Howard Shore – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King – The Complete Recordings (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Howard Shore – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King – The Complete Recordings (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 03:49:26 minutes | 2,29 GB | Genre: Soundtrack
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Records

For this third and final part of The Lord of the Rings (released in 2003 and adapted from Tolkien’s famous book), Howard Shore once again benefited from the exceptional opportunity to create 3h50m of music, which covers 90% of the film! Other than the London Philharmonic Orchestra, there is a wide variety of choirs and prestigious soloists. The latter are sometimes even actors in the films: The Green Dragon is an Irish-inspired tune, performed by the actor Billy Boyd, a.k.a. Pippin. Other soloists (both actors and not) include the famous flautist James Galway, as well as Viggo Mortensen and Renée Fleming. All three are present in The Fellowship Reunited.

On the instrumental side of things, we hear several leitmotifs, some of which are already known (and sometimes developed), others completely new. One of the most beautiful phrases related to the ring appears in the first track, Roots and Beginnings, and evokes Richard Wagner’s own ring theme from the opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. The simplicity of this short melodic phrase (only nine notes long) shows that Howard Shore wanted to personify the ring and not the stakes that it represents. Far from the strange calm of this music, we also encounter more epic, even horrific pieces, such as the amazing Shelob’s Lair. Howard Shore is David Cronenberg’s appointed composer, and in this respect, an undeniable specialist in the field. Finally, it’s worth listening to the majestic song Into the West as the closing credits roll, with Annie Lennox on mic. – Nicolas Magenham

Tracklist:
1-01. Howard Shore – Roots and Beginnings (06:30)
1-02. Howard Shore – Journey to the Cross-roads (02:16)
1-03. Howard Shore – The Road to Isengard (02:18)
1-04. Howard Shore – The Foot of Orthanc (04:44)
1-05. Howard Shore – Return to Edoras (01:51)
1-06. Howard Shore – The Chalice Passed (01:51)
1-07. Howard Shore – The Green Dragon (00:34)
1-08. Howard Shore – Gollum’s Villainy (02:10)
1-09. Howard Shore – Eowyn’s Dream (01:24)
1-10. Howard Shore – The Palantir (03:10)
1-11. Howard Shore – Flight from Edoras (02:18)
1-12. Howard Shore – The Grace of Undomiel (06:20)
1-13. Howard Shore – The Eyes of the White Tower (04:33)
1-14. Howard Shore – A Coronal of Silver and Gold (08:27)
1-15. Howard Shore – The Lighting of the Beacons (09:03)
2-16. Howard Shore – Osgiliath Invaded (08:46)
2-17. Howard Shore – The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (02:40)
2-18. Howard Shore – Allegiance to Denethor (03:19)
2-19. Howard Shore – The Sacrifice of Faramir (feat. ‘The Edge of Night’) (04:08)
2-20. Howard Shore – The Parting of Sam and Frodo (04:04)
2-21. Howard Shore – Marshalling at Dunharrow (04:56)
2-22. Howard Shore – Anduril – Flame of the West (03:27)
2-23. Howard Shore – The Passing of the Grey Company (04:10)
2-24. Howard Shore – Dwimorberg – The Haunted Mountain (02:26)
2-25. Howard Shore – Master Meriadoc, Swordthain (01:39)
2-26. Howard Shore – The Paths of the Dead (06:22)
2-27. Howard Shore – The Siege of Gondor (09:01)
2-28. Howard Shore – Shelob’s Lair (08:53)
2-29. Howard Shore – Merry’s Simple Courage (01:59)
3-30. Howard Shore – Grond – The Hammer of the Underworld (01:31)
3-31. Howard Shore – Shelob the Great (05:13)
3-32. Howard Shore – The Tomb of the Stewards (03:58)
3-33. Howard Shore – The Battle of the Pelennor Fields (04:09)
3-34. Howard Shore – The Pyre of Denethor (02:59)
3-35. Howard Shore – The Mumakil (00:57)
3-36. Howard Shore – Dernhelm in Battle (02:06)
3-37. Howard Shore – ‘A Far Green Country’ (01:27)
3-38. Howard Shore – Shieldmaiden of Rohan (05:06)
3-39. Howard Shore – The Passing of Theoden (02:16)
3-40. Howard Shore – The Houses of Healing (02:58)
3-41. Howard Shore – The Tower of Cirith Ungol (04:41)
3-42. Howard Shore – The Last Debate (feat. ‘Asea Aranion’) (04:21)
3-43. Howard Shore – The Land of Shadow (06:29)
3-44. Howard Shore – The Mouth of Sauron (08:15)
3-45. Howard Shore – ‘For Frodo’ (03:17)
4-46. Howard Shore – Mount Doom (04:09)
4-47. Howard Shore – The Crack of Doom (04:01)
4-48. Howard Shore – The Eagles (02:23)
4-49. Howard Shore – The Fellowship Reunited (12:18)
4-50. Howard Shore – The Journey to the Grey Havens (07:34)
4-51. Howard Shore – Elanor (01:28)
4-52. Howard Shore – Days of the Ring (feat. ‘Into the West’) (11:09)
4-53. Howard Shore – Bilbo’s Song (02:58)