Lili of Phoenix, one of the guest musicians at the Phoenix LOTR concert, wrote her impressions of the event:
I would like to submit my review of the Phoenix concert on May 26. I had a unique perspective because I was one of the guest musicians on stage! What an experience. Nothing in my 33 years of musical experience could top those 2 days. One of the reviews mentioned that musicians received orchestra music 4 – 6 weeks in advance. The musicians in Phoenix got theirs 2 weeks ago. I got my music last Friday. Howard’s score is complex with many meter changes and unusual harmonies and chord progressions. Technically not too difficult, but a bear to put together.
I arrived for the orchestra’s first rehearsal on Tuesday morning to the strains of Gondor’s Theme and Hobbit music as the musicians warmed up. Our 3 hour rehearsal allowed us enough time to run the entire piece once and then fine tune a half dozen spots. I have listened to the LoTR’s CD’s so many times I knew what everything “should” sound like and the morning rehearsal was a bit rough. I know there were many musicians not familiar with the music and they were doing their talented best at it. The soprano soloist as well was having a hard time. The biggest difficulty I felt for everyone was coming in at the correct time, there are so many tempo changes that it was difficult to anticipate the next section of music. Tuesday evening brought another 3 hour rehearsal but this time with both choirs as well. This again was another run through and 6 or 7 finer points addressed by Mr. Mickelthwate. The orchestra had a little more confidence but some of the playing was still tentative.
We are all spoiled by listening to the movie Cd’s that probably entailed hundreds of hours or rehearsals and Howard Shore right there to clarify and conduct the London Symphony. What you saw Wednesday night was after 6 hours of rehearsals. Yes the orchestra and choir had much room for improvement and no doubt a few extra rehearsal were needed, but the symphony is already preparing for their next concert.
It was an absolute joy for me to have the opportunity to perform the music I love with gifted musicians that could take marks from a page and bring tears to your eyes. But the best part? The audience response at the end. The standing ovation and cheers made me feel like a part of a community. All of us were in this huge hall for one reason. To share the love of a piece of art; the music, the movies, the books.
These works of art are important pieces of our lives and help to keep us sane and grounded in these crazy times. Please continue to support the arts in our lives and our country by going to concerts and shows, insisting on arts education in schools (every musician on that stage started playing/singing as a youngster) and demanding funding for the arts from you local, state and federal government. Think of what the next generation of artists/musicians will create.
Date: Thu May 27, 20046:16 pm Subject: Reprint of Parma Eldalamberon #11
I Lam na Ngoldathon The Grammar and Lexicon of the GNOMISH TONGUE. By J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Gilson, Carl F. Hostetter, Patrick Wynne, and Arden R. Smith.
Parma Eldalamberon No.11 presents the Gnomish Lexicon (selections from which were published in the Appendices to The Book of Lost Tales) in its entirety. This is the dictionary of the language called Goldogrin, or I-Lam na-Ngoldathon, which Tolkien eventually transformed into the Noldorin of The Etymologies and later into the Sindarin of The Lord of the Rings. This issue also includes Tolkien’s own partial grammar of Gnomish, contemporary with the lexicon, which covers the inflections and syntax of the article, noun, and adjective. The lexicon itself also contains much grammatical information, frequently citing verbs in both their present and past tenses, and nouns in both singular and plural. Other parts of speech are also well-represented in what is a quite comprehensive dictionary, and there are a number of sample sentences in Gnomish.
The original lexicon fills a 150-page notebook and consists of about 3000 entries. Compiled in 1917, this remarkable document reveals the well-spring of Tolkien’s linguistic genius in its ‘Celtic’ mode. It also displays the basic phonological nature of the historical relation between Noldorin and Quenya at its inception, with numerous etymological annotations and the citation of many cognates, some of which are Quenya words that occur nowhere else.
A reprint of Parma Eldalamberon No. 11 is currently in preparation. We expect copies to be available for shipping on June 7, 2004.
Orders: The cost is $20.00 per copy including postage and handling world-wide. Please use the PayPal button at this link: this link, Or send check or money-order (U.S. funds only) to:
Christopher Gilson 10646-A Rosewood Road Cupertino, CA 95014 U.S.A.
