I just put my first item on my Christmas list! A 5 disc complete set of The Return of the King Soundtrack! Here’s the press release (via):
Howard Shore’s complete Oscar®-winning score for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, from the epic film trilogy “The Lord of the Rings,” will be available for the first time in a deluxe five-disc edition from Reprise/WMG Soundtracks on November 6, 2007.
This historic release contains 3 hours and 50 minutes of music on four CDs, comprising the full score of the 2003 film. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – The Complete Recordings” marks the third and final edition of the three complete recording releases of the film trilogy whose score has been honored with three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. This deluxe set includes exclusive new artwork, packaging, liner notes written by Doug Adams, author of the forthcoming book “The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films,” and features Annie Lennox performing the Oscar®-winning song “Into the West.”
Composed for symphony orchestra, adult and children’s choir, and soloists, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – The Complete Recordings” was performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola featuring vocal performances by Annie Lennox, Renée Fleming, Sissel, Ben Del Maestro and cast members Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, and Dominic Monaghan. The score also features solos performed by renowned flautist Sir James Galway.
The fifth disc is a DVD-Audio presenting the entire “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – The Complete Recordings” in Advanced Resolution Surround Sound, Advanced Resolution Stereo Sound, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo Sound.
“Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – The Complete Recordings” was released on December 13, 2005 and spent months in Amazon.com’s top 100 Sales Ranking, garnering some of the best reviews of the year. “For fans of any of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings’ is an essential experience,” said Heather Phares, All Music Guide. “‘The Complete Recordings’ is last year’s most important archival soundtrack release, expanding and preserving one of the finest and most significant recent scores in all of film music. Shore’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy is an operatic symphony that is among the finest musical accomplishments of the last half-century. The plethora of unreleased material on this beautifully packaged edition is mouth-watering at the least, and the sonic dynamic achieved on the surround sound DVD of the entire 180-minute score is simply astonishing,” said Randall Larson, Music From the Movies.
Oh my dear sweet heavens… I would put that puppy on and just play it for about 32 days straight.
