The Lord of the Rings

A symphony in Six Movements for Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists, composed by Howard Shore
Manager: Ronald A. Wilford, Jean-Jacques Cesbron

Additional Management Robbi Kearns
Management territory: worldwide
Last summer, "The Lord of the Rings Symphony" by Howard Shore reached a milestone when it was performed for the 100th time. The production is now as successful as ever. Since its debut in Wellington, New Zealand, "The Lord of the Rings Symphony", offering an extraordinary performance straight out of Middle Earth, has been enthusiastically acclaimed by audiences all over the world. Howard Shore's six-movement symphony for orchestra, adult and children's choirs, as well as solo instrumentalists and vocalists, totaling more than 200 musicians on stage, draws from the nearly 12 hours of music he composed for the phenomenally successful film trilogy. At performances across the world, lovers of classical music and "Lord of the Rings" devotees alike have greeted the two-hour work with rousing ovations following performances in some of the world’s most famous venues – including Sydney’s Opera House, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Moscow’s Kremlin Palace Theater. Some of the world’s leading international orchestras – including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony and the London Philharmonic – as well as many outstanding regional orchestras have performed "The Lord of the Rings Symphony".

The six movements of the symphony correspond to the progression of the epic through the six books that were adapted for the film trilogy. These movements capture the enormous complexity and limitless imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation – from the simple, pastoral beauty of the hobbits’ Shire to the magic and mystery of the Elves and the monumental battle scenes, in music by turns explosive, ethereal and, ultimately, transcendent.

Shore achieves this enormous feat by the ingenious use and juxtaposition of a plethora of recurring motifs – close to 80 in all – associated with the various characters and places in the books. Shore’s employment of some instruments foreign to the traditional Western symphony orchestra and of choral settings in Tolkien’s languages help conjure up the ancient beauty of Middle Earth, its diverse inhabitants, and the harrowing struggle between the forces of good and evil. This performance makes the beauty of Middle Earth and its unique inhabitants come alive, captivating the audience's ears and eyes.

Praise from the international press for the "Lord of the Rings Symphony"
Shore manages the admirable feat of summoning up a Wagnerian atmosphere without copying the original.
- The New Yorker

The simplicity of the music ... is ... striking. Shore's music ... [evokes] awe, fear and hope as well as titanic conflict.
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Shore's musical opus is every bit as impressive as Tolkien's literary one, standing on its own as a sweeping, operatic experience, even when liberated from the majesty of Jackson's trilogy.
- The Seattle Times

The "Lord of the Rings Symphony" is still a big success because of the power and appeal of Shore’s themes.
- Columbus Dispatch

Brilliantly hued ... and so completely exploitive of the symphony orchestra’s potential.
- The Dominion Post

The rich combination of orchestra and choir were working magnificently…they are much more than the sum of their parts.
- Sydney Morning Herald

A two-hour distillation of the much longer "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack, Shore's six-movement symphony is a complex, ingeniously evocative work rivaling Wagner operas in the manipulation of readily identifiable motifs pegged to certain characters, emotions and events. No one who has seen even one of the films could fail to recognize its major themes.
- Plain Dealer, Cleveland