Doug Adams' Foreword
Howard Shore and Doug Adams in Conversation
Early in The Two Towers, after the Fellowship has fallen to pieces, its heroes either lost or fallen, J.R.R. Tolkien succinctly notes, "Dusk deepened." It is often argued that the central chapter of The Lord of the Rings is its darkest. But while strife and battle are unquestionably a crucial part of the story, this is also the chapter in which the expanse and wonderment of Middle-earth's cultures and history are fully revealed.
It was the summer of 2002 when I first spoke with Howard Shore about his early ideas for The Two Towers. And it was at that point that I fully understood his musical vision of Middle-earth. Fellowship had established the world's principal cultures, but The Two Towers would expose their relationships by bringing them together in interweaving musical combinations. Shore's new themes for Gollum, Treebeard and the Ents, Éowyn and the Rohirrim would entwine with expanded versions of the music for the Shire, Rivendell, and Lothlórien. The ever-malicious music of Mordor and Isengard would aggressively worm inside other themes and corrupt them from within. And of course, the music of the One Ring would continue to lord over all with a calculating placidity that likewise forges dangerous connections to other themes. This would be musical storytelling at it most complex. If Fellowship had set in motion the story's broadening scope, then The Two Towers would "deepen" its foundation. Yes, there would be dark times, but also great excitement, whimsy, and the passionate warmth of a new dawn glowing just over the horizon.
Once again, I'm thrilled to be able experience this beautiful music live in concert at Radio City Music Hall. This year is particularly exciting for me because it will also mark the release of our long-expected book, The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, and its companion CD, The Lord of the Rings: The Rarities Archive. The book and CD will be released in the U.S. starting October 5, and will be available for purchase at the Radio City concerts on October 8 and 9. (You can learn more at www.musicoflotr.com.) Howard Shore and I will also be appearing for a discussion and book signing at Barnes and Noble (1972 Broadway, New York, NY) on Thursday, October 7.
I hope that you will join us once again for these history-making performances. See you there!