City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra - The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings: Film Music Collection [2LP]

Middle-earth comes home on this 2LP set from The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, gathering music from all six of Peter Jackson's Tolkien films across four sides.

Rather than the original soundtrack albums, these are fresh orchestral performances of the music, drawn largely from Howard Shore's sweeping scores and recorded by an ensemble that has made film music its speciality. The first record covers The Hobbit trilogy and the second turns to The Lord of the Rings, so the set runs in the order the story unfolds rather than the order the films were made.

"Misty Mountains" rumbles with the low, dwarvish gravity of Thorin's company, and "I See Fire" revisits the ballad that closed The Desolation of Smaug. On the second disc, "Concerning Hobbits" brings back that lilting Shire melody, while "Into the West" carries the saga to its tearful, glowing close.

Brass fanfares, choral swells and delicate solo passages are all handled with real care, and the double vinyl format gives the biggest moments room to bloom. Hearing the themes side by side also shows how cleverly the music links the two trilogies, with familiar motifs returning in new colours.

For Tolkien devotees and film score collectors, it is a handsome way to revisit the Shire without committing to a full film marathon.