Dreamy musical trip to lands of fairies, orks and kind-hearted souls with Howard Shore
The dreamy, award-winning score of the epic fantasy blockbuster «Lord of the Rings» trilogy, penned by Howard Shore, is taking over the stage at the Herod Atticus Theater this evening in an grandiose production that brings together some 350 artists, including soloist Sissel Kyrkjebo, a top-selling act in her native Norway who has performed at the opening ceremonies of two winter Olympic Games. Conductor Markus Huber – whose operatic repertoire includes over 50 titles, among them principal stage works of Verdi, Puccini, Strauss, Mozart and Donizetti – will lead the Greek State Radio and Television (ERT) National Symphony Orchestra and a range of choirs in the «The Lord of the Rings Symphony.» The piece was first performed in New Zealand in 2003 for the premiere of the last film of the trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. The trilogy’s first episode, «The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,» earned Shore his first Oscar nomination and win. Shore composed the music for the trilogy’s second and third parts concurrently, gathering another two Oscars for the third part in the best music and original score categories. Following his massive success with the trilogy, Shore composed the music for two thrillers, David Fincher’s «Panic Room» and David Cronenberg «Spider,» as well as Martin Scorsese’s epic «Gangs of New York.» The diverse and prolific output of Shore can be seen with a quick glance at some of the older films for which he has written music: «Seven,» «Dead Ringers,» «The Silence of the Lambs,» «Philadelphia,» «eXistenZ,» «Before and After,» «Mrs Doubtfire,» «Naked Lunch,» «The Fly» and «After Hours.» Tickets from the Athens Festival box office (39 Panepistimiou, tel 210.928.2900) or from the theater itself.
