7-03-06 Latest News

LOTR Opera Review
Xoanon @ 9:05 pm EST

Lesley writes: On July 1st, I attended what is, I suspect, a mostly unknown and unheralded opera called Leithian, the tale of Beren and Lúthien. It was held at the Liederkranz Hall, a small venue near Central Park on E. 87th in New York City. The composer and Metropolitan Opera singer, Adam Klein, also performed the lead role of Beren. Approximately 20 musicians and singers contributed, some singers trading off to play instruments from time to time.

Only the first half of the opera was presented -- the author's website informs us the complete work is over four hours long, and only certain excerpts of it have ever been performed live.

The evening began with a prologue entitled The Music of the Ainur, from the first chapter of the Silmarillion, featuring narration and an interesting blend of avant-garde piano, organ and the voices of the choir -- Melkor's strident disruptions clearly portrayed. But the real surprise came when Klein began his first solo as Beren wandering in the forest. With rich and ringing vocals, he brought everyone to absolute attention. Other highlights were performances by David Gagnon as Finrod and C. David Morrow as Sauron. Tami Swartz, Klein's fiancée in real life, was a compelling Lúthien in her blue mantle, with long brown hair, a clear voice and a pure gaze, while Klein, with even longer hair, stalked the stage in a tunic and knee-high moccasins.
The story lends itself to opera perfectly -- the guy of lesser origins wants the high-born girl, her parents hate him, they send him on an impossible quest to get rid of him, and then problem after problem ensues, with arias or duets sung at each turn. The first half ended as Lúthien rescues Beren from Sauron's tower and she and Beren are reunited.

The small audience was enthusiastic, and the whole event had a cozy family feel to it. We found out Klein's parents had sold us our tickets, when he announced, "As soon as my parents are seated, we'll begin," and they took their places in the front row. But as informal as the occasion felt, the music was flawlessly performed -- the care and professionalism from everyone was evident.

I would like to see the second half someday, and there is a chance, as Klein called out, "Part 2 next year!" as the applause subsided. [adamcjklein.us]

Tolkien Opera in NYC?
Xoanon @ 8:51 pm EST

World Premiere of LEITHIAN, Part I, to be given in New York

J. R. R. Tolkien Tale Is Set by American Composer

The world premiere of Part I of the opera LEITHIAN, by Adam Klein, will be presented July 1, 2006, 7 PM at Liederkranz Hall, 6 East 87th Street, New York City.

LEITHIAN is based on THE SILMARILLION by J. R. R. Tolkien, “1977 George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd., and is used by permission.

This concert performance will feature Tami Swartz, soprano; Adam Klein, tenor; David Adam Moore, baritone; Dianna Dollman, mezzo-soprano; George Kasarjian, countertenor; and Elizabeth Hastings, music director.

THE SILMARILLION, begun in 1914 and published posthumously by Tolkien's son Christopher, predates THE HOBBIT and its sequel THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which in fact are themselves sequels to this earlier mythic history.

LEITHIAN, or Release from Bondage, takes place in the First Age of Middle-earth, when Sauron was but a captain of an even greater evil being, Morgoth the Black Enemy. (The stories of THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS occur in the Third Age.) It is the heroic tale of how Beren and Lúthien - ancestors of Aragorn, Arwen and Elrond - achieved what the entire Elvish army could not: rescue one of the three Silmarils (luminous jewels made by the great Elf-smith Fëanor) from Morgoth's Crown. It is also the story of the first union between Elf and Man (the last being Arwen and Aragorn).

ASCAP member Adam Klein, who studied composition with John Lessard and Donald Erb, has been a composer since age seven. He began LEITHIAN in 1982 after reading that Tolkien had hoped his stories would be set to music. Completed in 1992, this epic opera (four and one half hours of music plus intermissions) is faithful to its source: the story was not altered and no characters were omitted or conflated. The libretto blends texts by Tolkien and the composer, the former's being too incomplete to draw from exclusively. The concert on July 1 will present the first half of the piece, though like THE LORD OF THE RINGS it was written as one continuous drama.

In addition to LEITHIAN, Mr. Klein has composed a children's opera, GOLDIE LOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, and has written numerous songs. He has also performed in many contemporary operas, most recently AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY at the Metropolitan Opera.

Tickets at the door will be $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.

