Hans Zimmer: Live - An Appreciation Post

Hans Zimmer performing "Gladiator" on stage

This is another one of those posts that, for anyone that even remotely knows me, should come as no surprise.  In fact, this is coming pretty late, considering how passionate I am about this man's work.  Hans Zimmer.  Some have called him "Hollywood's best composer."  I'm one of his biggest fans, but even I am hesitant to use that title (although I'd like to) to describe him.  When it comes to composing, I can think of a few composers off the top of my head that I might also describe as deserving of that title: Howard Shore (known for his epic work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy), Danny Elfman (known for his collaborations with Tim Burton and the Sam Raimi Spiderman films, among others), Ennio Morricone (known for his legendary work on films like the Man with No Name trilogy), and of course, the incomparable John Williams (known for...well, you know, everything), just to name a few.  

It's true.  There are no shortage of great film composers throughout cinema history, and there are likely to be many more, but there is just something about Hans's work that so perfectly captures the mood, atmosphere, story, and characters of their respective films; something so specific to him that many have copied his style, creating a sort of new standard in many films today.  Hans's true power lies in his talent as a producer.  He most certainly has great composing skill, no doubt influenced by his background in rock music, but his abilities as a producer are what really drove him to the top as one of Hollywood's most coveted composers.  His mixing of traditional scoring techniques and more abstract/electronic techniques, as well as recruiting the best musicians to collaborate with, are some of his key strengths. 

Some artists he's worked with are Lisa Gerrard (who sang the hauntingly bittersweet "Now We Are Free" from Gladiator), Lebo M. (who sang the infamous beginning to "Circle of Life" in Lion King), Martin Tillman (who did the electric cello for "Why So Serious?"), Johnny Marr of The Smiths  (who helped a great deal with Inception), Roger Sayer (who did awe-inspiring work on Interstellar), and Tina Guo (who played the electric cello for the Wonder Woman theme).  It's clear that when it comes to talented musicians who can bring a lot to the table, Hans Zimmer knows how to pick them.  These great artists, under the guidance of Zimmer's themes and ideas, have helped create some of the best film scores in recent years.  He's even worked with Pharrell Williams on many occasions.

For a long time, film composers would approach scoring with the same methods, techniques, and styles of classical composers before them, giving many classic film scores a classical, orchestral, grand feel.  For example, if you listen to "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" by Gustav Holst (which I've recommended before), you will hear many parts that will undoubtedly remind you of much John William's work.  There are parts that sound an awful lot like Indiana Jones or Star Wars.  As soon as filmmakers started recruiting musicians with influences other than classical composition, film scores became much more dynamic.  As composers experimented more, audiences began hearing things that were incredibly unique and different.  One great example that comes to mind is Queen's work on Flash Gordon.  Hans Zimmer, of course, falls greatly into this category of composers, breaking from that classical style and moving towards a more out-of-the-box approach. 

Hans Zimmer's Live tour, which I was lucky enough to see in the Microsoft Theater in LA

Zimmer approaches each film in a completely different way.  Each film is a blank slate.  Everything is fair game.  He will try any instrument.  Any style.  Even random objects are instruments in his eyes, as is evident in his use of razor blades on guitar in The Dark Knight.  He focuses on finding the sonic ideas of the story and creating a unique atmosphere for the movie.  He doesn't necessarily think about creating a recognizable theme that you can hum.  This, in many cases, can take away from the moment.  Instead, he opts for sounds and recognizable atmospheres (and at times even sound effects) that have a subtle, subconscious effect on the viewer.  Take, for example, his two-note theme for Batman.  It's two simple notes, but as soon as you hear them, you immediately know what it is.  Each time he uses it, it sounds slightly different, instilling fear, or perhaps hope, or even posing a question.  All of this is achieved with two simple notes.  For Interstellar and Dunkirk, there's a strong ticking sound, which pushes the idea that time is of the essence.  Furthermore, in Dunkirk, the clever use of a Shepard's tone is used to create tension that lasts for the entire film.  Sure, no one will be humming along to "Supermarine," but there's no doubt that its effect is...well, effective.

Not everything he does is strange tones, haunting atmospheres, and synth-influenced, however.  Plenty of his work is orchestral based with a classic Hollywood sound, even if they do mix ideas from other sources, such as traditional African or Gypsy music.  His work on films such as Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Last Samurai, or Black Hawk Down are great examples of this.  He also has a tendency to juxtapose two seemingly conflicting ideas, such as using African influences in the urban-based Rain Man to give a sense of adventure or journey, or the use of a classical clarinet concerto for the theme song of a character called Electro.  These conflicting ideas somehow work very well, almost like a sonic chiaroscuro; a beautiful contrast that deepens the experience.  The end result of all of his experimentation is a unique sound and feel that is very much him.  

Hans Zimmer: Live/Pirates of the Caribbean medley

Some time ago, I had the opportunity to see Hans Zimmer live in Los Angeles, and boy was that an experience.  Listening to his scores live was something I will never forget.  Every drum, every guitar, every voice hit me deep and resonated throughout the building, transporting me to wherever the current song would take me.  The best part?  You can watch his whole live concert on Netflix (link down below).  There are so many great moments, including the Pirates of the Caribbean medley that he finished off the first half of the show with, just before intermission (which you can watch above), the Gladiator and Lion King medleys (which bring tears to me eyes every time, without fail), or the Dark Knight and Interstellar Medleys, which were too epic to describe and really must be seen.  The encore was amazing as well.  I'm not going to spoil that for you, though.  You'll just have to watch the concert and find out for yourself.  Go.  Watch it.  You won't be disappointed :)

Hans Zimmer Live in Prauge on Netflix

P.S.:  Here's a challenge.  Without cheating and looking this up on the internet, how many John Williams films can you name?  Write your answers in the comments!  There's a lot.  Like, a lot.

~ Danny (DarylOnABarrel)