Description
With this release of the "musical chapters from The Hobbit" Volante Opera Productions and Prima Facie recordings finally make available the remaining segment of Paul Corfield Godfrey's cycle of works based on the mythology of J R R Tolkien, to complement their earlier releases of "epic scenes from The Silmarillion" and "musical chapters from The Lord of the Rings." The music for The Hobbit was originally written in the early 1970s to form part of a projected cycle of musical works based upon The Lord of the Rings, but has now been revised and adapted to form a link between the two other substantial works. The recording extends over four full CDs and includes an appendix in the shape of a setting of The Quest of Erebor, an additional chapter looking back at the events of The Hobbit from the perspective of a later generation in Tolkien's history. This recording, as with previous works in the cycle, features professional singers drawn mainly from Welsh National Opera. Returning artists in the same roles as earlier releases include Huw Llywelyn as Bilbo, Philip Lloyd-Evans as Gandalf, James Schouten as Elrond, Michael Clifton-Thompson as Gollum, Gavin Davies as Gloin, Simon Crosby Buttle as Frodo (The Quest of Erebor) and other roles. Although the text is inevitably abridged, it adheres without any but the most minor alterations to the author's original words, and the original plot development remains unchanged. The issue includes not only the complete musical score, but also a substantial booklet containing full details of the recording (including the text as set). As with the earlier issues of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings the cover art has been furnished by Ted Nasmith.