For further information, call 212-316-1695 or visit adamcjklein.us

Glasgow LOTR Symphony Review
Xoanon @ 7:20 pm EST

Steven writes: I just got back from the LOTR Symphony in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and wanted to share with you my impressions of the evening. The music was presented in 6 movements and ran for around 2 hours. The first part before the interval was devoted to the Fellowship of the Ring, which meant that the movements for the second and third films were squeezed into the last hour, which was a bit of a shame because there’s some great music in those scores. Nonetheless, the music included was played really well.

The highlight of the first half for me was the build up to the fight in Balins’ tomb which, as on the 1 disc CD, runs into ‘The Bridge of Khazad Dum’ – the way the orchestra played the Fellowship theme here was the best I’d heard it played on any of the Fellowship CD’s. Maybe that’s because I heard it live right in front of me or because the music didn’t need to be orchestrated to match onscreen action, I don’t know! The second half highlight was ‘The White Tree’ when the beacons are lit. Other musical highlights for me were hearing the Isengard theme played live, as well as the Amon Hen music.

The first half featured a young soloist from the RSNO Junior chorus, who did really well when it came to his turn to sing. The female soloist – Ann De Renais according to the programme – did a good job in the second half, though I doubt it was easy stepping into the shoes of Annie Lennox for ‘Into The West’ at the end of the final movement! I should mention the work of the Live Visual Artist here also. There was a nice presentation of concept art on a big screen up above the orchestra, but I appreciated the lighting much more (I’ve got all the Art Of.. books anyway!) here. The way if turned green to represent the Shire and the different Elvish locations, but particularly when the light went red during ‘The Bridge Of Khazad Dum’ with artwork of the Balrog being projected.

I could nit-pick (tracks not included, themes absent from certain pieces – man, I waited ages to hear that Isengard theme!) but I won’t. It was only 2 hours after all, and there’s so much music in the LOTR scores that you can’t have everyone’s favourites included. I’ve only talked about what I personally liked. It was an amazing experience to hear some of my favourite movie music brought to life so vibrantly by a live orchestra and choir. Anyone who goes will, like me, not be disappointed!

If the LOTR Symphony is coming to a concert hall near you, get tickets and go see… or should that be hear…. it.

Movie Chat: 'Alien' and 'Aliens' this Sunday!
maegwen @ 10:55 am EST

Movie Chat kicks off the summer schedule with a very special double-feature: 'Alien' and Aliens!' The stirring tale of the crew of the Nostromo, and the further adventures of Ripley have entertained fans for over twenty years. Join us in what is sure to be a lively debate on the styles of Ridley Scott and James Cameron, the virtues and flaws of both films, and a lot of hooting over our favorite lines: "Game over, man!"

TORn's chatroom takes a break from discussing all things Tolkien every other weekend to watch a classic film en masse as their very own MSTK. Join us Sunday at 2:30 pm EST when we'll pop our copies of 'Alien' (theatrical version) into our DVD players. Then, at 5:30 pm EST, we'll continue with 'Aliens' (special edition).

Also, please check out our tentative Summer Schedule below, as voted on by the fine folks in Barliman's chat room. Upcoming featured films include: a double-feature of 'Galaxy Quest,' 'Ghostbusters,' and 'Princess Bride.'About IRC chat]

Date: Sunday, June 25th
Time: 2:30 pm EST
Place: #moviechat on the TORn IRC server.

Time zone conversions

Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.

America:
5.30pm (New York)
4.30pm (Chicago)
3.30pm (Salt Lake City)
2.30pm (Los Angeles)

Europe:
10.30pm GMT (London)
11.30pm CET (Paris)

Asia-Pacific:
6.30am AWST (Sunday) Perth
8.30am AEST (Sunday) Brisbane
9.30am AEDT (Sunday) Sydney
11.30am NZDT (Sunday) Wellington

Where?

Movie Watch happens on #moviechat 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, target="_blank">check out these instructions.

See you all then!

The Summer Schedule
Saturday chats approx. 5:30 p.m. EST / Sunday chats begin approx. 2:30 p.m. EST -- All dates & times are tentative until confirmed
Sunday, June 25: Alien & Aliens
Saturday, July 8: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Saturday, July 22: Ghost Busters
Sunday, July 30: Princess Bride & Shaun Of The Dead
Saturday, August 19: Say Anything
Sunday, August 27th: Galaxy Quest & Memphis Belle
Saturday, Sept. 9: Finding Nemo
Saturday, Sept. 23: Fifth Element

Tolkien Lecture at Belmont University
Xoanon @ 8:44 pm EST

When: Wednesday, June 21, at 6:30pm

Where: Belmont University in Nashville, TN, USA (Massey Business Center 413)

Who: Amy H. Sturgis, Ph.D.

