As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with ...
Elegant and eloquent, Howard Shore's score for The Return of the King shies away from excessive epic bombast. The composer weaves into the fabric familiar leitmotifs from the earlier two scores--such as the heroic "Fellowship" theme and the stirring "Rohan" theme--but now they are presented with a reflective sense of finality. Shore's distinctive orchestral palette for the trilogy ...
Given that it's largely credited with reinventing Hollywood--or at least fostering its overweening box office expectations--it's hard to imagine that the genesis of George Lucas' sprawling, multi-billion dollar Star Wars franchise was once considered a risky studio proposition at best. But Lucas himself has wisely singled out the robust, retro-romantic music of composer John Williams as ...
Score composer Howard Shore has informed this first instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy with his distinctly modern sensibilities. Revolving loosely around a brief, heroic brass theme, the composer has infused this epic with a powerful rhythmic thrust and a musical range that encompasses centuries (from the Renaissance pastoralism of "Concerning Hobbits" to the fiery, ...