I’m not sure if you guys already posted this information of not, but I remember there was some question as to whether or not the Easterlings would appear in Return of the King. While I was watching the movie, I noticed one of their distinctive shields just after Grond breaks down the gates of Minas Tirith. Apparently the Easterlings take part in the Siege of Gondor. I attached a screen capture just to show where they are. It’s around the 1:48:15 mark.
BoromirsOtherBrother writes:
In response to John from Memphis [posted here], I would add that in “The Quest Fufilled: A Director’s Vision” documentary there are a number of shots from what I deduce is The Cross-roads. It is all behind the scenes footage of PJ, Sean and Elijah (with Philippa Boyens sitting in the background). What gave it away for me is the large, vandalised statue with a hand on it’s knee that the camera is focusing on (that we don’t fully see), the braken-like branches on the ground (similar to the terrain where Sam and Frodo are at the start of ROTK) and the direction PJ is giving Sean Astin “Just as you go by, the sun will come out and the clouds will …”. These shots start about 17 mins 48 secs into the documentary.
If you have a quick read of the last page of the “Journey to the Cross-roads” chapter from the Two Towers, I think you’ll find that the description matches closely. I think it’s one of the most beautiful passages from the books and was actually hoping that the image of the statues head wreathed in ‘stars’ would be used underneath the opening title ‘The Return of the King’ for the third film – here’s hoping for the EE.
“Suddenly, caught by the level beams, Frodo saw the old king’s head: it was lying rolled away by the road-side. ‘Look, Sam!’ he cried, startled into speech. ‘Look!’ The king has got a crown again!’
“The eyes were hollow and the cavern beard was broken, but about the high stern forehead there was a coronal of silver and gold. A trailing plant with flowers like small white stars had bound itself across the brows as if in reverence for the fallen king, and in the crevices of his stony hair yellow stonecrop gleamed.”
Also, the shots John noted of the Orcs travelling to Udun are 8.17 in, and Aragorn with Eowyn on the bed at Edoras is at 15.42. At 17.30 we also see extra footage of the scene between gandalf and Pippin on the balcony in Minas Tirith (chapter 10 ” on the DVD) with a tracking wideshot of Pippin approaching the railing and a closeup of Gandalf drinking and patting Pip on the head….
Erather writes:
The first two features overlap a lot. But some of the clips have interesting things that we haven’t seen before:
In the Director’s Vision: 5:32 Frodo & Sam in Mordor — probably just before Sam sees the star. Stick with it past Elijah’s brief comment for a second glimpse. 15:40 Aragorn & Eowyn in Meduseld — the sequence we’ve seen a still from, of “Aragorn comforting Eowyn”. Very tantalizing, I absolutely cannot guess what might be going on in this scene.
In the Filmmaker’s Journey: 10:37 Frodo & Sam in Mordor — Sam throws away his pans! 14:01 Interesting shot of the Hobbits (including Bilbo) at the Grey Havens, with Tall Paul in the background as Gandalf. 25:33 Wonderful shots of the 4 Hobbits in their “return to Hobbiton” finery, first on the hill (as in the nice still we saw last year) and then sitting down.
I would also like to report on the Phoenix Symphony’s performance of Howard Shore’s score to the LOTR. Whatever the first two reports said, do not believe that they are representative of what the rest of us experienced! The performance received a thunderous, standing ovation that went on and on! It was a magical, wonderful performance. You felt surrounded by the music and through the exquisite use of Alan Lee’s and John Howe’s conceptual drawings, swept into the world of Middle Earth. The Phoenix Boy’s Choir, in particular, was outstanding, as was their young soloist. Bravo, Phoenix Sympony, Choir, and guest artists!
Earl Ferguson writes:
The first two reviews of the Phoenix LOTR Symphony performance posted on TORn were so at odds with what I experienced that it seems important to provide a different point of view. Not to say they are wrong, but opinions and perceptions will differ.
