The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

• Artist: Howard Shore
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 25, 2003
• Total Time: 72:00
• Type: Soundtrack, Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

The monumental task of scoring -- in rapid succession -- three of history's most anticipated films has done little to temper the fire that fuels composer Howard Shore's vision and enthusiasm. With each installment of New Line Cinema's Lord of the Rings trilogy, his seemingly bottomless cauldron of memorable motifs and affecting character themes washes over Peter Jackson's Middle Earth like a coat of varnish, bending each frame to its will. If The Fellowship of the Ring was its heart and The Two Towers its body, then The Return of the King is the series' soul. Opening with a Brahms-like veil of strings that deftly segues into a solo violin variation on the main melody, Shore begins by re-revisiting themes from the previous films. By the time he reaches the devastating "Steward of Gondor" -- featuring a heartbreaking tune sung by Hobbit (Billy Boyd) -- the mood has shifted from nostalgia to urgency, channeling the protagonists' desperation to complete their harrowing journey. "Twilight and Shadow" uses the gorgeous voice of soloist Renee Fleming to add weight to Arwen's (Liv Tyler) decision on whether or not to choose love over immortality, and "Shelob's Lair," with its dissonant bursts of percussive brass, cements Shore as this generation's Bernard Herrmann. The real magic begins with "The Black Gate Opens," a nervous breath and the calm before the storm, anchored by James Galway's tin whistle. That breath is needed, as what follows is the culmination of nearly five years of work. "The End of All Things" explodes with a variation on the choral arrangement that normally accompanies the Ringwraiths, and inter-cuts it with the voice of the ring -- a boy soprano -- before launching into the ten-minute "Return of the King." Like a Wagner opera, Shore methodically places familiar themes within the context of emotional turmoil, avoiding the forgettable nonstop dissonance that others apply to battle scenes with sweeping, often nightmarish melodies that linger for days. It's this dedication to memorable composition that makes "The Grey Havens" -- the film's epilogue -- so compelling. With its soft, bittersweet strings, it packs an emotional impact that would have resonated only on the surface had he taken a by the book approach to scoring the action sequences. Shore and Jackson are visionaries for whom this was a labor of love, and these films are a testament to their nearly inhuman resolve and tenacity. Despite the inclusion of a lovely yet unnecessary song by Annie Lennox, The Return of the King marks the end of an extraordinary collaboration that's destined to be celebrated and studied for generations to come. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~A Storm is Coming	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(2:52)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Hope and Memory	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(1:46)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Minas Tirith	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola, Ben Del Maestro	(3:37)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The White Tree	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(3:26)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Steward of Go	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola, Billy Boyd	(3:53)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Minas Morgul	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(1:58)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Ride of the R	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(2:09)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Twilight and Shad	Howard Shore	Renée Fleming, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(3:30)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Cirith Ungol	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(1:44)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Andúril	Howard Shore, J.R.R. Tolkien	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(2:36)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Shelob's Lair	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(4:07)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Ash and Smoke	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(3:25)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Fields of the	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(3:26)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Hope Fails	Howard Shore	London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(2:21)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Black Gate Op	Howard Shore	James Galway, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(4:01)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The End of All Th	Howard Shore	Renée Fleming, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(5:13)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Return of the	Howard Shore	James Galway, Renée Fleming, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, Viggo Mortensen, London Oratory School Schola	(10:14)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~The Grey Havens	Howard Shore	James Galway, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(6:00)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, film score~Into the West (Lyrics)	Annie Lennox, Howard Shore, Fran Walsh	Annie Lennox, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Voices, London Oratory School Schola	(5:49)

Credits

Paul Broucek (Executive Producer), Dermot Crehan (Double Violin), Mike Cox (Assistant Engineer), Giancarlo Vulcano (Assistant Engineer), Bill Foley (Assistant Engineer), Renée Fleming (Vocals), Paul Broucek (Producer), Andy Bradfield (Engineer), Pete Jackson (Liner Notes), Howard Shore (Orchestration), Marie Ebbing (Music Editor), Danny Bramson (Executive Producer), Mark Willsher (Associate Music Producer), David Salo (Translation), Billy Boyd (Vocals), Jennifer Green (Music Preparation), Van Redin (Photography), Chris Cozens (Auricle Programming), John Wriggle (Editing), Jeff Grace (Technical Coordinator), Peter Cobbin (Mixing), Tom Lazarus (Engineer), Ben Del Maestro (Soloist), Andrew Dudman (Editing), Jan Hendrickse (?), Paul Hicks (Mixing), Becca Gatrell (Editing), James Galway (Penny Whistle), John Parricelli (Guitar), Jim Breuning (Assistant), Tim Stritmater (Assistant Engineer), Lisa Otto (Creative Consultant), Greg Laporta (Assistant Engineer), David Salo (Text Translation), Roy Moore (Music Preparation), Urlich Herkenhoff (Pan Flute), Annie Lennox (Soloist), Peter Cobbin (Score Mixer), Anne Barnard (Music Preparation), Richard Lancaster (Assistant Engineer), Steven R. Gilmore (Cover Design), Mitch Rotter (Soundtrack Manager), Mirek Stiles (Assistant Engineer), Michael Price (Editing), Howard Shore (Producer), Paul Broucek (Executive in Charge of Music), Jim Bruening (Assistant Engineer), Viggo Mortensen (Vocals), Becca Gatrell (Music Editor), Bill Foley (Assistant), Kevin Mahonchak (Music Preparation), Mike Hornett (Music Preparation), Annette "Queenie" Lennox (Vocals), Jeffrey Lesser (Engineer), James Galway (Flute), Jill Streater (Music Preparation), Jonathan Schultz (Music Editor), Lori Silfen (Music Business Affairs), Michael Price (Music Editor), Paul Hicks (Engineer), Pete Jackson (Executive Producer), Peter Mew (Mastering Engineer), Renée Fleming (Soloist), Sam O'Kell (Assistant Engineer), Stephen Pelluet (Assistant Engineer), Tom Lazarus (Mixing), Simon Kiln (Editing), John Kurlander (Engineer), Jason Cienkus (Soundtrack Coordination), Jeffrey Lesser (Mixing), Peter Mew (Mastering), Lois DiLivio (Assistant Engineer), John Kurlander (Recording), Toby Wood (Assistant Engineer), Andrew Dudman (Music Editor), Dermot Crehan (Fiddle), Jan Hendrickse (Low Whistle), Mark Kaufman (Music Clearance), Howard Shore (Conductor), Greg Laporta (Assistant), Tim Stritmater (Assistant), Fran Walsh (Lyricist), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Eric Jordan (Assistant Engineer), Howard Shore (Liner Notes), Paul Broucek (Music Supervisor), Dermot Crehan (Irish Fiddle), Mitch Rotter (Soundtrack Executive Producer), John Parricelli (Guitar (12 String Acoustic)), Danny Bramson (Executive Soundtrack Producer), John Parricelli (Guitar (12 String)), Fran Walsh (Executive Producer), Philippa Boyens (Text Adaptation), Lois DiLivio (Assistant), Vic Fraser (Music Preparation), Benjamin Ealovega (Photography), John Wriggle (Music Editor), Andy Bradfield (Mixing), Malcolm Fife (Editing), Isobel Griffiths (Music Contractor), Malcolm Fife (Music Editor), Giancarlo Vulcano (Assistant), Billy Boyd (Performer), Fran Walsh (Text), Annette "Queenie" Lennox (Lyricist), Ken George (Photography)