Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shoreis a Canadian composer who is notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. He won three Academy Awards for his work on the first trilogy, with one being for the original song "Into the West", an award he shared with Eurythmics lead vocalist Annie Lennox and Writer/Producer Fran Walsh, who wrote the lyrics. He is also...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth18 October 1946
CityToronto, Canada
CountryCanada
All of the silent films had live music accompaniment, so it's actually a very rich period in music.
When you're working on a film, it's intense and it's very all-consuming. There's not something in particular.
I like to do a lot of research on all of the films I work on. So, I like to read a lot. That's always an interesting part of it with me.
Film music really is about point of view and you can shift it wherever you want really depending on how you look at it.
Theater and film are essentially the same - just different kinds of storytelling.
I had great inspiration from a Japanese composer named Toru Takemitsu. He wrote over 90 film scores and a lot of concert music, a lot of classical music, and he gave me a lot of inspiration, as well as composers from other countries.
The art of making films is a collaborative art. As a composer, you're always working with the cinematographer because he's so much the heart of the world they've created on film.
I live in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. and spend time in the West Village, where my wife Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer-producer and documentary filmmaker, has an office.
The music for 'The Departed' could have been played by an orchestra, but you make a decision about orchestration based on the context of the film. You want the music to broaden the scope of a film, not just repeat what you're seeing.
The sarangi, the ney flute are pretty ancient instruments.
I'm interested in good collaborations and in working with directors who bring something new and interesting out of you.
I love working with an orchestra, but there are many ways to make music.
I actually like the collaboration of working with different artists.
'Hugo' is made in the classical style of the 1940s.