The most underrated and overlooked gem of 2006

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I gave this old score another whirl after about 12 months of not having touched it (aside from the occasional play of the Chevaliers track). I'll have to say, I was surprised to say it is not as meandering and slow as it was made out to be, nor as I remember. It flows extremely well, you never forget you're listening to the Da Vinci Code yet you never think you're stuck in an infinite loop.

And one track I don't remember liking so much is "Beneath Alrischa" I dare say Bernard Herrmann himself would approve. I didn't even pay attention to it until today. The construction of it is fantastic, the build up to the mass rendition of the action motif....that slams back down and takes your plate away before you can get a bite!

So if you never bothered to listen to it in the first place, or even if you gave up on it, put it back in...you might be as surprised as I was!

For full effect, wait for night and turn out all lights, suddenly the conspiracy is real!

[ChuckM 1]

The best part is Richard Harvey's track at the end.

[QMM 4]

It's a fine score to listen to

[Romão 2,274]

It's one of the best Zimmer scores, though that's not saying much

[indy4 155]

I love Da Vinci, it's a great score. Fructus Gravis is brilliant in its Psycho-sounding chaotic music. The Citrine Cross is also great, as is a number of other tracks. But the track that makes Da Vinci an exceptional score is Chevaliers de Sangreal, by far the best track on the CD, and one of Zimmer's best overall.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I should look into the full soundtrack, I only have "Chevaliers de Sangreal" which is Zimmer-MV at its finest.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I could have told you this was great when the CD came out.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

I gave this old score another whirl after about 12 months of not having touched it (aside from the occasional play of the Chevaliers track). I'll have to say, I was surprised to say it is not as meandering and slow as it was made out to be, nor as I remember. It flows extremely well, you never forget you're listening to the Da Vinci Code yet you never think you're stuck in an infinite loop.

And one track I don't remember liking so much is "Beneath Alrischa" I dare say Bernard Herrmann himself would approve. I didn't even pay attention to it until today. The construction of it is fantastic, the build up to the mass rendition of the action motif....that slams back down and takes your plate away before you can get a bite!

So if you never bothered to listen to it in the first place, or even if you gave up on it, put it back in...you might be as surprised as I was!

For full effect, wait for night and turn out all lights, suddenly the conspiracy is real!

What a coincidence, I 'rediscovered' this score the same day you did.

Burga - who didn't like it much last time

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Horner would have been better.

[publicist 4,643]

Horner would have been better.

That i don't know. Zimmer's score oozes classical elegance, which is the best thing you could've done with that story, anyway. Horner may have produced a similar sound just with more characteristic trademarks, to put it kindly....so i'm happy that Zimmer (and team, of course) did this.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

That i don't know. Zimmer's score oozes classical elegance,

I thought Zimmer did that better in Hannibal anyway.

[Neimoidian 14]

I always liked that score for it's restrained elegance and beauty. While the movie was preposterous, the musical ilustration was far more serious and it's evident Zimmer has put lot of heart and thought into that one. The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake. It's my numer 3 score from 2006.

I thought Zimmer did that better in Hannibal anyway.

I prefer to call it even better, but by and large I agree.

[indy4 155]

The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake.

Do you mean "Cheavliers de Sangrel" or "Kyrie For The Magdalene?"

indy4 - who thinks that Chevaliers is easily as good (or better) than some JW pieces.

[Morlock 11]

I always liked that score for it's restrained elegance and beauty. While the movie was preposterous, the musical ilustration was far more serious and it's evident Zimmer has put lot of heart and thought into that one. The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake.

Indeed. Harvey's piece is stunning, but to reject the rest of the score is as ridicules as when it was done with 'Vide Cor Meum' in Hannibal (And Kingdom of Heaven, come to think of it). Both stunning vocal works, and beautiful endings to terrific albums.

I thought Zimmer did that better in Hannibal anyway.

I prefer to call it even better, but by and large I agree.

I would agree too. Da Vinci Code is a bit more consistant than Hannibal, but Hannibal still tops the bill.

The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake.

Do you mean "Cheavliers de Sangrel" or "Kyrie For The Magdalene?"

indy4 - who thinks that Chevaliers is easily as good (or better) than some JW pieces.

'Kyrie for the Magdalene' was written by Harvey, and by Zimmer's own admition, is entirely Harvey's (aside from the probably inevitable group effort put into every piece). 'Sangreal' is as entirely Zimmer's as anything is.

[Richard Penna 3,684]

I actually find the synths to be a little distracting in Chevaliers de Sangreal. If it isn't synths, then dammit Hans, record this stuff normally would you?

I like Da Vinci Code as a classically oriented background listen. In terms of setting the location of the film, I think it's perfect.

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

Could JW have saved this film? Could his music have brought the movie's tempo up to steam with the book?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

There is nothing wrong with the film to the degree of needing saving.

[indy4 155]

Indeed! It wasn't great, but it certainly wasn't a bad film.

[Richard Penna 3,684]

I saw the first 5 mins on Sky and continued channel surfing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's to ponderous and has "lead feet". And the ending is a cop out.

McKellen is good though.

[Richard Penna 3,684]

My brother has the book. I'll read it someday.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why?

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

It's to ponderous and has "lead feet."

Attention deficit skews one's preception of cinema.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Wrong, for a scavenger hunt, the film just is not "sprightly" enough, especially consideing it gives the viewr too much time to ponder about the unlikeliness of the plot and the riddles.

[Morlock 11]

McKellen is good though.

Yes, he does seem to be having fun.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I can imagine McKellen being good reading the phone book...

[Romão 2,274]

The movie is so pedestrian I can imagine myself playing Carmageddon with it

[Elmo Lewis 6]

I can imagine McKellen being good reading the phone book...

I'm sure Stefan would agree.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That much is certain.

[diskobolus 3]

I love the Kyrie, it's by far the best part of the score for me. I should have known it wasn't Zimmer!

I always liked that score for it's restrained elegance and beauty. While the movie was preposterous, the musical ilustration was far more serious and it's evident Zimmer has put lot of heart and thought into that one. The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake.

Indeed. Harvey's piece is stunning, but to reject the rest of the score is as ridicules as when it was done with 'Vide Cor Meum' in Hannibal (And Kingdom of Heaven, come to think of it). Both stunning vocal works, and beautiful endings to terrific albums.

I thought Zimmer did that better in Hannibal anyway.

I prefer to call it even better, but by and large I agree.

I would agree too. Da Vinci Code is a bit more consistant than Hannibal, but Hannibal still tops the bill.

The final piece by Richard Harvey written under the supervision of Zimmer himself is indeed icing on the cake.

Do you mean "Cheavliers de Sangrel" or "Kyrie For The Magdalene?"

indy4 - who thinks that Chevaliers is easily as good (or better) than some JW pieces.

'Kyrie for the Magdalene' was written by Harvey, and by Zimmer's own admition, is entirely Harvey's (aside from the probably inevitable group effort put into every piece). 'Sangreal' is as entirely Zimmer's as anything is.