Joe Brausam 214 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Not sure exactly what thread to put this in, but I figured I'd post it here first...http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Symphony-21st-Century/dp/B005FNJL7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312829994&sr=8-1Lord of the Rings Symphony, 2 discs, September 13th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Brausam 214 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Symphony-21st-Century/dp/B005FNJL7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312829994&sr=8-1Lord of the Rings Symphony, 2 discs, September 13th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,281 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demondm810 398 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Nice. How is the music distributed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,281 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Surprisingly, there's nothing on Doug's blog about this CD yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anyone know what orchestra it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Brausam 214 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anyone know what orchestra it is?21st Century Orchestra, the one that has done the majority of the live to projection performances. I've seen them twice at Radio City in New York, quite good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 21Th Century Orchestra? So not a proper one then? With the name of a town or country in it's title?Pity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,281 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Does it includes the shitty version of The Lighting Of The Beacons?Surprisingly, there's nothing on Doug's blog about this CD yetI'm still holding on to an exciting announcement that ought to revealed later this month, though it's already leaked in some quieter corners of the internet. If you're really dedicated, you may be able to track it down. No, that's not a challenge!http://www.musicoflo...ugust-2011.htmlRead the comments at the link you posted. The exciting announcement does not refer to this CD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 21Th Century Orchestra? So not a proper one then? With the name of a town or country in it's title?Pity....It is one of the finest in Switzerland and been performing Shore's LotR Live performances with Ludwig Wicki several times now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Swiss?Hmmm..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fommes 153 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Swiss?Hmmm..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 21Th Century Orchestra? So not a proper one then? With the name of a town or country in it's title?Pity....Hold your tongue!Ever heard them? They play Shore's music like no other orchestra, except maybe the LSO, and even that I doubt.They perform the live to projection events AND the symphony all over the world, and have done so for years.The orchestra, and Ludwig Wicki, know the complete scores like no other. There is no other orchestra at this point better suited for that release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have no interest in this. A Blu-ray of a performance with the LPO would be another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Oh, an actual Symphony release on CD? That is money. Then I can dump that footwarmer I found somewhere along the way that doesn't sound too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 They play Shore's music like no other orchestra, except maybe the LSOEven better than the LPO? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Surely not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 They get to the core of the music better.And that's no surprise, given they perform it constantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Surely not!Actually they could be that proficient as they have performed it more by now than LPO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Brausam 214 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have to wonder how artistically unsatisfying that is for the musicians, I really hope they get other performance gigs too when not on the road.It's like being in the pit for a Broadway show, the same music day after day, its terrible. A friend of mine was the principal horn for Beauty and the Beast on Broadway for YEARS. I can't even begin to imagine how dull it must have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 It's still got to be better than a real job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Brausam 214 Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 It's still got to be better than a real job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I have to wonder how artistically unsatisfying that is for the musicians, I really hope they get other performance gigs too when not on the road.It's like being in the pit for a Broadway show, the same music day after day, its terrible. A friend of mine was the principal horn for Beauty and the Beast on Broadway for YEARS. I can't even begin to imagine how dull it must have been.They do perform other music as well. I am sure Maestro Wicki makes sure of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Don't know if anyone mentioned this, but there are now a tracklist and samples on The Lord Of The Rings Symphony CD Amazon page:http://www.amazon.co...12829994&sr=8-1EDIT: Just realized, it's already been released! DUH! Completely forgot about that one!Listened to Movement 1 through 4.Pretty good, though some of the "edits" are really harsh, and I still don't like how they removed the climax from Bridge of Khazad Dum.Performances are competent overall, but the orchestra feels a lot smaller and the recording is certainly less reverby then the OST recordings. It somehow feels less weighty.Unsurprisingly for a Swiss orchestra it all sounds a bit neutral, which is what they like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 It is a live performance which in itself sets certain limitations. I think they did a very good job but it does not hold a candle to the original recordings. As an interpretation of the music it is a decent one. The mix of the music is somewhat odd, especially noticeable in the Moria sequence where the biggest choral section is just drowned out. Also the recording highlights some very odd nuances like the bowed cymbals in the Journey in the Dark passage.The soprano soloist Kaitlyn Lusk does a good job and even the boy soprano's performance is solid. The music does not come as a revelation at this point anymore but it is nice to have an incarnation of this symphony on CD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Is it really a live performance? I don't hear any audience noise at all up untill the applause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 As far as I know it is a live performance. I wondered about the lack of ambient noise as well. Not that I would prefer any. But in my experience in many live recordings there are those pesky people making noise in the background.One of the most irritating case that comes to mind is the people coughing during the most quiet solo parts of Williams' Horn Concerto where the cor anglais solo is almost ruined by the excessive clearing of throats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I