Full Radio City Site Now Live

Although additional content will be coming (including the book cover), the full Radio City LOTR site is now running and ready for your perusal!

I've Lost My S

No, this update doesn't really warrant its own post, I just couldn't resist the obvious title. Thought you'd like to know that The Rarities have suffered their first (and seemingly only) cut. The album is know known as The Rarities Archive... not Archives.

Looks like that locked cover is going to have to be unlocked once again while we de-S it. Details, details...

More later.

Finals Week

UPDATE 7/17: Up. At 'em. Good things soon.

UPDATE #2 7/16: I've done more Twittering than posting today. But I think we'll be having some fun around these parts tomorrow. Should be a good day, in fact. See you then!

UPDATE 7/16: And we're back to the waiting game. That--plus too much coffee--makes me an edgy fellow, I'm afraid. Impatience and caffeine, a deadly combination.

Hoping to hear from the Rarities mastering sessions soon.

UPDATE 7/15 #2: Currently on the desktop, for those inclined to wonder:

Eight DVDs of LOTR artwork

Seven Drafts of The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films... in one editorial state or another

Six-hundred gigs of LOTR-based video and audio, including The Rarities and commentary

Five pages of newly engraved musical examples from this morning, beginning with "Bilbo's Song"

Four external hard drives backing up LOTR files!

Three Post-it Notes

-Annie in Legacy Section

-Galway Song on DA102 #28

-Rewrite "Gwenwin" Listing

Two red pens, as seen here

One copy of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth... always good to think ahead :)

UPDATE 7/15: It's looking more and more like "Finals Week" is going to become "Finals Weeks," plural, as there will still be a few items to address after this weekend. I'd rather get everything into place sooner, I suppose, though I certainly won't mind the slightly more relaxed schedule.

The big new today, however, is that The Rarities disc is being mastered as I type this, and will likely be finished some time tomorrow!

UPDATE 7/14: I won't go into specifics out of respect for privacy, but I've just been informed that our chief layout artist experienced a very sad family tragedy over the weekend. If you could all please keep Matt and his family in your thoughts, I'm sure it would mean a lot. Thanks, everyone.

UPDATE #2 7/13: Today was, surprisingly, a bit of a no show. Everyone was so busy digesting the work I sent out over the weekend that I just ended up standing around and watching while they all toiled away. Vaulting ambition which o'er leaps itself, indeed! So to amuse myself in the unexpected downtime, I added a new link in the right sidebar's Amazon lineup. Take a look at the very bottom of the list, and click on Geoffrey Keezer's version of "Gollum's Song." If you ever felt that Gollum could use a velvety suave makeover, this could be for you! Actually, it's very well done. I'm listening right now with a smile wrapped around my face. The perfect end to a strangely calm day. Back in the saddle tomorrow. See you then!

UPDATE 7/13: Enjoying a rousing bout of Hurry Up and Wait as everyone sorts through the files I sent this weekend.

*****

This is going to be quite a week.

The second draft proofing notes are now into the publishers, who will begin tweaking everything tomorrow morning. I'm beyond thrilled with this draft; it's looking absolutely beautiful. They've nailed that elegant handmade quality that we've been aiming for. I can't wait to introduce you al to the team that has put this together, but all things in due time.

On either Wednesday or Thursday, The Rarities Archives will be mastered. After that, the wild ride begins in earnest as we scramble to integrate the disc's details into the book's text, re-proof, and deliver a final product to the printers.

I'm nervous, excited, jittery and worn-out. But if everything goes according to plan, we should have a finished product around this time next week.

Check in often! I promise I'll do my best to keep everyone updated. Fingers crossed!

Kraków in Retrospect

This popped up online recently, and though the beautiful Kraków Film Music Festival is a now few months behind us, the article offers a fine overview of the event. For your reading pleasure I offer two language options: Polish and Gobbeldy-English, courtesy of Google's well-meaning auto translator.

And if you're not in a reading mood, you can at least enjoy a couple of really goofy-looking of me, including my public service announcement alerting kids to the dangers of locking eyes with Sauron, and my impromptu audition for the last season of The Sopranos. See below...

