The staging of Two Towers at Radio City Music Hall was a celebration of storytelling, cinematography, and music. Tolkien’s classic follows the last battle for Middle Earth, which will either result in men being free and flourishing or being extinguished by Sauron, an evil that never dies, sleeps or forgives. All hope lies in the hands of a young Hobbit, a kind creature akin to humans, who, by a twist of fate, suddenly finds himself in the middle of an ancient war between the forces of good and evil. Two Towers is the second of three epoch episodes, comprising The Lord of The Rings trilogy.
While the tale itself is a beautiful work of fiction, there is a very real, true life undertone to it: continuing on your path even after there is no longer any hope of succeeding. In many ways, it is a story of a simple little person who does the impossible for the greater good. The music of Howard Shore is dark and brooding, yet uplifting and hopeful, which follows the theme flawlessly, supplementing the narrative and visual conflict with auditory drama: the good is faltering, the evil is strong and gaining power, but one must never give up while there is still hope.
The Radio City Music Hall was designed and built to host and present things that are larger than life—and The Two Towers, the masterpiece of cinematography art, is no exception. The presentation is intense and inspiring, and even though there was hardly a person in the audience who didn’t know the story, all re-lived the experience once again. It was the magic of the music that made it so vivid and powerful, and of course, it was the magic of those who created the music.
The 21st Century Orchestra based in Lucerne, Switzerland, under the director Ludwig Wicki, has been performing film-based concerts worldwide for 10 years—to international acclaim. The orchestra was joined by the New York City based Dessoff Symphonic Choir and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. United under conductor Ludwig Wicki’s confident hand, the three highly talented groups created a remarkably memorable evening. Their performance of Howard Shore’s creation for The Two Towers showed a deep understanding and respect of the music’s place in film, story and characters. As the cinematographic sound effects were overshadowed by the potent cataract of violins, cellos and drums, the symphony was permitted to be heard in its fullest, dominating the space and leading the way. None of the notes were lost to the clash of the swords or shouting of the Orcs, yet when a character we knew and loved died, the music followed him into the next world and the chorus voices cried and mourned the loss, to a heart wrenching effect.
Truly unforgettable was the voice of the soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, who has performed with over 25 orchestras world wide in her unique role as the voice artist giving life to the song, “Into the West.” As Arwen prepares to forsake her true love, Aragorn, and abandon Middle Earth to sail to the Elven lands across the sea, Lusk’s haunting voice pierced the atmosphere with Arwen’s agony and the pain of the Elves as they prepare to leave the dying Middle Earth.
The Two Towers presentation at the Radio City Music hall was a truly spectacular evening. The symphony of voices and instruments blended into a musical adventure equal in power and grandeur to the Tolkien’s story. We may have read the books, we may have seen the movie a dozen times, but with the 21st Century Orchestra, Dessoff Symphonic Choir, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, we absolutely live it. It is an experience like no other.
