MoS: Hans Zimmer unconsciously lifted from John Williams after all!

[Quintus 5,391]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/man-of-steel/26228/music-in-film-man-of-steel-soundtrack-review

I officially declare this can of worms open!

So, is there any truth in this or is it just clutching at straws?

[Brónach 490]

That remix with the Krypton theme over the Zimmer theme is actually a very cool idea.

[indy4 152]

Very interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a very conscious decision on Zimmer's part--if so I applaud him for this brilliant homage.

EDIT: redacting this post

[gkgyver 1,638]

Jesus Christ, what a reach.

Are we interpreting intervals now? Give me a break.

[indy4 152]

EDIT: after rethinking it, no I don't think it's an homage. I was thinking the second interval of JW"s Superman theme was a fourth, but it's a whole step. I redact my comment

[KK 3,202]

Definitely grabbing at some serious straws. Mere coincidence at play here. Zimmer likely rambled on the piano hoping to find something that sounded a little hopeful, and stumbled on some intervals that HAPPENED to include a perfect fifth. It's not likely that this was some incredibly well thought-out, brilliant homage to the maestro's original.

[Matt C 423]

I think the reviewer is grasping at straws too. There was only one instance in the film where Zimmer lightly dips into superhero territory -- the scene where Emil Hamilton pushes the escape pod into alignment and pushes in the command key -- and even that wasn't a homage to Williams.

[Quintus 5,391]

What does Prometheus think? He's normally great for this stuff.

[Sharkissimo 1,971]

Fifths and their sister mirror intervals, the fourth, are the most common of all intervals in the opening statements of any heroic theme. I could be here all day citing examples themes that use them, but I think you all know what I mean. They're strong intervals, and somehow unconsciously symbolise stability, resilience and power. At least to our equal temperament-conditioned Western ears.

So in short, yep, it's grasping at straws. That said, I do think there's a homage in the use of pandiatonic clusters (pandiatonic is the fancy word for just using the white notes on the piano) - such as in the beginning of Look to the Stars. IIRC, Williams used similar sonorities in the Fortess of Solitude cue, with strings playing fingered tremolo. Although there they were less dense. That was an offshoot of a sound he was exploring for the more tranquil/neutral moments in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.

Also reminds me of the cue Moon from Alex North's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and the Main Title of Jerry Goldsmith's CHINATOWN (although that was a Bb Lydian cluster, not a white note cluster).

Zimmer talks about both the fifths/fourths and the white note cluster in this thread over at VI Control.

actually, it's a forth (E to A) over the most hideous Fmaj7b5+9+6 chord Well, anyway, all the white notes from F up to E...

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3711502&highlight=&sid=d0cd456e8fc6916a161764e62c6991b4#3711502

[Thor 5,273]

I love that mashup!

[Sharkissimo 1,971]

Fifths and their sister mirror intervals, the fourth, are the most common of all intervals in the opening statements of any heroic theme. I could be here all day citing examples themes that use them, but I think you all know what I mean. They're strong intervals, and somehow unconsciously symbolise stability, resilience and power. At least to our equal temperament-conditioned Western ears.

So in short, yep, it's grasping at straws. That said, I do think there's a homage in the use of pandiatonic clusters (pandiatonic is the fancy word for just using the white notes on the piano) - such as in the beginning of Look to the Stars. IIRC, Williams used similar sonorities in the Fortess of Solitude cue, with strings playing fingered tremolo. Although there they were less dense. That was an offshoot of a sound he was exploring for the more tranquil/neutral moments in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.

Also reminds me of the cue Moon from Alex North's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and the Main Title of Jerry Goldsmith's CHINATOWN (although that was a Bb Lydian cluster, not a white note cluster).

Zimmer talks about both the fifths/fourths and the white note cluster in this thread over at VI Control.

actually, it's a forth (E to A) over the most hideous Fmaj7b5+9+6 chord Well, anyway, all the white notes from F up to E...

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3711502&highlight=&sid=d0cd456e8fc6916a161764e62c6991b4#3711502

Bumped for Ludwig.