Reading through rec.arts.books.tolkien, I stumbled upon this very interesting review of a new (apparently released just last week) revised edition of the Annotated Hobbit by Douglas Anderson. [More]
Month: August 2002
Reading through rec.arts.books.tolkien, I stumbled upon this very interesting review of a new (apparently released just last week) revised edition of the Annotated Hobbit by Douglas Anderson.
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I just received a review copy of the new edition of the Annotated Hobbit (working in the industry has some benefits). I have only been able to skim over it.
Some changes from the first edition are that it includes some colour plates (from JRRT and other artists) more commentary on some of the black and white illustrations, the notes on the textual revisions of The Hobbit are now included in the body of the book instead of as an appendix. Some of the annotations are expanded (for example the ‘pointy ears’, the ‘scientific version revision’, the two Thrains controversy is addressed, Thranduil’s hair is mentioned). There is an expanded bibliogaphy.
All new to this edition is the inclusion of the ‘Quest of Erebor’ one version of which was included in UT. The UT version was the compressed ‘C’ text, with extracted passages from the longer ‘B’ text given at the end. The entire ‘B’ typescript is given as an appendix in this
edition and does include previously unpublished information.
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Tar-Elenion
NZ and Aussie Ringers have heard those words often enough….”Michael Hill, Jeweller.” Now apparently he’s also Michael Hill, Lord of the Rings.
According to David, “Although it does not appear to have been advertised just yet, people in Australia and New Zealand can now buy The One Ring from selected Michael Hill Jeweller stores (Parramatta Westfields in Sydney is one confirmed store).
The replica is available in either gold (in five grades from 9ct to 22ct) or silver (silver chain an optional extra) and comes with a small leather pouch and card explaining the inscription. The Tengwar do not appear to be coloured. Obviously, the silver replica is much cheaper than the gold equivalent.”
Apparently the musical score for this also exists, according to Nevlonde. [More]
Thanka to Nevlonde, Ian and Yavie for all these news and picture!
Original
poster of bilbo’s last song from the 70s
News thanks to Nevlonde: “Hi. Just read the e-mail about Bilbo’s Last Song. Don’t know if you know that the poem was set to music by Donald Swann in his compilation of songs that were poems in LOTR. The songbook is entitled THE ROAD GOES EVER ON: A Song Cycle. Music by Donald Swann; Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien. I have the 2nd edition, published in 1978. It is now out of print, but the song is just beautiful. For years I have played it and cried every time, picturing Bilbo leaving Middle Earth. There was an old recording of the songs on, (a Record, if you know what that is!). I don’t have it but had borrowed it from the library. Swann played and sang the songs and that’s how I learned them.
There are some volumes for sale on-line, but there’re not cheap. But his music is really good and the songs were approved by Tolkien. There’s a nice introduction to the music book, explaining how Swann came to write the melodies and that Tolkien approved all, but had him revise the music for “Namarie.” Tolkien hummed what was a Gregorian chant and Swann basically used that with a bit added by Swann. Thought this might be interesting to you. “
And Ian ads this:
The BBC recording of the radio series, originally broadcast 21 years ago, featured this poem spoken over music as part of the finale of the radio dramatisation, but it was not included on the separately released soundtrack album by Stephen Oliver. John Le Mesurier. who played the part of Bilbo, was not really a singer and although the original radio adapter Brian Sibley and director Jane Morgan, loved his “sung” version Tolkien’s secretary didn’t – and she would not give permission for the “sung” version to be included in the radio series. As a result it was re-recorded as a spoken piece over the music that was broadcast as part of the serial but never included on the musical soundtrack album.
Last year, with the expiration of copyright I believe, the BBC were able to broadcast the “sung” version on a documentary on Tolkien by Brian Sibley, which to everyone I know who’s heard is far more poignant than the spoken word version. The fact that Le Mesurier is not a great singer only adds to its charm. When the BBC released new CD recordings of the radio series earlier this year (to include new intro’s and outro’s recorded earlier this year by Ian Holm – the movie’s Bilbo, but the radio series’ Frodo) they included the musical soundtrack CD with this extra new version added.
News from Lady Elessar: “I work for a movie theater and just found out the first movie the new full (non-teaser) Two Towers trailer will be on. It is enclosed with Universal’s Red Dragon opening Oct. 4.” Whoo-hoo, roll on October.