| 2-13-06 Latest News |
Cleveland LOTR Concert Review
Xoanon @ 10:01 pm EST
Andres writes: Once again Howard Shore's wonderful LOTR Symphony did not disappoint this fan! I, and a sold out audience in the beautiful Severance Hall in Cleveland were transported back to Middle-Earth in grand fashion. First of all Saturday's concert, 2/11 marked the 90th performance of this wonderful Symphony that has been heard at concert halls all around the world- from New Zealand to Great Britain, across Europe, in Japan, and throughout the United States. And The Cleveland Orchestra, which stands today among the world's most revered symphonic ensembles, did this city proud! I have had the privilege to have been in attendance a number of times in various cities to hear the LOTR Symphony but none could compare to Saturday's performance! The singing of "Evenstar" was performed by a 16yr old young lady by the name of Kaitlyn Lusk. I had the opportunity to hear her perform this piece in Nashville this past fall. She has a beautiful voice but either the microphone was too low or she needs to project her voice more. She was almost drowned out several times on other pieces by the orchestra. But she did perform this piece beautifully. On the singing of "Gollum's Song" she did all right but was still not loud enough to hear all the words and I was only 7 rows from the stage.
Now to the performance: When Mr Shore stepped out on the stage he was met with a thunderous applause! The magic was about to begin, and begin it did! Starting with the FOTR: "The Prophecy". We were than taken to the world of the Shire. " Concerning Hobbits" which has a special place in my heart ! The Celtic tones were wonderful and the flute was played to perfection, not too fast and not to slow.
This music is all so moving and powerful. The sounds of the instruments just wash over one and engulfs your very soul till you feel that your heart that is pounding so fast will beat out of you chest! And that is what I felt like especially during the playing of "The Bridge of Khazad-dum". Just picture seeing on the huge movie screen that has been projecting images of the varies drawings of Alan Lee and John Howe, you now see A Balrog and the stage now takes on a fiery red hue. You now hear the men's chorus chanting and I wish all of you could have seen Mr. Shore directing this part. Bending his knees, thrusting both arms upward. It was riveting! Did I say my heart almost burst out of my chest? We moved on to "The Breaking of the Fellowship" tears are now flowing. And the flutist, perfection! Then you hear the drums. The little soloist was a little nervous but boy did he pull it off!
INTERMISSION
The Two Towers: "Foundations of Stone" I absolutely love this song! Played to perfection! The mixed chorus's chanting was right on the money! "The Riders of Rohan" very majestic sounding.And the violinist was wonderful!
The Return of the King: "The White Tree" once again my heart is pounding faster and faster. I could literally almost see Pippin lighting that signal fire. The orchestra excelled in this piece and the trumpets were fantastic!! "The Return of the King" was beautiful but as always I would still prefer a soloist that was not a baritone. But I still shed tears here knowing that this adventure is coming to an end soon. The violins are so beautiful here! Then the "Grey Havens"
I now looked at my friend sitting next to me and I whispered to her that our journey was now at its end. For you see we were at ORC this past January and now this wonderful performance was the last of our adventure together. We were both crying like babies now! And than comes "Into The West" Kaitlyn performed this beautifully! Once again after this piece there was a thunderous applause and a standing ovation for Mr. Shore. And I managed to take a lot of photos at this time. I'm so bad!
Than after this wonderful performance they had immediately following a Post-Concert Conversation. It was a brief Q&A session with Howard Shore and Doug Adams, author of the upcoming book 'The Music of the Rings Films". This was such a wonderful night and I hope that all of you Ringers out there if you haven't had the chance to hear this wonderful Symphony performed please try to do so if it comes near you. My friend and I drove 6hrs to attend this performance and we wished as we drove home that we could have gotten tickets to hear it that Sunday.But alas it was all sold out! So as we left Middle-Earth that cold Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, the snow was gently falling but we felt all warm and happy because we had witnessed the most wonderful symphony ever to be performed. Yes, Middle-Earth does exist and for a little while we were a part of it! BRAVO! Mr. Howard Shore!!!