Second Draft (part 2)

UPDATE 7/11: Another day trip yesterday meant most business was handled over the phone. However, if you follow the Twitter feed, you'll have already noted that the book's front and back covers are now finalized and locked! You should be seeing them soon... most likely on the Radio City site, whenever it makes its long-delayed appearance online.

The Mountain

Mountain Climbers

UPDATE 7/9: Coffee in hand, and back at it! Checking cor anglais throughout the document. We're down to this sort of minutiae now, and though it's mind-numbing, it's a sure sign that we're almost there. This is the first draft where I've picked it up and felt like "Wow, this is actually a book!" Maybe it's seeing the last name on the spine in golden lettering. Pretty cool!

UPDATE 7/8: Back at the grindstone... though slightly more car-lagged than planned. Working through the text again. Expect updates tomorrow. Goodnight, friends!

UPDATE 7/7: Out of town until 7/7. Keep your eyes on Twitter until my return.

UPDATE #2 7/6 (pm): Don't let anyone tell you otherwise -- proofreading Old English is a chore!

UPDATE 7/6 (pm): Proofreading central -- Getting an early start!

7/6 (am): The second draft is in, and looking good!

Watch this space throughout the week.

Bold Fan

Some of the fans sneaking recorders into live performances are braver than others. May I present the current leader (thanks, again, to Alex for this one):

Second Draft

Relocated here.

Italian Eagles and the Week Ahead

Here's one more video from the Italian LOTR Symphony performances, this one from a different vantage point. Thanks again go to Roberto!



Those of you following the Twitter feed or Facebook page (this is getting too diverse!) have seen that the second draft of the book layout is due in from Los Angeles today. I'll be on a 24 hour sabbatical running from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, during which I'll start digging through the revised text. If my phone service cooperates, I'll keep you updated via Twitter/Facebook. I'll be back on the blog proper Wednesday night.

So "once more unto the breach!" and all that.

Moria in Rome!

Bring up the links on right to see much, much more.

¡Gracias, Alex!

Il ritorno di Maurizio

Our friend Maurizio, who was very involved in last week's Rome performances, checks back in with a collection of memories and impressions.

The Rome picture slideshow has been updated as well, and now resides below Maurizio's words.

*****

After one week from the Rome LOTR Symphony premiere, I have some time to share my thoughts and feelings about this amazing experience. It's been quite two wonderful days for me: I had the honour and privilege to meet and know the amazing Howard Shore, as me and my fellow colleagues of ColonneSonore.net were involved by the Santa Cecilia staff in setting up the Pre-Concert Talk on Friday 26th.

The Pre-Concert Talk was held at "La Serra", a sort of greenhouse located in front of the Auditorium Parco della Musica, where the concerts were performed. Me and my friend Giuliano introduced Howard Shore with some brief biographical notes and a short overview of the LOTR scores. Then Howard entered the stage and he was greeted with a passionate applause. The talk was centered around his experience in the LOTR films and the unique approach he brought to the scoring of these films. He underlined the importance of the Tolkien books and the unique relationship he had with the filmmakers. After answering to some questions from the audience, Howard left the stage accompained by another heartfelt applause and then people started going into the Auditorium to attend the concert.

Both performances were GREAT. The Santa Cecilia Orchestra & Chorus were impeccable. All the musicians gave their best on both nights. I was particularly impressed by the brass section--especially trumpets, which had a fantastic, pure sound. Howard was really enjoying himself on the podium. On Friday night the hall was even more packed than the night before and the audience was much more involved. They gave TWO standing ovations!

Also on Friday, Howard did a post-concert CD signing session. The line was huge, there were at least 300 persons who patiently waited to meet and greet with Howard. Although much tired after the performance, Howard stayed until 1am to sign stuff, always happy to shake hands and greet fans.

Hearing the LOTR music performed live by more than 200 musicians is an unparalled experience. This is the kind of music which really trascend to another dimension when listened to live on stage. I was genuinely moved and excited by the experience of hearing the beautiful symphonic architecture Howard Shore produced. The Symphony is a fantastic piece, a beautiful sum-up of the best moments of the Trilogy.

