Audio / Video

	BBC Radio: The Hobbit
	Hansson, Bo: Lord of the Rings
	Lindh, Pär & Johansson, Björn: Bilbo

Frontcover (129 k)

On the back of the package:

Running time: 240 minutes

J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless and beloved tale is presented in a stunning dramatization that resounds with all the excitement of a theater performance - and all the charm of a vintage radio show. Orginally conceived for BBC broadcast and produced by the world's foremost creators of radio entertainment, this lavish production melds a full cast with stirring music and sound effects to bring this magnificent classic to life.

Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is a peaceful sort who lives in a cozy hole in the Shire, a place where adventures are uncommon - and rather unwanted. So when the wizard Gandalf whisks him away on a treasure-hunting expedition with a troop of rowdy dwarves, he's not entirely thrilled.

Encountering ruthless trolls, beasty orcs, gigantic spiders, and hungry wolves, Bilbo discovers within himself astonishing strength and courage. And at the ultimate confrontation with the fearsome dragon Smaug, the hobbit will brave the dangers of dark and dragon-fire alone and unaided.

Brilliantly conceived to evoke Tolkien's richly imagined Middle-earht, this production features an original score written for Renaissance-era instruments, outstanding ensemble acting by the best performers available to the BBC, and innovative sound techniques designed to present a hobbit's-eye view of Bolbo's adventures. A fitting tribute on the centenary of J.R.R. Tolkien's birth, The Hobbit will captivate longtime fans and the newly initiated alike.

Silence Records 1988, SRSCD 4600

Frontcover (81 k)

On the back of the CD:
The early seventies saw a spate of concept albums inspired by everything under and sometimes beyond the sun. Few were more successful than Bo Hansson's music inspired by Lord of the Rings; musical sketches interpreted from Tolkien's famous trilogy. this album gained Bo Hansson gold discs in England and Australia and impressive worldwide sales.
His music has attracted and inspired contemporary musicians including the late Jimi Hendrix with whom Bo Hansson has recorded several hours of still unreleased material.
For the first time the extraordinary music of Bo Hansson is now presented on CD. Anders Lind, producer and engineer of the original album, has with a firm but caraful hand remixed and processed Lord of the Rings for the CD-format and added another 20 minutes fairylike music from Bo Hansson's two later albums, The Magicians Hat and Attic Thoughts.
Bo Hansson presently lives in Stockholm, Sweden

Crimonic Label, CLSCD 103

Frontcover (114 k)

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About:
On the fourth of May the new Tolkien-inspired CD "BILBO" by Pär Lindh and Björn Johansson was released. This is a full length CD, 65 minutes,which tells this classical epic story in a musical language. The musical mood is that of celtic and nordic folkmusic placed in a tonal landscape which spans from mideval ballads to progressive rock. Sometimes the music has been classically orchestrated in order to fully capture the dramatic moments of the book.
The cooperation with Björn began after the progressive rock festival in Uppsala 1993 which was the last festival Pär arranged as chairman for the Swedish Artrock Society CRIMSON. Björn attended and made possibly the best performance at the whole festival as he after the rain had stopped and the sun had broken through the clouds sat down and played some very beautiful classical guitar solos. Pär says "later we started jamming and Björn who is a fantastic musician and very versitale soon became involved in the Gothic Impressions project on various instruments.
At christmas time 1994 resting from the work with Gothic we were jamming and suddenly magical things started happening as all these beautiful, somewhat eerie, fairytale like tunes were being played comming from both of us. I said well I wrote this music to the lyrics to BILBO at age 13 or 14 and then Björn said well I wrote this piece at more or less the same age. The music fitted together like as if we had composed it together. It was pure music. So without saying much we both realised that this would become a CD sometime in the future". Which it also has. This CD was co-production between Crimonic Label and Discus Ursi.