Score Round-Up: Howard Shore’s The Hobbit and John Williams’ Lincoln

With the Fall movie season in motion, we have a lot of great-looking flicks to look forward to.  And, with those pics, usually come a few good soundtracks to boot.  Since the season is decidedly more somber in tone as we are served up high profile drama and Oscar fare, there tends to be a bit more sweeping scores, such as these two contenders; THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY by Howard Shore and LINCOLN by John Williams. 

Today, saw the release of the box art and track listing for THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, but sadly no samples.  Here’s the lowdown:

“I have looked forward to returning to the imaginative world of Middle-earth for quite a while,” says Shore. “I read all of the books by Tolkien, including The Hobbit, when I was in my twenties, and his deep love of nature and all things green resonates deeply with me.”

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on WaterTower Music in the United States and Decca Records outside the United States. It will be available on December 11, 2012. The track listings for the 2 CD Standard and 2CD Deluxe versions are as follows (the main difference is packaging and bonus tracks): Click here to preorder!

THE HOBBIT SPECIAL EDITION TRACKLIST   

DISC 1:

1. My Dear Frodo
2. Old Friends (Extended Version)
3. An Unexpected Party (Extended Version)
4. Blunt the Knives performed by The Dwarf Cast
5. Axe or Sword?
6. Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast
7. The Adventure Begins
8. The World is Ahead
9. An Ancient Enemy
10. Radagast the Brown (Extended Version)
11. The Trollshaws
12. Roast Mutton (Extended Version)
13. A Troll-hoard
14. The Hill of Sorcery
15. Warg-scouts

DISC 2:

1. The Hidden Valley
2. Moon Runes (Extended Version)
3. The Defiler
4. The White Council (Extended Version)
5. Over Hill
6. A Thunder Battle
7. Under Hill
8. Riddles in the Dark
9. Brass Buttons
10. Out of the Frying-Pan
11. A Good Omen
12. Song of the Lonely Mountain (Extended Version) performed by Neil Finn
13. Dreaming of Bag End

EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACKS

1. A Very Respectable Hobbit
2. Erebor
3. The Dwarf Lords
4. The Edge of the Wild

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY opens in theaters on December 14, 2012.

LINCOLN is yet another collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and John Williams, the masterful composer of the Star Wars films and every Spielberg film to date.  That’s an impressive resume, no matter how you shake it and LINCOLN is likely to be in the vein of works like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE PATRIOT, and AMISTAD.  Click here to preorder and to hear samples from the score!

LINCOLN
Music Composed and Conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS

01. The People’s House (03:41)
02. The Purpose of the Amendment (03:06)
03. Getting Out the Vote (02:48)
04. The American Process (03:56)
05. The Blue and Grey (02:59)
06. “With Malice Toward None” (01:50)
07. Call to Muster and Battle Cry Of Freedom (02:17)
08. The Southern Delegation and the Dream (04:43)
09. Father and Son (01:42)
10. The Race to the House * (02:41)
11. Equality Under the Law (03:11)
12. Freedom’s Call (06:06)
13. Elegy (02:34)
14. Remembering Willie (01:51)
15. Appomattox, April 9, 1865 (02:36)
16. The Peterson House and Finale (11:00)
17. “With Malice Toward None” (Piano Solo) (01:31)

LINCOLN will open in theaters on November 16, 2012.