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Todd Martens, who always does a fine job of rounding up news and talking points regarding the year’s film music compositions (especially around the Oscar season), sat down recently with Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. The composing duo of “Batman Begins” and the upcoming “The Dark Knight” are enjoying a nice publicity push, including a press day last week in Los Angeles solely for the pair.
Martens was able to listen to about 10 minutes of the new score (jealousy isn’t a strong enough adjective at the moment), and he managed to get some details on the way the two composers are splitting duties. It seems Zimmer is on Joker duties, while Howard is fleshing out the aural rhytms of Harvey Dent.
Zimmer had some interesting things to say on his approach to the Caped Crusader’s latest foe:
Yet some early signs show “The Dark Knight” departing at least a little bit from the more subtle tones of “Batman Begins”…the theme Zimmer wrote for the Joker, played in the film by the late Heath Ledger, is a damning piece of music. It’s an intense eight-minute piece that comes off like an orchestral interpretation of a something created by Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails. Zimmer says the work is only two notes, but the two notes are twisted and manipulated into mimicking the sounds of thunder, razors and all sorts of clatter heard in alleyways probably better left unexplored.
Though that description may not make it sound like music to the ears, it’s still immensely listenable. It plays out like something from a horror film, with many a shift in direction and a nod to “Psycho.” But all of it is tied together by a striking blow of strings that keep it from falling apart, and Zimmer said it bears a punk influence.
Check out the rest. And here’s a glimpse of what might be some of the new score, by the way.
Anticipation is killing me by the day on this.
3 responses so far
1 6-04-2008 at 2:49 pm
Jonathan Spuij said...
That Hershey’s site’s music ain’t new. It’s from BB. Anyhow, that score’s gonna rock but freak out enough purists still moaning about how Elfman’s score would be better. I am getting tired of those people quite frankly. TDK WILL ROCK!
2 6-04-2008 at 4:23 pm
Kristopher Tapley said...
I think it’s new, because I listen to the BB score frequently, and it’s definitely a different take on the theme.
3 6-06-2008 at 6:51 am
Joel said...
“TDK WILL ROCK!”
Yes, it will. And I like the idea of a punk vibe added to the score; it makes it more accessible I think, not that it already wasn’t. Kris is right, the score for BB is astounding and should have been nominated in ’05. If Zimmer ups the ante, it could get the nod.