figured they just recorded it in a studio or empty concert hall and edited in some clapping noises.It's lack of weight is not a bad thing perse. The original recordings are very dense, and they can certainly wear down a listener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I agree Stefan. The LotR music is densely layered and can at its most hectic be quite overbearing.The transparency of orchestral writing can be fascinating to listen to when you can hear all the layers. I just think that this particular performance in some instances emphasizes the wrong layers or details in the mix. And the choral music very often lacks the raw power of the original. There is certain savagery Shore demands in e.g. Ringwraith music that is very rarely captured in the Symphony.And I have always felt that the Symphony is an excellent live attraction but as a recording I have no great hurry to get it as it offers nothing new. As Bloodboal said even I with my limited editing skills could cobble the symphony together from the existing materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,331 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Unfortunately, the Mockups on the RA, are the closest we will get to Suites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 We have so much released already, I have little complains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,669 Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 I've listened to a portion of the symphony - not a massive fan TBH. It's the style of a better than average re-recording, and some of the orchestrations tend to make transitions less smooth, like when a solo from the next part comes in early on a dying crescendo.I guess it was cheaper to record a live performance than hire a studio and rehearse, so the performance will have flaws.I'm not rushing out to buy this really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan 689 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 It's definitely live. I've heard a few coughs from the audience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 I haven't followed classical music record labels steadily but has this live recording become a norm. I seem to recall that Naxos does a lot of these live performance recordings. Is it too costly these days to record the music in a nice audienceless studio where they could actually make improvement upon different takes. I know that the live performance has its own energy but I would love a pristine neatly mixed recording of e.g. Williams' Horn Concerto and this symphony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,172 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Yes, hardly anyone can afford studio recordings these days. Even live recordings often need to be sponsored. Still, both live and studio recordings have their advantages, and sometimes the live versions by the same conductor beat his earlier studio recordings.As for audience noise, it seems much of that can be edited out these days. And if the same work is performed on several nights, I believe they also mix and match takes to assemble the best version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Ware 526 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 For the LOTR Symphony, two live performances, several rehearsals and a couple of pick-up sessions took place over five days in Switzerland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Basically, the only problem I have with the recording is that in a couple of spots, particulary Moria, the tempi are too fast, which takes away some of the impact of the music.The symphony per se I find great, with the exception that the transition between "Battle Of Pelennor Fields" and "The End Of All Things" is too rash for me. I feel that there needs to be some more music there to tell the story better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fommes 153 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Just to be sure - there's some time to pick this up right? Nothing limited or so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,983 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Anybody got the LOTR symphony album? Any comments?Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Anybody got the LOTR symphony album? Any comments?KarolSee above posts in this thread for information my good man. Several people have posted their thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 7,983 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Oh yeah, thanks. Missed that.But the question remains: Is it worth getting? I can't quite say from these comments. Is it like the extended suite from the films or does it actually feel like a symphonic work.Karol - who's got all the other albums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,172 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I don't know this recording, but I've heard the suite played live, and it's nothing at all like a symphonic work. In my opinion, the suite is a poorly put together collection of great highlights and pointless (in this context) filler stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I am as a great LotR music fan on the fence with this one. Since my pocket book is emptyish at the moment I am not getting this release in a hurry since I never felt it was the most satisfying presentation of this music.The symphony is an adaptation but not a development of the musical material heard in the scores. It is more of a compilation of material culled from the three scores presented in 6 suites. These suites comprise of music found from both OSTs and CRs (more of the former than the latter but Shore includes a few Extended Edition cues and sections) and are edited down to fit a certain flow. This flow is somewhat halting at times and the work contains some awkward segueing from one section to the next but it follows quite familiar route of the OST tracks most of the time with few edits here and there. But the music is not extended, developed or varied from the score material in symphonic / concert work style.The actual performance on this particular double disc is very good, the mixing to my ears at times rather different but that is to be expected. The choirs are perhaps more subdued in places than their score album counterparts but the orchestra is in top form. There are some tempi differences in some sections where I felt the originals still have better performance.Kaitlyn Lusk, the soprano soloist, performs on the discs with admirable skill as she did when I heard the FotR Live this spring.The Symphony is basically a highlight reel / compilation of the music from all three scores. The main interest for me would be the new (and extremely faithful) interpretation of the well known and loved music by the 21st Century Orchestra with Ludwig Wicki conducting. I still think this piece is excellent in concert halls where fans of all predilection can enjoy the music from all three scores in one concert.P.S. I had always hoped Shore would include the actual finale at Mt. Doom in the Symphony but alas he opted for the edited down version found on the RotK OST album with the short burst of Destruction of the Ring that just ends. I feel the more triumphant crescendo would have been infinitely more satisfying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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