Howard Shore's The Desolation Of Smaug (Hobbit Part 2)

[Alex Shore 83]

The Quest Of Erebor....oh, the very first music, with the logos...I love that music...

[KK 3,292]

I'd love it if the logos are scored with the book-end theme from AUJ (the one that opens My Dear Frodo and A Good Omen).

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I'd love it if the logos are scored with the book-end theme from AUJ (the one that opens My Dear Frodo and A Good Omen).

It's highly probable they will be, in my opinion.

[crocodile 7,707]

They might be even tracked with those. Be careful what you wish for KK!

Karol

[KK 3,292]

Maybe we'll hear the Ring theme there instead

[crocodile 7,707]

Or maybe we'll hear the opening of that new song... it could play over the slow-mo campfire montage, Lost-style.

Karol

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Alex Shore 83]

Best opening scene.. French Horns Shore's trademark.

[KK 3,292]

It's called continuity SUH

Just like all the LOTR films opened with the ring theme. They weren't all identical in their opening cues, but there was continuity.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Bilbo 3,707]

I meant more that it's worthwhile to spend time talking about the stuff you do like and ignoring the parts you didn't, rather than the other way around. There's been so much negative energy around here lately!

AUJ was a flawed film, but the score was great, and the DOS film looks better than AUJ in every way, and the score is going to kick ass!

The end credit songs never mattered to me much, most of the time I skip over them when listening to the scores.

You're right. I don't like it but I've got it out of my system now so I won't talk about it again. There's far too much about these films that I love to get bogged down on one credits song that I'll just skip anyway.

Now bring on the 30 second samples!

[Alex Shore 83]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=200046586849043

I SEE FIRE The music video

We have a tradition in our Tolkien films of having a song over the closing credits. It's very important that the song feels right for the world of the movie - and also carries the emotional resonance of the end of that particular film.

The Desolation of Smaug is no different. The ending of this film requires a voice and sensibility that will allow an viewer to process what they have just experienced.

It's always tricky to think of the right person to create and performance these songs. Someone who shares our passion for Tolkien, and somebody who is prepared to respect the film.

This year we are thrilled to have Ed Sheeran write and perform our closing song, "I See Fire".

My daughter Katie, deserves total credit for bringing Ed to our movie. He was touring New Zealand earlier this year, and Katie introduced me to his music. Beautiful haunting songs, full of passion and coming from a very genuine place in his heart.

We heard that Ed was a fan of our movies, so while he was playing in Wellington, we invited him around for a tour.

He then headed off to join Taylor Swift on a concert tour. But we had exchanged e-mail addresses.

A few weeks ago, we were puzzling about who to approach about the song that had to be written and recorded very quickly. We now had a strong feeling about the tone of the song, but we needed to find the right voice.

Katie reminded us about how great Ed's voice was, and how right it would be. Fran and I got it the second she mentioned it.

And I had his e-mail address.

I wrote to him on a Sunday morning, and asked if he was interested. He would need to fly down to NZ to see the movie, because it was critical he write from the perspective of the audience.

Within 48hrs he was in Wellington, having immediately jumped on a plane from London with his manager Stuart Camp, who was instantly supportive and helpful.

Ed watched the movie at Park Road Post, immediately went into a room, and started writing and singing. Much of what you will hear on this song was recorded that same day, with a few overdubs and tweaks the following day.

Despite having never played the violin in his life, Ed thought he might try overdubbing one himself, and Katie raced out to borrow a rather battered one from a school friend.

Pete Cobbin from Abbey Road was at Park Road mixing Howard's musical score, and was able to mix the song with Ed.

It was a great experience, and what you will see in this video are moments captured by our behind the scenes team during the creation of the song.

But the images are only supporting Ed's wonderful song. This is his direct emotional response to seeing The Desolation of Smaug, written and performed on the same day he saw the movie.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Pete Cobbin! This bodes well for the sound of the score. Who's recording it though? Rhodes again? Bring back Kurlander!

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Pete Cobbin! This bodes well for the sound of the score. Who's recording it though? Rhodes again? Bring back Kurlander!

Where's Dan Wallin when you need him?

[gkgyver 1,645]

Who needs samples? Bring me the precious ... gkgyver will have his prize, they will deliver it!

Oh and yes, who wouldn't want original title music?

IMO the opening scene of Two Towers is one of THE textbook examples of why film music is so important for the film's connection with the audience. It conveys everything what the film is like, and it tells you "this is going to be worthwhile".

[KK 3,292]

I was thinking the AUJ bookend theme would be like what the ring theme was in LotR. The shire theme is much like what the fellowship theme was like in the title card of FotR (still don't know why they tracked it in AUJ though). We already know Smaugs theme plays over the title card of DoS, just like the Rohan theme played over TTTs title card.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

More discoveries while looking at AUJ's IMDb crew page.

There is an uncredited orchestrator and an uncredited conductor in addition to Shore. No one noticed this before?

Also, one Michael Pärt is listed as a music editor... Arvo Pärt's son. Cool!

[Bilbo 3,707]

More discoveries while looking at AUJ's IMDb crew page.

There is an uncredited orchestrator and an uncredited conductor in addition to Shore. No one noticed this before?

Also, one Michael Pärt is listed as a music editor... Arvo Pärt's son. Cool!

Didn't Doug mention something about Shore using an orchestrator and conductor for awhile now or did I make that up?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,292]

No, he said used an orchestrator in the first 15 years of his career.