France LOTR Concert Review
Xoanon @ 12:48 pm EST
Orodromeus writes: Hello fellow tolkiendili and TORn staffers! Just a few words on the concert of February 11th, 2006 in Lyon, France. For the 2005-2006 season, dates for the Lord of the Rings Symphony in Europe are very few. France got 2 dates, and I believe there are 2 more in Germany. It was the first time the Symphony was presented in France, and oddly enough it didn’t happen in the capital, Paris, but in Lyon. The concert took place not in the usual Auditorium, which hosts classical music events, but in the Halle Tony Garnier, where the bigger concerts take place (Moby, System of the Down, etc). Terry Edwards was appointed as the conductor. During the Friday 10th concert, Edwards collapsed on stage and the concert was stopped there. Edwards was taken to a hospital and the audience was shown the exit. As much as I wish Mr. Edwards a quick recovery, I can’t help but feel sorry for the Friday audience... I got a big scare when I heard the news, “the concert cancelled”! Last year I had missed the Symphony because of bad holiday timing, I certainly didn’t want to miss it again! But the Auditorium website announced the concert was still to be held, with Edwards’ chief assistant Scott Dunn taking over. I don’t know if the Lyon orchestra and chorus had rehearsed with Dunn at all, but thankfully it didn’t show and despite the added stress the concert was conducted without any problem (well, there was a small instant at The Breaking of the Fellowship where the orchestra wasn’t in synch but it was the only mistake I spotted). Dunn preceded the concert by saying in french, reading from a paper, that “tonight’s concert is dedicated to Terry Edwards”. The audience was vey varied, from the mother with her two kids between seven and ten next to me, and the group of elderly scholars of the soundtracks in front of me! I didn’t see any fans dressed as elves or gondorians though. As for me, I had printed the choral text translation and a friend of mine had brought the book. We were a group of 10 in all. We had got tickets with a reduced price because I had organized the event though our students’ arts club! Tolkien isn’t as successful in France as in anglo-saxon countries, but the hall was full. I knew every bit of melody by heart of course, but the live LotR Symphony permitted me to notice all the little details that differed, which is all the fun in live concerts. We were seated quite far away from the stage, so most of what we heard essentially came from the speakers placed over the orchestra. It wasn’t as loud or as powerful as I expected it to be because that hall is enormous, but by Moria I was really immersed. I particularly enjoyed the violins, it was great to see the movements of the hands in concordance with the music, something you can only imagine when you listen to a recording. It was odd at times, there were some parts where the orchestra seemed to be in a rush, where the tempo was slightly accelerated compared to what I was used to: in the Lorien and right before In Dreams. The soprano for the Lament for Gandalf had a voice much deeper than Elizabeth Fraser’s, which gave it a whole different feeling; one which I wouldn’t exactly call elvish though. Movement I was very short compared to Movement II. At the end of Movement II there was a pause and the concert began again nonstop till the end. I realized that the music in TTT and RotK is much more complex and demanding than the music for FotR; there were more instruments playing at the same time, more choruses, more everything! The sections for TTT (Movements III & IV) seemed very short to me. Time flies I guess! Whilst most of the movements were a compilation of themes one after the other, the transitions between musical phrases for RotK passed on much more unnoticed, taking us through Minas Tirith, the Pelennor Fields, Orodruin and back again. There is one gross mistake in the drawings projected above: Pelennor is spelt with only one ‘n’! The soprano came in after the pause and did a wonderful job, I enjoyed the alternation between orchestra and solo moments, and the interaction with the orchestra when both played. I didn’t expect to hear songs in english, but there was In Dreams, Gollum’s