Hans Zimmer - The Dark Knight Rises

[Wojo 2,458]

If you don't like someone's style, what makes you think you'll like it later on, especially in a franchise situation like this?

Because someone may not like John Williams' style in Episodes I, II, or III, but they may like the work he did on the later episodes.

[Delorean90 47]

More soundtrack samples:

http://www.superhero...ght-rises-score

Taking the music for what it is so far, "Mind If I Cut In" and "The Fire Rises" seem to be standouts so far. I also like some of the electronic colors he's using, particularly the distant, airy treatment of the minor third motive in "On Thin Ice." Also, just got to "Fear Will Find You," and it's nice to hear some trumpet action in there.

[Brónach 1,330]

Bits of these samples are a bit better.

I think the commercial release might favour the more atmpsheric and synthy/ritmic parts of the score over more stuff like Mind if I cut In? that might as well be perfectly present on the score.

[Red 75]

Pleasantly surprised to hear an actual acoustic cello in "Mind If I Cut In?".

I find it a bit absurd that the 30-second sample covers the entirety of "Death By Exile" with room to spare. Why have a track that's so short?

[Jay 46,241]

More samples, I can't listen to say if they are the same as previous ones or not

http://watertowermusic.com/releases_spotlight.php?search=WTM39313

[TheUlyssesian 2,745]

I can't listen to say if they are the same as previous ones or not

http://watertowermus...search=WTM39313

When the full score is released, even then people won't be able to say which track is from which film when confronted with a random piece of "music" from any of the scores.

[Score_Fan 37]

I will.

[Richard P 5,302]

If you don't like someone's style, what makes you think you'll like it later on, especially in a franchise situation like this?

Because someone may not like John Williams' style in Episodes I, II, or III, but they may like the work he did on the later episodes.

I find most of Dead Man's Chest rather rubbish, but I really enjoy At World's End - there was a huge stylistic difference between those two scores.

[JoeinAR 1,957]

More samples, I can't listen to say if they are the same as previous ones or not

http://watertowermus...search=WTM39313

omg, if noise has a name it must be Hanz Zimmer.

[Ren 77]

More samples, I can't listen to say if they are the same as previous ones or not

http://watertowermus...search=WTM39313

omg, if noise has a name it must be Hanz Zimmer.

Hahahaha. Rotflmfao

[crocodile 9,724]

Just listened to these 60-second samples from the score. And while most people here won't like whatever Zimmer comes up with, I can hear some developments of the material from the previous two scores. Sounds like Zimmer managed to expand the palette to make it sound more fresh than I expected. I like that, surprisingly. Also, shorter albums usually serve his work better.

Karol

[Maurizio 6,913]

Full album available in streaming:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498

[Ren 77]

Sweet!!!! Going to make bfast and listen

[crocodile 9,724]

I like it actually. The farther Zimmer is willing to go away from the traditional orchestral music, the better his work is. IMO, of course.

It is, of course, much different from my usual stew. But I appreciate it. There's some nice ideas in there and some new twists on the old ones.

Karol

[Matt C 605]

I'm listening to the score right now. It's less murky and atonal than The Dark Knight, but a lot of it re-arranges material from Batman Begins and TDK again (especially in "Nothing Out There" and "Despair"). I get why James Newton Howard opted not to join the final film, but his more human touch is sorely missing here.

That said, it gets good whenever Hans does something new, like the acoustic cello and mischievous piano in "May I Cut in?" and obviously the choral chanting for Bane. But... sadly, it's just Zimmer on autopilot for the most part. Seriously, Nolan, this is why some film music fans hate Zimmer -- because people like you chain him down and have him re-arrange his older material.

[crocodile 9,724]

He actually develops this material. Which didn't happen much with the previous one.

Karol

[BloodBoal 8,711]

[Brónach 1,330]

I'm going to need the complete score before getting to any conclusion.

[crocodile 9,724]

The entire album is not enough?

Karol

[Brónach 1,330]

If I find myself in a situation like At World's End, no.

[crocodile 9,724]

Ah well, it's not long now. Ten days.

Karol

[tannhauser 101]

The album is probably about 1/3 of the score.

