The Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore. Photo / Getty
The Lord of the Rings composer Howard Shore. Photo / Getty
The Hollywood composer behind the music of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies has warned fans not to attend unauthorised concerts featuring his music, including an upcoming show in Auckland.
Howard Shore posted on his website that a series of Lord of the Rings concerts produced by Star Entertainment GmbH – which is putting on a concertnext month at Auckland Town Hall – were, in his opinion, sub-standard.
Shore, who won three Oscars for his work on Sir Peter Jackson’s acclaimed movies, was moved to speak out against the promoter after its recent shows in the UK and Ireland were allegedly criticised by audiences for their poor musicianship.
A message posted on Shore’s official website earlier this month warned fans that the concerts were nothing to do with the composer and that there was a “lawsuit in process to have the concerts stopped”.
“The music that is being played is assembled from unauthorised bootleg arrangements and not at the standard of quality insisted upon by Howard Shore,” the post alleged.
“The wonderful fans of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films deserve better than these sub-par productions.”
Tickets for the two-hour-long The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit – The Concert at Auckland Town Hall on May 13 range from $89.90 to $139.90.
“Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s magnificent films and bring to life the legendary world of hobbits, elves and orcs in a unique concert experience with a symphonic orchestra, choir and star guests,” says the concert description.
“From the ominous sounds of Mordor and the shrill attack of the black riders, to the beautiful lyrical melodies of the elves - almost 100 performers will take you on a fantastic journey with the most popular tunes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
“Featuring The Orchestra & Choir of the Shire, plus guests from the films.”
Star Entertainment GmbH’s website lists several stars of the films, including Kiwi actors Jed Brophy and William Kircher, as being among those who are set to make appearances at the concerts.
Composer Howard Shore and director Peter Jackson. Photo / Getty
The company’s CEO, Jaka Bizilj, has worked with Love Actually director and Blackadder writer Richard Curtis on two film projects in the past and, according to the Guardian, has teamed with Bob Geldolf on a movie charity project.
The Herald reached out to Star Entertainment GmbH for comment but has yet to hear back. A spokesperson for Auckland Live, which manages events at Auckland Town Hall, told the Herald it was not aware of the lawsuit and criticisms directed towards Star Entertainment.
“We have received no official communication regarding this situation. We are unclear as to whether the complaints made in the UK relate to the specific touring party that will be presented in venues across Australia and New Zealand, however, we will follow up with the promoter as to how the AU/NZ touring production relates to the issue raised.
“While it is the responsibility of the promoter to address any feedback within their campaign, ultimately, the quality of any production, concert or musicianship is subjective and can vary depending on individual preferences and opinions.”
The spokesperson said that Auckland Live stipulated that it was the responsibility of promoters hiring Auckland Town Hall “to obtain all clearances, authorisations, licences, and any other rights required to put on their events”.
A recent performance of Star Entertainment’s Lord of the Rings concert in Dublin was heavily criticised by attendees as misleading and shoddy.
A report published in the Journal quoted a concert-goer as saying that the show had started late and “there were only around 25 musicians on stage, rather than a full orchestra of between 80 and 100 people”.
“It sounded like there was a backing track that played on at the end before someone stopped playing, like the orchestra were trying to keep up with the backing track, because there [weren’t] nearly enough people to make up for what should be the full film score,” concert-goer Stephen Byrne told the Journal.
Another show in Portsmouth, UK, had to draft in performers last-minute due to visa issues with the touring orchestra.
Film music concerts are big business. Recent live-to-screen performances in Auckland include music from the Harry Potter and Star Wars movies. The Lord of the Rings live-to-screen concerts which are authorised by Shore are typically sold-out.