[Jay 35,281]

We already know Smaugs theme plays over the title card of DoS, just like the Rohan theme played over TTTs title card.

We do?

[Luke Skywalker 1,677]

More discoveries while looking at AUJ's IMDb crew page.

There is an uncredited orchestrator and an uncredited conductor in addition to Shore. No one noticed this before?

Also, one Michael Pärt is listed as a music editor... Arvo Pärt's son. Cool!

Didn't Doug mention something about Shore using an orchestrator and conductor for awhile now or did I make that up?

lol

But i hope Pope is mentioned in the CD credits and the film...

[KK 3,292]

I was thinking the AUJ bookend theme would be like what the ring theme was in LotR.

Same here. I see it as the main theme for the whole trilogy.

The shire theme is much like what the fellowship theme was like in the title card of FotR (still don't know why they tracked it in AUJ though).

It was already there in the original composition (as heard on the OST).

Yes, which is why I have no idea why they used a tracked version in the film. It wasn't done in a very subtle fashion either.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[KK 3,292]

We already know Smaugs theme plays over the title card of DoS, just like the Rohan theme played over TTTs title card.

We do?

Occasionally, as the film's prologue cuts to the movie's title, the room fills with a great rumbling of sound topped by a minor-key shriek of strings which sound almost Chinese in its foreboding motif.

"That is a little bit of a Smaug theme in the title," murmurs Jackson after I've sunk into the couch alongside him, leaving my own footwear on. He explains composer Howard Shore, who also did The Lord Of The Rings scores, created a theme for Smaug the dragon - seen briefly enacting a scorched Middle-earth policy in the first Hobbit movie - inspired by the prominence of dragons in Chinese and Indonesian culture.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11141634

[Jay 35,281]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=200046586849043

Cool video! Too bad they ruined it with a sound effect at the end.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Bilbo 3,707]

No, he said housed an orchestrator in the first 15 years of his career.

In this thread:

Shore wrote every note you'll hear, same as ever. He writes themes away from picture, then writes the actual compositions to picture. It's the same process he's always used.

At the same time, he supervised the orchestration and the recording. This is a newer part process, however, he's implemented it to a lesser degree on his last couple of projects (going all the way back to Hugo), so it's not entirely new. No one noted a signifcant difference in sound then, and no one will notice one now.

[Alex Shore 83]

More discoveries while looking at AUJ's IMDb crew page.

There is an uncredited orchestrator and an uncredited conductor in addition to Shore. No one noticed this before?

Also, one Michael Pärt is listed as a music editor... Arvo Pärt's son. Cool!

That orchestrator "Alejandro de la Llosa" appears on a lot of blockbusters films... I think is fake.

And remember that Clifford J Tasner is also orchestrator of Desolation of Smaug

[Jay 35,281]

Everything SUH just said is correct.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Bilbo 3,707]

Shore wrote every note you'll hear, same as ever. He writes themes away from picture, then writes the actual compositions to picture. It's the same process he's always used.

At the same time, he supervised the orchestration and the recording. This is a newer part process, however, he's implemented it to a lesser degree on his last couple of projects (going all the way back to Hugo), so it's not entirely new. No one noted a signifcant difference in sound then, and no one will notice one now.

Here's the quote.

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[Kühni 484]

.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

More discoveries while looking at AUJ's IMDb crew page.

There is an uncredited orchestrator and an uncredited conductor in addition to Shore. No one noticed this before?

Also, one Michael Pärt is listed as a music editor... Arvo Pärt's son. Cool!

Didn't Doug mention something about Shore using an orchestrator and conductor for awhile now or did I make that up?

I think you made it up... I seem to remember him saying something very similar for Hugo.

Nope. Doug said it in one of his recent posts here.

Edit: see Bilbo Skywalke already quoted it.

[Presto 4,721]

Well, we already have Tibetan (I know its not China.) gong/drums or whatever..

[Kühni 484]

.

[Lewya 360]

Will Shore use this? :X

[Kühni 484]

.

[Lewya 360]

It's not all about size, y'know...

The bigger the better?

Do you think Shore will conduct the whole score of the Hobbit trilogy live? I would love a complete HD recording of the score, LotR included!

Like this one but in higher quality (does higher quality of that video exist by the way?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1cTuUwZILg

Edit: Bliss moment at ~1.43

[Kühni 484]

.

[Lewya 360]

Doug Adams posted some photos of young Shore -

Two more photos can be found on his Twitter.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

I'm suddenly less ashamed of some of my own past hair/fashion choices....

[Incanus 5,664]

I am one page late (although a wizard is never late) for the press release hulabaloo! So it is official then. Bring on the November Hobbit madness!!!

[Jay 35,281]

The iTunes listing wasn't official enough for you?

[Incanus 5,664]

Press release was the final nail to that coffin!

It is a bit funny that iTunes beat Water Towers Music to it. But no doubt it was a concerted effort.

Plus naturally Sheeran got most of the PR on the press release outside the usual blurbs about Shore's career. This was to be expected. It seems that Sheeran was a Hobbit fan from the start as well. So many people on the production seem to have been.

But the track list is certainly the most exciting part of the whole thing. I wonder when will WTM put up some samples.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

I wonder when will WTM put up some samples.

Tomorrow!

[Presto 4,721]

Notice that this time there is no Fandango (?) ticket deal this time, so we might not be getting early track previews like we did with Radagast the Brown and Old Friends.

[BloodBoal 7,538]