Howard Shore – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King – The Complete Recordings (2018) [FLAC 24bit/44,1kHz]

Howard Shore – The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King – The Complete Recordings (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 03:49:02 minutes | 2,28 GB | Genre: Soundtrack
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Rhino – Warner Bros.

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:
01. Roots and Beginnings (6:31)
02. Journey to the Cross-roads (2:17)
03. The Road to Isengard (2:18)
04. The Foot of Orthanc (4:45)
05. Return to Edoras (1:51)
06. The Chalice Passed (1:51)
07. The Green Dragon (0:34)
08. Gollum’s Villainy (2:10)
09. Éowyn’s Dream (1:25)
10. The Palantír (3:10)
11. Flight from Edoras (2:19)
12. The Grace of Undómiel (6:21)
13. The Eyes of the White Tower (4:33)
14. A Coronal of Silver and Gold (8:27)
15. The Lighting of the Beacons (9:04)
16. Osgiliath Invaded (8:47)
17. The Stairs of Cirith Ungol (2:41)
18. Allegiance to Denethor (3:20)
19. The Sacrifice of Faramir (feat. “The Edge of Night”) (4:09)
20. The Parting of Sam and Frodo (4:04)
21. Marshalling at Dunharrow (4:57)
22. Andúril – Flame of the West (3:27)
23. The Passing of the Grey Company (4:11)
24. Dwimorberg – The Haunted Mountain (2:26)
25. Master Meriadoc, Swordthain (1:40)
26. The Paths of the Dead (6:22)
27. The Siege of Gondor (9:01)
28. Shelob’s Lair (8:54)
29. Merry’s Simple Courage (1:59)
30. Grond – The Hammer of the Underworld (1:32)
31. Shelob the Great (5:13)
32. The Tomb of the Stewards (3:58)
33. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields (4:10)
34. The Pyre of Denethor (3:00)
35. The Mûmakil (0:57)
36. Dernhelm in Battle (2:06)
37. “A Far Green Country” (1:28)
38. Shieldmaiden of Rohan (5:07)
39. The Passing of Théoden (2:16)
40. The Houses of Healing (2:58)
41. The Tower of Cirith Ungol (4:41)
42. The Last Debate (feat. “Asëa Aranion”) (4:21)
43. The Land of Shadow (6:30)
44. The Mouth of Sauron (8:15)
45. “For Frodo” (3:17)
46. Mount Doom (4:09)
47. The Crack of Doom (4:02)
48. The Eagles (2:23)
49. The Fellowship Reunited (12:18)
50. The Journey to the Grey Havens (7:34)
51. Elanor (1:28)
52. Days of the Ring (feat. “Into the West”) (11:10)
53. Bilbo’s Song (2:59)