The beginning of the 21st century brought a seismic shift for the composer when New Zealander Peter Jackson invited him to write the music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, followed a decade later by The Hobbit. The blockbuster films introduced audiences around the world to the wonders of Shore's music, here applied to a story of epic proportions. "I truly believe that I have been able to connect with Tolkien's work and his love of nature, which I also share," says Shore. "I wrote this music with my heart." Another musical triptych was created in spring 2023 at the Maison de Radio France in Paris: A Howard Shore Weekend featured three concerts aimed at defining the mysterious contours of the composer's multifaceted oeuvre. Two concerts with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (one conducted by Ludwig Wicki, the other by Bastien Stil) were juxtaposed with a third concert with a reduced orchestra that focused more on experimental compositions. Pieces for 216 performers met Catania (for solo piano), for example, revealing the extent of Shore's chameleon-like ability to switch between a wide variety of genres and scales. The biggest thrill of the weekend was the opportunity to rediscover scores of different styles and eras, juxtaposed in the same program and given a coherent thread by the musicians' interplay. A small group of inspired soloists (Olivier Doise, Jean-Paul Gasparian, Raphaëlle Moreau, Stéphane Guillaume) alternated with brilliant performances. The Theremin soloist was Lydia Kavina, who was featured on Ed Wood's soundtrack and who, in the 30 years since, has never missed an opportunity to bring the score to life on stage.