'loyal reader' status by keeping your browser pointed at the old finger-busting address.

As for comments, Disqus is already installed and ready to go at the new address. Old comments are in the process of migrating over. They're all available at Disqus.com right now, and I'm told they will be popping up on the new versions of old posts in the coming days.

If anything seems to be misfiring, or if there's something specific you'd like to see incorporated into the blog, please feel free to click the Email button at top right and make your voice heard.  Between press releases, preview pages, order sites, book signings, etc., there's plenty being planned right now, but I want to be certain the blog doesn't get lost in the shuffle. I'm still told our first batch of announcements will run before July is over, so I want to make sure our home on the internet is in tiptop condition for the big day!

Thanks everyone,

-Doug

This news is slow 'round these parts, as we wait on press releases and website development. But rest assured, the behind-the-scenes scurrying continues!

In the meantime, I found this on deadline.com today. As Peter Jackson continues his own behind-the-scenes battles in order to bring The Hobbit to life, I thought perhaps it would be appropriate to witness one of his very very battles. This comes from BAFTA's recent tribute for stop-motion wizard Ray Harryausen. It features Jackson's teenaged attempt to create his own stop-motion duel. Enjoy!