The world is excited.  I feel it in the water.  I smell it in the air.  For much that once was, is rereleased¡­

As the world of Tolkien fandom eagerly prepares for the coming of The Hobbit movie(s), the BBC is helping us to fill in our time by re-releasing its fabulous radio dramatization of The Lord of the Rings.

Originally broadcast in 1981,wow horde  this production is almost as classic as the books themselves.  It is THE quintessential radio dramatization.  Brilliantly acted, with atmospheric music and clever sound effects, this series has not dated at all.  Brian Sibley expertly adapted Tolkien¡¯s writing into a script; narration is kept to a minimum and pacing is maintained through active dialogue, but at the same time as much as possible of Tolkien¡¯s original text is included.  lotro gold Book fans will love hearing cherished, familiar lines, and movie fans will enjoy spotting dialogue which made it into both Peter Jackson¡¯s movies and this dramatization.

The cast includes beloved actor Ian Holm as Frodo; for those of us who know Sir Ian as Jackson¡¯s Bilbo, it is fun to hear him in an exuberant portrayal of the younger hobbit.  (I particularly enjoyed hearing his Frodo saying (of Bilbo), ¡® ¡°I¡¯ve left them for you, Frodo my lad,¡± he used to say¡¯.  Suddenly we have Sir Ian as Frodo, impersonating Bilbo - the mind boggles¡­)  Holm is as outstanding as you would expect.

Joining Sir Ian are Royal Shakespeare Company stalwarts such as Robert Stephens (a dynamic Aragorn) and Michael Hordern (superb as Gandalf).  This cast comes from the era when British actors were trained in diction, and it is wonderful to hear Tolkien¡¯s words so clearly enunciated.  (Some listeners may find the ¡®BBC diction¡¯ English a little stilted, but to my ear, it is perfect for Tolkien¡¯s carefully crafted words.  And fear not -Sam retains a suitably country accent!)