Let me start at the end. In the sold out auditorium, over 3500 are following every nuance of the performance. The pauses between movements have been pin-drop time. The last chord of the last movement swells to a final statement and then fades away with the ship into the west. Maestro Mickelthwate ends the chord. Silence. 1 … 2 … 3 … 4 …. Then 3500 stand almost as one in a thunderous ovation that goes on and on. Mr. Mickelthwate and the soloist return to the stage three times. There are big cheers acknowledging the chorus and even bigger cheers acknowledging the symphony musicians. I feel a deep sense of appreciation from the crowd for the work itself, but even more so for the performance. I personally had a deep feeling of satisfaction after a very enjoyable evening. I did not have any feeling of disappointment, nor was any evident in the group I was with, nor could I detect any in the audience as a whole.
Regarding Mr. Mickelthwate’s direction, I did not find it to be in any way mechanical. He was all over the performers, pulling dynamics, inflections, emphasis, and subtleties from them, as well as controlling the incredibly complex rhythm and tempo patterns. I felt he did a great job and delivered a wealth of feeling from a very difficult score.
A technical area that could have been improved was the sound system for the chorus. It is true that amplification was not well balanced, and the chorus would have benefited from more volume, particularly the male parts. In spite of this, the chorus did an excellent job, and being live, the words were even more distinct. In fact, my daughter afterward asked what “Mithrandir” meant as she kept hearing the chorus singing it (obviously in Gandalf’s Lament), though she had never noted it either in the movie or on the soundtrack recording.
The other reviews mentioned a couple of missteps by the female soloist, but in all honesty they were barely perceptible. She had a beautiful voice and did great credit to both Gollum’s Song and Into the West as well as Evenstar and the other solos. Her background is music theater rather than opera, so the feeling was a little different but quite enjoyable.
I noticed at the start of Movement 6 that it started with the Battle of the Pelenor, and then moved into The End of All Things. I don’t know if this is an addition, but it was unexpected from the program description. Overall, the different pieces were tied together much better than I expected. Sure, I would have liked to have had Billy Boyd’s song included, as well as some other special musical moments, but that is but a taste of the frustration Howard Shore must have felt in having to choose less than 20% of his magnificent score to include. Best to look at what is there rather than what is not.And what is there works as a coherent symphonic piece.
Again, a hugely enjoyable evening that I would not want to have missed.
azruss writes:
In response to the reviews of the Phoenix Symphony’s performance of the LOTR symphony:
You can walk away from that performance dwelling on what went wrong, or what was spectacular. I chose to come away appreciating the magic I felt that night. As a symphony performer myself, I can usually pick up mistakes easier than most other audience members. Not that I’m smarter or a better listener, but if you’re a mechanic and you are driving a car, you’ll pick out noises that don’t sound right faster than I will, follow me?
The symphony did a fabulous job with this piece. You have to understand that this is new music which everyone had to learn from scratch, and the piece did not sound very easy to get a hold of with only a short time to practice (I’m assuming the players didn’t have music for long, we usually get our music 4-6 weeks before perfomance) Even so, I had a hard time picking out any false notes or lack of direction. Also, I think people are so used to hearing the music on a home theater, which plays music recorded in a studio with engineers following every note and adjusting volume levels to pick out melodies from the multitude of players. It was a little weird to hear certain parts I expected to rattle the roof not get real loud, but that’s a live performance for you.
Yes, the lady soloist jumped a cue, and the mikes sometimes didn’t pick up the chorus, but for 2 hours of music involving 200 people coming together to play, things will happen. I personally overlooked that and basked in the music, sometimes closing my eyes to soak it all in (loved the music for Lothlorien scenes and the beacons of Gondor). And Into the West, man, it completely brought me to the scene in the book when Frodo boards the ship.
The standing ovation was marvelous. I really felt good for the symphony members. It’s not that often that these guys get such a robust standing O, and symphony hall RARELY sells out. It was thunderous in there. I’ve been going to PSO performances for a while and I have never seen such a crowd.
