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The Music Of The Lord Of The Rings Films - Doug Adams' Book & Rarities Archive


John Takis

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Just a quick note: anyone who think the trilogy is now "complete" should check out Doug Adams' blog. Based on Doug's reports, we may surmise that when the book is out and the dust has cleared, people will be shocked at the amount of revelatory music they've never heard. Some choice quotes:

Some pieces give you a glimpse into the creative process… both compositionally and editorially… you really get a better sense of how these films were put together. Some of the alternate compositions simply stand as superb pieces of music… an LOTR 3.5, if you will. Some reveal how Shore composes. Some reveal how he conducts and records… but everything shows something. It’s not just a grab bag of slightly out-of tune alternate takes or anything of that sort.

...

The day's biggest jaw-dropper of a revelation came courtesy of ROTK. In fact, I'm tempted to say that this particular find may well end up as everyone's favorite in the long run. It's a big one--a very big one. I'm trying not to think of it too much, if only in the selfish hope that I'll find something even more shocking tomorrow, so if I seem to be downplaying it, that's why.

...

It’s a crucial scene, and a very lengthy piece of music that’s not yet been heard in its entirety. We had hints that it existed, but not to this extent.

 

Admin note:

Click HERE for the Press release / official announcement of the book
Click HERE for the reveal of the Rarities Archive track list
Click HERE for where actual discussion of the music begins

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It’s a crucial scene, and a very lengthy piece of music that’s not yet been heard in its entirety. We had hints that it existed, but not to this extent.

What scene can it be? Has is been released (with tracked music or unscored?)

Or is it some footage that was not used?

Maybe its Sam and the scary statues in cirith ungol or whatever that tower is called where frodo is held in mordor...

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That thought slipped into my mind, but it's most unlikely.

More likely would be music for the extended epilogue sequence, of which we have seen just one or two shots. There was also, if I remember correctly, a scene shot with Gandalf and Aragorn standing beside the seedling of the White Tree after the coronation.

Another possibility is yet another alternate Ring Destruction. Howard Shore said about it "I did it once, one way, then I did it another way and I even think I did it again."

Two are out, the supposed third one isn't, if it exists at all.

A last possibility would be the scene with a young Aragorn playing in the Lorien woods with Arwen. But since that one was shot for FOTR, I don't think that's it.

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And definately Special extended edition coming :lol:

If I recall correctly there is a plan for an Ultimate Edition with does not extend the movies but offers a lot of cut sequences which didn't make it into the movie for several reasons. I can imagine some of them are scored by Shore and will make it into the "rarity discs". On wikipedia ( I know, no scientific source for quoting) there is a list of many scenes cut of by P. J..

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Just a quick note: anyone who think the trilogy is now "complete" should check out Doug Adams' blog.

Many thanks for that link, the blog looks terrific! ;):)

I posted the blog link several days ago, and i the hobbit thread too :lol:

:lol: no problem

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  • 4 months later...

The book's long been done, they are just compiling all the rarities that will be on the included 2 DVDs. At current, there at 6 hours of rarities just for FOTR and TTT.

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The book's long been done...

I'm sure that would be surprising news to Doug! :D

It's true that early, "proof of concept" drafts of the book have existed for years. Much of that material evolved, at least in part, into the CR liners and annotated scores. But the finished book will be not only a grand synthesis and reworking of everything that has come before, but will incorporate plenty of exciting new content as well. It's a long and complex process, at which Doug remains hard at work even as he plays an integral role in preparing the contents and presentation of the Rarities Archives.

Also, as far as I know, they're still on target for having everything on ONE DVD. Although this could certainly change.

The latest updates are always available on the official author's blog.

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Great, John Takis, thanks so much! I'll keep in touch with that blog and maybe even muster enough courage to write Doug an e-mail. ;)

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Great, John Takis, thanks so much! I'll keep in touch with that blog and maybe even muster enough courage to write Doug an e-mail. ;)

You should. He is a nice fellow and answers his e-mails as much and often as his schedule allows :sigh:

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  • 4 months later...

"This means that CONSIDERABLY more music is now available for the project! You will see why this qualifies as something “major,” I promise. And as I’ve said, there is some incredible LOTR music that no one has ever heard. Now we can be sure you’ll hear it all. Frankly, it’ll be amazing to put everything Shore wrote for this project side-by-side. It’s remarkable both from a collector/completeist standpoint and from an artistic standpoint. Here, finally, is the complete collection of Howard Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings."

http://themusicofthelordoftheringsfilms.bl...-unraveled.html

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This is interesting, to be sure. Though I really hope that whatever additional book or music that gets bundled with this Master Box is sold separately, since I don't want to buy the CR's again. Even for better packaging, since I put the DVDs into sleeves inside the box, instead of fumbling with that clumsy rubber nub.

Besides, once I decide to FLAC my music collection, I should only need to touch the existing discs one more time, as my 160k rips have sufficed for the three years or so since the CR's started coming out.

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I was a bit disappointed that we did not get to read Doug's book this year but I guess the new possibilities with the releases make up for another year of waiting. I am very happy that they are offering each of these new releases (the book, Rarities etc.) separately. I would have hated to buy same thing twice. And as the CRs are the heart of the whole thing and we already have those I have no trouble waiting for the new prospects of this project.

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I think I'll be skipping that set. It seems rather nice and interesting but still...the current complete recordings are sufficient enough for me. If they are offering the book and rarities stuff separately then I'll buy that...but I don't want to have to buy the whole box set that includes the complete recordings for LOTR.

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This is interesting, to be sure. Though I really hope that whatever additional book or music that gets bundled with this Master Box is sold separately, since I don't want to buy the CR's again. Even for better packaging, since I put the DVDs into sleeves inside the box, instead of fumbling with that clumsy rubber nub.

Besides, once I decide to FLAC my music collection, I should only need to touch the existing discs one more time, as my 160k rips have sufficed for the three years or so since the CR's started coming out.

I think I'll be skipping that set. It seems rather nice and interesting but still...the current complete recordings are sufficient enough for me. If they are offering the book and rarities stuff separately then I'll buy that...but I don't want to have to buy the whole box set that includes the complete recordings for LOTR.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

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The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

That is a relief as I wouldn't be buying if I had to get the CR again. The price tag for the whole all-in-one package will be a whopper.

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I don't know if I can handle anymore music fom this series...... :P

10 discs is more than enough. :)

Me too. I can't wait to read the book, but I really don't have any interest in a bunch of alternates, there's more than enough to digest as it is.

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The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.
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I have also stressed to the powers that be that I feel the Rarities should be made available as a stand-alone album as well, so that that material is not available only with the full multi-disc set. So those of you content with one set of the CRs need not panic!

EDIT: Also, what Henry said.

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The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

The Rarities Archive will be available separately.

turtles.jpg

It's like he's trying to speak to me, I know it!

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I'm liking this news. I never was that interested in the book, but I'll take all the additional music I can get.

Whoever it was who asked about the theatrical version of Concerning Hobbits, it's at the start of the fan credits on the FotR Extended DVD.

There are at least 2 theatrical alternates from RotK on the Battle for Middle Earth game. I hope they'll be on the rarities set though, given how big it will now be.

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Just another day in the life of an OCD soundtrack collector, I take it.

Ya want what's there, ya want what's hard to put there, and ya want what's not there at all.

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