Song and Into the West. Too bad there wasn’t May It Be – I guess for that we have to blame Howard Shore and Enya’s relationship. No notable french accent :) The soprano for Aragorn’s coronation had a totally unexpected voice, one you would expect in an italian opera. I was so much absorbed by the music that I didn’t take any pictures – I had sneaked my camera in even though pictures were not allowed. Others did, but not while the orchestra played. I confess that I had my mp3 player with me, and that I recorded part of the concert with its integrated microphone. I don’t intend to make a bootleg or something, I just wanted something special to keep out of this night; and the sound quality is very bad anyway, it’s just for me to reflect back upon. I wonder why no Symphony DVD has been released yet. The stands with merchandise sold well, as always. Wow, hey that's quite a text I wrote. I’m not much of a musician so these were random boring remarks but I have studied the music for LotR extensively, and I can say this was a pretty important moment for me. Two hours to summarize the whole work of Howard Shore is really short, you cut anything and it will lack too much; but it’s a nicely structured “best of” and a satisfying experience. And I’m sure I’ll be seeing it again some place else! Now excuse me, but there are some scenes the concert reminded me of that I want to see and read again! Namarië
| 2-12-06 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend -- Of Maeglin
Demosthenes @ 5:08 am EST
'So you forsake your father and his kin, ill-gotten son! Here shall you fail of all your hopes, and here may you yet die the same death as I.' Eol at Gondolin. Was Aredhel strong or rebellious, and how does her restlessness compare with that of her Noldorin half-sister, Galadriel? What does it say about her character that she chose to visit her Feanorean cousins, rather than Fingon? What of Turgon, who allowed her to leave Gondolin reluctantly? Was he foolish or realistic? What else could he have done, if anything? On the other hand, why does every other elf of Gondolin seem content to remain in the vale of Tumladen? Or should we interpret this in a more mythical sense? Do we see the doom of Mandos at work with Aredhel's inability to enter Doriath and subsequently losinmg her companions travelling through Esgalduin? Is it the inexorable hand of Mandos' curse that draws Aredhel to Eol -- and is it right that Fate should so interfere? Or is her restlesness and apparent wilfullness her own responsibility? What should we make of Eol, the dark elf of the Teleri with the huge chip on his shoulder? Is he a Teleri prince? In his own way, he seems as restless as Aredhel. He uses enchantments to lure her in, yet it is said she was 'not unwilling'. And where does his intense and abiding hatred of the Noldor come from? For although he calls them kinslayers, he does not associate with the Teleri, instead preferring the company of the Dwarves. Is it solely enforced isolation that spurs Aredhel to flee? How much is Maeglin's apparent lust for knowledge -- and perhaps the throne of Gondolin -- responsible? Neither Curufin nor Turgon move to slay Eol, despite the former's wish to do so? It seems almost the kinslaying has horrified the Noldor to the point where to kill another elf has become virtually forbidden by custom and law. Do you agree? Nevertheless, In Gondolin, events run inevitably to a dreadful conclusion? Does everyone get wehat they deserve, or does Turgon condemn everyone with his stubbornness? Above all, what is this story telling us? These are just a few of the things we'll discuss this weekend on Sunday February 12 at 2.00pm EST in The Hall of Fire. Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help. America: Europe: Asia-Pacific Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. Sun Feb 12 -- Silmarillion Chapter 16 If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
This weekend, Hall of Fire finally resumes its Silmarillion chats with chapter 16 -- Of Maeglin. We'll explore the tragic tale of Aredhel and Eol, exploring what spurred the White Lady of Gondolin to leave the hidden city and how it set in train a trail of events that leads right up the sacking of Gondolin itself.