So good job showing up and raising the roof, guys.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS POSTAL COLLECTION NEARING A COMPLETE SELLOUT THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING POSTAL COLLECTION AVAILABLE IN LIMITED SUPPLY
To coincide with the worldwide release of The Lord of The Rings finale last December, the Isle of Man issued the ultimate tribute: a spectacular series of official postage stamps. The set of eight stamp sheets, souvenir sheets and postcards was nothing short of a worldwide sensation, thrilling movie fans on every continent. Now as the final chapter in Peter Jackson’s big-screen epic is released as a monumental home video/DVD, this highly sought after collection is nearing a complete sellout.
These Royal-approved stamps were issued by the British Isle of Man, the long-time home of actor John Rhys-Davies, who plays dwarf Gimli, and the voice of Treebeard in the three epic films. On an initial surge following the film’s release, more than three-quarters of the total quantities were sold by the post office. Now as the home video is set for release, only a handful remain.
Authorized by New Line Cinema, the eight stamps sheets feature unforgettable scenes from the Oscar winning film. Leading characters including Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Gandalf and Gollum are all featured on their own stamps. Additionally, there are four varying items that comprise the collection:
A set of eight First Day of Issue Covers, including eight commemorative postcards.
A unique Lord of the Rings Stamps and Coin collectible.
A collectors folder with all eight stamp sheets and a rare miniature sheet.
A highly limited Deluxe Box Set comprised off the stamp sheets, mini-sheet, first day covers and a hand numbered tribute page with a gold foil cancellation. (While scarse supplies last).
Dot Tilbury, Manager of the IOM Philatelic Bureau, said, “For fans of Lord of the Rings, this is your absolutely last chance to own this popular official postal series. Once our remaining supplies are gone, this postal issue will not be reproduced. This is it!”
The complete stamp series can be viewed, or purchased on the official web site, www.lordoftheringsstamps.net , phone 0044(0)1 624 698430 fax 0044(0)1624698434 by post contact
Isle of Man Post PO Box 10M Douglas Isle of Man IM99 1PB
It was fun and enjoyable but, in all honesty, disappointing. The orchestra felt like it could have used about a half-dozen more rehearsals, the female soloist started one of her solos too early and was “pitchy” (as Paula Abdul would say) in several spots, and the song selection was questionable at best (they included the stupid “Gollum’s Song” but left out several of the most dramatic musical flourishes in the whole trilogy). As I said, enjoyable, but frustrating because it could have been so much better. [More]
DbPhoenix writes:
God knows I want to be as encouraging as I can to young orchestras, but last night’s performance of the LOTR Symphony by the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra was an unnecessary disappointment.
First, the good. Even though I missed that spectacular choral interlude at the beginning of The Two Towers when the battle with the Balrog is recapped, as well as the entrance of the elves into Helm’s Deep, the arrangement is just about everything I hoped it would be. Miles and miles of the Isengard/Black Rider stuff from FOTR has been cut and the balance is much more toward Hobbiton and Rivendell which, given the contrast required to the darkness in most of the rest of the film, is necessary. There is also quite a bit of “new” Rivendell music (I say “new” because if might be on the complete score, but it’s not on the CD). There are also a number of spectacular climaxes on the CDs that don’t go anywhere (the exceptions being The White Tree and Forth Eorlingas). This is all taken care of through some very clever devices, making the movements internally “seamless”.
However, the timidity and hesitation on the part of everyone involved drove me nuts. The conductor, who either has no experience working with large groups of people (and this is a LARGE group of people), or is what we used to call a “dead fish”, conducted everything but the most lyrical passages in a metronomic military march mode (forgive the alliteration). There was noticeable lack of emotional content, which was glaringly apparent during The End Of All Things. Add to this a terrible miking job which made the chorus nearly impossible to hear unless the orchestra was practically silent, and most of the best moments wound up just lying there.
Did I enjoy it anyway? You bet I did, and I’m even more eager to hear the Shore recording due out next year. But I should caution readers that not every orchestra is up to this, and if you’re lucky enough to get a good conductor, you’re lucky indeed.
This is a phenomenal work, though I continue to believe that the ending is too long. Musically, I’d cut most of The Return Of The King (the track, not the movie) and get into The Grey Havens as quickly as possible. With the recap of nearly all the themes during the ROTK track (17), one wonders if they are going to start the whole thing over.
One thing is sure. When the CD comes out, it will be getting a lot of play at my house.