What: The Magic Ring meets The Lord of the Rings. Before Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings was the Baron de la Motte Fouqué's The Magic Ring in 1813. Fouqué's three-volume epic fantasy was immensely popular and influential when it was released. The Magic Ring shares many similar inspirations with Tolkien's work, including the Icelandic Eddas, the Germanic Nibelungenlied, and the medieval interlace structure. Furthermore, The Magic Ring's influence can be traced through William Morris and George MacDonald to Tolkien's very understanding and writing of "fairy-stories." How did this remarkable work become lost to English readers? Why is it important that it has been restored to fantasy readers and Tolkien fans now? Learn about this important "missing link" in the tradition of The One Ring and its literary story across time!

For whom: The public is welcome at no charge

Where to find more information: belmont.edu and valancourtbooks.com

New Study of LOTR Announced
Xoanon @ 9:30 am EST

TolkienBooks.net has published plans for a series of fourteen articles tracing the early publishing history of The Lord of the Rings.

While the process of writing The Lord of the Rings has been described in detail by Christopher Tolkien in the History of Middle-earth series, less is known of the production and early publishing history of the books.

Some of Tolkien’s thoughts and actions are recorded in the selection of his letters that have been published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Wayne Hammond’s Tolkien bibliography includes a fairly detailed chronology of events up to the publication of The Return of the King in October 1955, but there is great deal more information that is not so widely available. This includes Rayner Unwin’s account of his relationship with Tolkien in his book George Allen & Unwin: A Remembrancer, and correspondence held in the Allen & Unwin archive at Reading University.

The articles will cover a variety of aspects of the bibliography of The Lord of the Rings and will, when completed, trace the publishing history from Tolkien’s attempts to secure the publication of both LotR and The Silmarillion in the early 1950s through to the publication of the Second Edition in the mid-1960s. The article titles are:

1. Who will publish this “Monster”?
2. The Early Publishing History of The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Early Publishing History of The Two Towers
4. The Early Publishing History of The Return of the King
5. The First Impression of The Return of the King
6. The First Boxed Edition
7. The Readers Union Edition
8. The First Deluxe Edition
9. Print Run Sizes and Dates
10. A Brief Guide to the Houghton Mifflin Edition
11. The Ace Books Affair
12. The Second Edition
13. The Lord of the Rings – An Illustrated Bibliography
14. The Lord of the Rings – A Bibliography of Boxed Sets

For further details visit An Illustrated Tolkien Bibliography – http://www.tolkienbooks.net/html/lotr-notes.htm

Movie Chat this Saturday: Pirates of the Caribbean
maegwen @ 9:28 pm EST

Movie Chat this weekend features the delectable double bill of Johnny Depp and our very own Orlando Bloom in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl!" Join us Saturday on our IRC server at 5:30 pm EST when we pop our copies of the movie into the DVD player. After the usual confusion 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).

Also, please check out our tentative Summer Schedule below, as voted on by the fine folks in Barliman's chat room. Upcoming featured films include: a double-feature of 'Alien' and 'Aliens,' 'Galaxy Quest,' 'Ghostbusters,' and 'Princess Bride.' [About IRC chat]

Date: Saturday, June 17th
Time: 5:30 pm EST
Place: #moviechat on the TORn IRC server.

Time zone conversions

Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help.

America:
5.30pm (New York)
4.30pm (Chicago)
3.30pm (Salt Lake City)
2.30pm (Los Angeles)

Europe:
10.30pm GMT (London)
11.30pm CET (Paris)

Asia-Pacific:
6.30am AWST (Sunday) Perth
8.30am AEST (Sunday) Brisbane
9.30am AEDT (Sunday) Sydney
11.30am NZDT (Sunday) Wellington

Where?

Movie Watch happens on #moviechat 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.

See you all then!

 The Summer Schedule
Saturday chats approx. 5:30 p.m. EST / Sunday chats begin approx. 2 p.m. EST -- All dates & times are tentative until confirmed

Saturday, June 17: Pirates of the Carribean
Sunday, June 25: Alien & Aliens
Saturday, July 8: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Saturday, July 22: Ghost Busters
Sunday, July 30: Princess Bride & Shaun Of The Dead
Saturday, August 19: Say Anything
Sunday, August 27th: Galaxy Quest & Memphis Belle
Saturday, Sept. 9: Finding Nemo
Saturday, Sept. 23: Fifth Element