If you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan, Pirates of the Caribbean or superhero movies, you shouldn’t need much introduction to the work of German film composer Hans Zimmer. Since the 80s, he’s raked up a staggering 150 film compositions and is considered one of cinema’s finest modern composers.
At the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on October 3rd, Zimmer was already commanding an audience as I sat in congested traffic, sweaty-palmed and trying to find a park. Luckily, I was saved by a ten-minute delayed start time!
Opening with an electrifying rendition of the Holiday soundtrack, it was evident that the performance would be more next-level rock concert than orchestral performance. As Zimmer nonchalantly switched from piano to banjo, then electric guitar over the course of the following two songs, it became clear that he wasn’t merely conducting a band with a stick. The multi-instrumentalist genius was in fact re-creating the incredible pieces of music he’d composed to begin with.
1995’s Crimson Tide had Zimmer’s signature style, with moments that evoked the soundtracks from his recent (more famous work) like Inception. It showcased the same penchant for slow, layered strings, building towards emotion, but then deviated from the recordings into something more chaotic. Three drummers took the arrangement into blistering territory, lead by Satnam Ramgotra and his long, white beard.
The true rock star of the show was cellist Tina Guo, who writhed left and right, thrashing her hair with the beat. She had plenty of moments in the spotlight, including the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean. The highly-anticipated piece closed out the first set, but considering it’s long-winded build up, I would’ve liked to see it go on a little longer.
The second half of the performance opened with the cool, marimba-drenched True Romance. Oh-so-casually, Zimmer addressed the arena: “How about some superhero stuff?”. Then came the delicate opening piano notes of the Man of Steel theme, a personal favourite of mine. Next, there was the manic and tribal Wonder Woman theme, which featured another standout performance from Guo.
Zimmer’s relationship with Christopher Nolan began when they took on the challenge of composing a new, arresting Batman theme song – after Danny Elfman’s iconic score for Tim Burton, it was quite the challenge. The Batman Begins score doesn’t go for the same grand, gothic horns as Elfman’s, Instead, Zimmer reaches for manic violins, accompanied by stabbing orchestration; live, there was even more of the layered intensity.
Continuing the Nolan scores were the melancholic, space-filled synths of Interstellar, which brought a definite change in the mood from the over-the-top superhero work.
Foolishly, I didn’t know Zimmer wrote the original score for The Lion King (which he won an Academy Award for in 1994). He also contributed music, to the 2019 remake, so it was a real treat to hear a beautiful medley of hits from the both versions. The performance featured original singer Lebo M., who emerged from side-stage belting The Circle of Life.
The concert concluded with a stirring rendition of Interstellar’s Corn Field Chase, followed by an encore which closed on Zimmer’s biggest song, Time, from Inception. Looking beyond the outstanding performance from his symphony orchestra, I loved the way Hans Zimmer took the time to introduce each member of his enormous, multicultural band by name. Sharing stories about them allowed the audience to glimpse the lasting relationship between ensemble, and understand that they share bonds of friendship as well as music.
Hans Zimmer’s catalogue is strong evidence for his case as one of modern cinema’s master craftsmen. Live, he turned already powerful songs into a fist-pumping electric experience that felt like being at a real gig. With the huge intensity conjured by his music, it was satisfying as an audience member to get an insight into man that seems to love the people he works with and doesn’t take himself too seriously. The concert was one of the best shows, if not the best, I’ve seen all year: a truly extraordinary experience.
- Thomas Harrison