Bilbo the Hobbit, with Solo Horn

During his lifetime, a man created an entirely new world, a vast tapestry of an imaginary place draped in the mystery of fantastic fiction, myth, and legend. Thus, Middle-Earth was born and we entered another world. The man keeping the creative flame burning bright was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973), and he populated this exciting fantasy world with fabulous creatures – Dwarves, Elves, Dragons, and of course Hobbits.

We enter the lands of Middle-Earth during the Third Age, some decades before The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Our story starts in the home of a humble Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who lives a peaceful life among his fellow creatures amidst the rolling green hills of the Shire. But this idyllic existence is soon threatened, for Bilbo had found the One Ring (forged centuries ago by the Dark Lord Sauron) on an adventure long-ago and brought it back with him to the Shire. The power of this master ring was very great ; whoever wore it became invisible and could govern the bearers of the other Rings forged by Sauron. Nothing will stop the evil, power-hungry Dar Lord from recovering the ring of ultimate power.

Fascinated by the works of the masters of film music, Maxime Aulio structured this concertante work their way. When the end credits roll, Maxime’s music Bilbo the Hobbit displays all the basic characters and passages of the novel ; his vision is imposing. From the landscapes of the Shire to Middle-Earth, the Great Dragons to Gandalf the Wizard, Bilbo Baggins tells us his story through light and virtuoso arabesques in the solo part.

Bilbo the Hobbit was premiered by the Musique des Equipages de la Flotte de Brest (France) and Jean-Pierre Cénédèse, French Horn.