Time zone conversions
2.00pm EST (New York)
1.00pm CST (Chicago)
12.00 midday MST (Salt Lake City)
11.00am PST (Los Angeles)
7.00pm GMT (London)
8.00pm CET (Paris)
3.00am (Monday) Perth
5.00am (Monday) Brisbane
6.00am (Monday) Sydney
8.00am (Monday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
Sat Feb 18 -- Silmarillion Chapter 16
Sun Feb 26 -- Middle-earth's greatest hero
Sat Mar 4 -- Middle-earth's greatest hero
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
Join HoF Announce!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 2-10-06 Latest News |
Watch and Chat this Saturday: Those *other* wizards
maegwen @ 5:47 pm EST
Wizards... short creatures... elves... a young lad with a big destiny... Nope, we're not talking about 'Lord of the Rings,' but instead: Harry Potter! Following TORn's wildly successful series of LOTR-Trilogy "watch and chats," we're starting up this weekend with the much-requested Harry Potter series. This Saturday at 5:30 pm EST we will start off with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (that's the Philosopher's stone to everyone but us obviously confused Americans). Following that, "Chamber of Secrets" on 2/18, "Prisoner of Azkaban" on 2/25, and after a short break, "Goblet of Fire" on March 11th, following its release on DVD on 3/7. Join us tomorrow on our IRC server at 5:30 pm EST when we pop our copies of the film into the DVD player. After the usual confusion, at around 5.30pm EST we'll all press play on our individual players and proceed to cheer and jeer (or discuss and argue, if you like!) the finer points of the film. We plan to take a break midway through the film, to allow for stretching of fingers and backs. Barliman will be on hand to serve drinks and snacks (and to enforce the house rules). * * * WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN? Saturday February 11 Time zone conversions: Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help. America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: WHERE? On TORn's IRC server, in the #moviechat channel. After joining the server, type /join #moviechat to get there. If you've never been to TORn's IRC server before, you can join through our java applet and type /join #moviechat once you're signed in. We recommend you visit our FAQ for some guidelines on using our IRC service. Barliman’s is a place for good conversation about JRR Tolkien’s works. We welcome you to our community and ask that you, and all guests, abide by some simple guidelines. Once everyone is in #moviechat and has their DVD ready to go, the ops will moderate the room and have a countdown to "Play." I expect that we will be able to give minute-markers throughout the evening for latecomers. A break will be taken midway through -- the exact point will be announced in the topic. * * * That's all, folks! See you this weekend!
5.30pm EST (New York)
4.30pm CST (Chicago)
3.30pm MST (Salt Lake City)
2.30pm PST (Los Angeles)
10.30pm GMT (London)
11.30pm CET (Paris)
6.30am AWST (Sunday 11th) Perth
8.30am AEST (Sunday 11th) Brisbane
9.30am AEDT (Sunday 11th) Sydney
11.30am NZDT (Sunday 11th) Wellington
HOW?
| 2-07-06 Latest News |
Wisconsin Lutheran College Tolkien Lecture
Xoanon @ 12:59 pm EST
Altaira writes: Mike Foster, one of our ORC scholars passed this on to me to put on the front page: Baylor University Professor Ralph Wood to give lecture on J.R.R. Tolkien at Wisconsin Lutheran College MILWAUKEE – Baylor University Professor Ralph Wood presents "J.R.R. Tolkien: Writer for Our Time of Terror" on Friday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Studio Theatre at Wisconsin Lutheran College. The lecture is free and open to the public. The theatre is located in the college's Center for Arts and Performance at 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave. For more information regarding this event, contact Dr. Peter Fraser at (414) 443-8792. "It's a dangerous business going out of your door," says Bilbo Baggins (of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings). "You step into the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." On September 11, 2001, more than three thousand Americans were swept to their deaths as a result of terrorist attacks. With uncanny prescience Tolkien predicted that ours would be a time of terror, evil striking us both from within and without. This lecture will be devoted to the naming of that terror, on the one hand, but also to identifying the hope which can enable us to live without panic and in the face of it. Wood holds a Ph.D. from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. In 1998, he was appointed as an interdisciplinary university professor of theology and literature, teaching in the departments of religion and English as well as the Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Wood serves as editor-at-large for the Christian Century and as a member of the editorial board for the Flannery O'Connor Review. His Tolkien related works include The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth . Wisconsin Lutheran College is a liberal arts college located on the west side of Milwaukee.
| 2-05-06 Latest News |
First LOTR Musical Review!