I'm grateful Howard came to Italy to perform the Symphony. It was a long overdue event for Italian fans of both the Lord of the Rings films and Howard Shore. And I felt honoured and privileged in giving my own very little contribution to these wonderful nights.

Now, I'm very much tempted to fly to NY next October for the Radio City Music Hall performance of FOTR Live to Projection... :)

Read more here:

Roberto's Review

Sabsi's Review

Sabsi's Pictures

Ongoing Discussion Thread [July, 2009]

The 100 Days post a few days back really got me. This is all so close to being a reality now. But I felt kind of silly at the same time. If I want evidence of this project's progress, I really don't need to look at anything other than the next couple of weeks! Point in case, look at what all needs to be accomplished in July:

Copyedit Review

Scheduled for today, in fact. Meeting with publishers, including the project coordinator and the layout artist. I fully expect to be yelled at a few times, but I'll roll with it. (I request a lot of edits.) Once the review is done, work will commence and pages will be delivered in bunches. I fully expect we'll see one more week of late night scrambling, complete with hastily scrawled blog updates. Those of you who enjoyed that energy a few weeks back, prepare yourself for one more go at it. Those of you who found it unreadable... well, consider yourselves forewarned!

Corporate Entanglements

Still trying to get the various companies involved to see eye-to-eye. It's not that we haven't etched out temporary agreements to cooperate at this stage, it's the terms of those agreements that need to be settled. Happily, I think we're about to throw one more corporation into the mix, this one a familiar and most-welcome face! You'll see.

Rarities Mastering

As mentioned in a recent Twitter post, The Rarities are scheduled for mastering approximately two weeks from now. This has been an interesting decision-making process. Like so much else on this project, there's no real precedent for The Rarities Archives. Sure, I know we've seen CDs that feature glimpses into the making of Project X or Project Y, but not quite like this one. (That doesn't mean that we're trying anything wildly conceptual here -- I don't think -- just that everything has its own specific energy.) A lot of discussion went into the audio quality of TRA. When we knowingly duck behind the scenes, what audio quality seems natural? How clean should it be? Is there a certain aesthetic charm to a degree of imperfection?

Once again, it was the music itself that led us. Even as a collection of conceptual and unused audio, the music is of such fine quality it needs to be presented in the highest fidelity available. Nothing else feels genuine. So TRA will be mastered by the same exacting standards that were applied to all the music of The Lord of the Rings. And I couldn't be happier! It's now something that's essentially educational in nature, but that functions, in every way possible, as another album of Shore's amazing LOTR music. The last of its kind, in fact -- the final LOTR album! How's that for an excitement-generator?

Final Track Selections

But TRA won't end with the mastering. As soon as the tech end of things is done, some final decisions need to be made regarding track selections. What will play best on this educational collection/album? In all honesty, the selections are 99% made at this point. But there are a couple A/B choices left to be determined. These are incredibly important for the book however, because the text needs to reflect the track selections properly. So that leads to...

Text Lock

There will be a few tense hours following the mastering process. In short order, the track selections must be made, the CD credits must be assembled and locked, this information needs to be ported over to the book, laid-out, and delivered to the printers. All within a few hours. Yes, really! Now there's no reason that this should be a smooth flow of information, but believe me, we'll all be watching our phone and internet connections intently that day, slightly paranoid that technology will betray us at the last second!

Etcetera

Of course, it won't all end there. There will still be packaging and artwork decisions to make regarding The Rarities. Some of these we've already begun considering, but we won't have to make final calls until further down the line. And of course, I continue to hear tell of some hand numbering and autographing that will require attention in the coming weeks. Should that pan out, more time will be dedicated.

With signings being booked, Radio City planning continuing, press releases and pre-orders planned, I fully expect to be engaged by this project until you're picking up your copy in a few months! Or at least until our freshly double-digit deadline enters the single-digit realm. So believe me, when you see a post announcing there are only nine days left, you'll know I'm somewhere really sweating! But if you'll stick with me, I can practically guarantee a ride like none other!

Welcome, July. And here we go...

Two more magnets to go before all nine are available at once. Radio City badges coming soon! Click here to order.