I like it a lot on first listen. The new melodic Catwoman and rhythmic Bane material is interesting, there's some nice new atmospheric colours in tracks like "On Thin Ice". The old material is well developed and extended more than it was in The Dark Knight, and integrated well with the new material. The electronic and orchestral pallete seems to have expanded as well, quite appropriately epic for the nature of the film. Compared to the recent sequels in the Pirates and Sherlock Holmes franchises, this is a much better effort, and doesn't disappoint.

[Matt C 605]

He actually develops this material. Which didn't happen much with the previous one.

I will admit he does develop it some, especially in "Rise." But there's not enough of it.

[Score_Fan 37]

I love it! I wish it were longer, but we know about the bonus tracks, and I hear WB is planning something special on this one.

[tannhauser 101]

An extra 12 minutes of bonus tracks confirmed. And over at hans-zimmer.com "Hybrid Soldier" who seems to know Zimmer personally, is dropping all sorts of hints about future goodies.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Pretty sure Hybrid doesn't know him personally, but he's basically a walking talking RCP wiki. He can tell you who composed what in any score.

[TheUlyssesian 2,745]

I have listened to the entire album now and I can only give it a very generous 1/2 star out of 5.

I feel kinda incredulous. This is really supposed to be a major score for a major movie by a major composer? This?

This is basically garbage. Is this what Zimmer "composed"? It’s just banging pounding driving percussion overlaid with some farting horns. How long did it take to compose? 3 days?

This kind of scoring is not for me I guess. I guess Zimmer thinks himself above melody or themes; this is a charmless graceless bore of a score, the kind which I call "montage scoring". This is against the essence of film scoring, these tracks or whatever they are could be plastered as sonic background anywhere in the movie as desired, it’s not like this is specific scoring, it’s absolutely indiscernible what the music is trying to convey except ear-splitting loudness.

This will probably have many fans as it will be mixed so loudly in the sound mix of the movie that it would just blare from the speakers drawing attention to its loudness at every point in the movie and people will think it’s a great score. I wish a discussion could be had about its merits as a composition divorced from the movie it has been assembled for which gives everything associated with it a touch of hysteria. Already on many forums I see fans describing it as one of the best scores of the last few years.

Different folks, different strokes I guess. But I am never listening to this ever again.

[SF1_freeze 138]

I listened to the album and it is atrocious. The new "motifs" are average at best and the stuff that is returning is reduced in orchestral complexity and impact. Don't get me wrong, i love it when established themes and motives are returning but mainly new arrangements of it are a necessity. Also, louder is not better...

In addition it sounds like a synth orchestra was used. Give me Ramin Djawadis Game of Thrones scores over this score anyday. They are superior than this Mega Blockbuster score.

It seems the only one who made the last two Batman scores listenable was JNH. With him gone Zimmer proved that he can't write good scores anymore.

This is sonic wallpaper sound in its barest and most superficial form. What a waste and what a pity for all fans of real orchestral film music. Zimmer seems to get worse and worse every year. If you compare this with his 90s scores it seems like he is another person.

[Neimoidian 15]

Full soundtrack is available here:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498n

I haven't listened to all of it, but it actually sounds better than I expected. For a Zimmer, that is.

[Jay 46,241]

We know

[Koray Savas 2,260]

I think most of you are ignoring the obvious fact that Zimmer isn't trying to write a traditional orchestral score. There's more than one way to approach the music for a film. He happens to choose a textural sound design angle. Evaluate something with the proper criteria. Does it achieve what it's trying to achieve? Can't really say at this point since none of us has seen the film. You can't comment on it being plastered in the background and not synching to picture.

[Jay 46,241]

Koray, did you listen to the OST yet? If so, what did you think?

[hornist 1,261]

Edit: nevermind

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Koray, did you listen to the OST yet? If so, what did you think?

No, I don't plan to until after I've seen the film.

[crocodile 9,724]

I've listened to it twice now. As I said before, not really what I'm really looking forward to hearing in film music. But I like it. Zimmer turned out to be a very consequential in the end. The score is an extension of what has been done before. I like some his use of synths. There is a sense of impending doom and some of the softer bits reprised from the first score (when you'll hear it you'll know what I'm talking about) give me a feeling the film won't end well.