Xoanon @ 5:37 pm EST
Vincent writes: Well I just saw the premiere THE LORD OF THE RING musical in Toronto. I must say it was quite the project to undertake given the amount of material and story depth. Overall I must say I was quite impressed with the way that it was portrayed. Most of the actors did an admirable job especially those of the Hobbits. However gandalf, being an immensely important character did not posses enough presence needed to pull the whole thing together. The voice was just to soft and weak, and delivery of lines were rushed and unemotional. It is in my opinion that this was the weakest part of the production. There were a few technical glitches that I am sure they will overcome with time. the stage itself was a round turntable like with many moving pieces which allowed to raise different parts to various levels creating a dynamically changing terrain and allowed quick set changes. the music was incredible and memorable and sure to become a classic indeed. I highly recommend any and every tolkien fan to watch this production....it was unlike reading or watching middle earth it was like being there!!!
| 2-02-06 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend -- Frodo And Sam
Demosthenes @ 6:57 am EST
These are just a few of the things we'll discuss this weekend on Saturday February 4 at 5.30pm EST in The Hall of Fire. Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help. America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. Sat Feb 4 -- Frodo and Sam If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
Following our highly successful detour into Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, this weekend Hall of Fire will explore the relationship between Frodo and Sam. Was it ever a relationship of master and servant, or was it more one of close friendship from the very start? How does it evolve over the course of the Quest? Where do we see Frodo the leader?; where do we see Sam the leader?
Who was the more virtuous, Sam or Frodo? Why do you believe so? Who was the stronger, braver, wiser, kinder of the pair, and who contributed the most to the success of the Quest? Who had the more faults? And who was the better leader? After all, Samwise Gamgee went on to become the mayor of the Shire for a very long time. Perhaps it should have been Sam who carried the One Ring?
Time zone conversions
5.30pm EST (New York)
4.30pm CST (Chicago)
3.30pm MST (Salt Lake City)
2.30pm PST (Los Angeles)
10.30pm GMT (London)
11.30pm CET (Paris)
6.30am AWST (Monday 13th) Perth
8.30am AEST (Monday 13th) Brisbane
9.30am AEDT (Monday 13th) Sydney
11.30am NZDT (Monday 13th) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
Sun Feb 12 -- Silmarillion Chapter 16
Sat Feb 18 -- Silmarillion Chapter 16
Sun Feb 26 -- Middle-earth's greatest hero
Sat Mar 4 -- Middle-earth's greatest hero
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
Join HoF Announce!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 2-01-06 Latest News |
Lord of the Rings Symphony: Germany
Xoanon @ 6:52 pm EST
The award winning Lord of the Rings Symphony sounds in Germany The music, the impressions and the entire performance let the characters and the images of the film-trilogy become alive in the people's minds.
On this years May 28th. the Lord of the Rings Symphony is going to sound in the Kölnarena in Cologne, Germany. This is the opportunity for everyone who would like to experience the musical masterpiece of Howard Shore live. This extraordinary concert event provides a wonderful arrangement of the soundtracks from the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's a symphonical journey through the fantastic world of Tolkien's phantasy-novels.
The music that is going to be performed that night is, besides being the oscar award winning Soundtrack of Howard Shoe, what the Fan community calls the "musical ring" of the 21st century.
The "Lord of the Rings-Symphony" takes the guests away on a musical trip to middle-earth. The audience will experience a fantastic live concert featuring an impressive mulit-media presentation of the original illustrations and sotryboards by the artists Alan Lee and John Howe.
The world-famous film music, for which Howard Shore received a Grammy and an Oscar, will be played by the "Neue Philharmonie Westfalen" conducted by Markus Huber, who has done it already several times in numerous cities around the world. The sound of the orchestra will gleam the Kölnarena as well as the voices of the two choires "KölnChor" and "Rheinischer Kammerchor" will. In addition to that the Kölnarena is proud to welcome some well known soloists as well.
This concert event comes to Germany in May 2006! It's a must see for every single member of the Tolkien-Community. [More]