Overall, for some reason I like this album more than the previous two.

Karol

[Ren 77]

the link isn't having anything on it anymore tried two browsers

[crocodile 9,724]

Try this.

Karol

[KK 3,313]

That's because there was an 'n' at the end that didn't belong in the link.Try this:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498

[Ren 77]

#2 is very nice

the 5/4 in #3 is grating on my nerves

I would listen to #4 again, especially for teaching purposes

#5 LOVE

#6 meh, #7 meh

[BloodBoal 8,711]

[Ren 77]

LOVE #5, classic Zimmer...but that's me ;-) almost like Bourne stuff....

5/4 like Isengard - if you remember that theme off of the top of your head.

[KK 3,313]

She's talking about the Moussaka song BloodBoal!

[TheUlyssesian 2,745]

You can't comment on it being plastered in the background and not synching to picture.

It will sync up, that's what I am saying, its just a general composition. Take the action music in John Carter or Tintin or How To Train Your Dragon or any Elfman or Horner or Williams or Giacchino score, the music mirrors the action. This is how you get magical movie music moments like when Williams' crescendo syncs up perfectly with Tintin's punch to the henchman at the begining of Escape From Karaboudjan.

This is not the ONLY way of film scoring but all I can say to Zimmer is atleast put some effort. His Batman scores are just LOUD. These scores could be composed by some first year music student with a fail grade in some third rate music academy.

Michael Bay:Movies::Hans Zimmer:Film Scoring (specifically Batman)

[Brónach 1,330]

Very, very uneven CD. It'll probably be better with the missing stuff that's good.

[SF1_freeze 138]

His Batman scores are just LOUD. These scores could be composed by some first year music student with a fail grade in some third rate music academy.

Agreed, as is said this album is atrocious. The sound quality is so synthy and low budget that it makes me wonder why they even bother with an orchestra anymore?

This is music at its lowest, no recognizable themes, some small (mainly loud) motifs and the action music is just the same percussion and electronic loops again and again...

(rant mode) Anyone who likes to listen to this shit apart from the movie has lost all taste in my eyes...

and still, i am sure it works in the movie because the movie will be so good that it will work without a score too or with a Trent Reznor nonscore as well. Zimmer couldn't loose no matter how less he cared for this movie.

[Red 75]

I think this release should have been longer. A few tracks are less than a minute long.

[Brónach 1,330]

The score might not exactly be anything fantastic, but I'm convinced the CD release isn't helping it in any way.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

His Batman scores are just LOUD. These scores could be composed by some first year music student with a fail grade in some third rate music academy.

So you're a music professor then? Cormac McCarthy's formatting and lack of punctuation in his novels is technically incorrect.

(rant mode) Anyone who likes to listen to this shit apart from the movie has lost all taste in my eyes...

I haven't heard the score beyond the samples yet, but for the sake of argument: I have no taste? I like Morricone, Williams, Giacchino, Goldsmith, Horner, and..... ZIMMER *gasp* I guess all those other guys suck too, since I have no taste?

You can't comment on it being plastered in the background and not synching to picture.

It will sync up, that's what I am saying, its just a general composition. Take the action music in John Carter or Tintin or How To Train Your Dragon or any Elfman or Horner or Williams or Giacchino score, the music mirrors the action. This is how you get magical movie music moments like when Williams' crescendo syncs up perfectly with Tintin's punch to the henchman at the begining of Escape From Karaboudjan.

You say the score will synch up (without seeing the film, mind you) but proceed to criticize it for not synching up? What are you talking about?

[Wojo 2,458]

So you're a music professor then? Cormac McCarthy's formatting and lack of punctuation in his novels is technically incorrect.

Cormac McCarthy is an unreadable imbecile. The people who convert his books into screenplays undoubtedly get paid glorious amounts of money to have the time needed to determine where speech ends and thought begins, and who says what, and so on and so forth, FAR more than the casual reader wants to spend.

But if the music's too loud, you just turn down the volume knob or get your ear off the speaker. That's complicated, I know.

[indy4 160]

It sounds pretty good to me so far. I don't think I'll buy it but I'm enjoying this listen.

OH wait I forgot I'm part of the chant on this! I at least need to get "Gotham's Reckoning."