Hans Zimmer Journey on becoming one of Hollywood's greats
Hans Zimmer has composed music for over 150 films in an illustrious career spanning more than 30 years, winning two Golden Globes, four Grammys and the 1994 Oscar for "The Lion King." The composer, who made a name in the 1980s and 1990s with "Rain Man", "Thelma & Louise," and "Driving Miss Daisy," continues to haunt viewers with recent soundtracks such as "Pirates of the Caribbean", "12 years of slavery" and "Interstellar". But he had always kept a low profile.
He is a composer who has been able to arrive at his scores to the younger spectators, perhaps because his peculiar style has been able to accompany to a good handful of commercial titles and of remarkable international success. His concern that has taken to him to realize many collaborations and arrangements and versions, puts him in the panorama of the cinematographic music as an indispensable artist.
His relationship with music began as a child, because of a tragedy: the death of his father. That's why he took refuge in music, which became his best friend. Zimmer began his career playing keyboards and synthesizers. The 59-year-old composer famed for the Lion King's soundtrack has placed himself as one of the top 10 highest paid composers of 2017, with total estimated earnings of $82 million.
What separates him from the rest of the composers is above all, his flexibility. Unlike other colleagues (Howard Shore and Horner himself), Zimmer does not seem to be married to any particular instrument. He is equally comfortable with historical epics than with science fiction stories. He has worked with the great directors of the last decades, putting the melody to many successes of the cinema from the beginning of his race.
Music Score
Rain Man (1988)
Rain Man marks a turning point in Zimmer's career. He composed this remarkable score, which accompanies a successful film at the box office and made his first Oscar nomination.
Lion King (1994)
With the composite work for the film "The Lion King", he rose with his first and only Oscar. Hans composed a mature soundtrack that lived up to the great classic of Disney, as he knew how to convey the essence of Africa. He made the children and parents weep with emotion and see themselves identified with the Disney-shaped story. This film opened the doors of the animated field where he has created a myriad of pieces for blockbusters from studios such as Disney and DreamWorks.
The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Zimmer is a composer that magnifies the images and gives them a soul through compositions with a great central theme. Steven Spielberg wanted to give force to the world of animation and end the reign of Disney, or at least try. The magnificent soundtrack for this DreamWorks film is jointly done by Hans Zimmer and Stephen Schwartz.
Gladiator (2000)
A gentle wind leads us to the past, Zimmer does not start the score in a powerful and heroic way, on the contrary, the melody is dropped gently transporting us many centuries ago to a hostile antiquity, which to a certain point isn't disturbing. Severe strings warn us of the dark history. The melancholy is noted by extolling the memory of the home with a sad female voice.
Batman Begins (2005)
In 2005, director Christopher Nolan did a miracle that nobody thought would happen: resurrect the franchise of Batman and take away the bad taste that left us Joel Schumacher with his Gothic City flooded with neon lights and rubber nipples.
Zimmer and Newton Howard decided not to copy what was made, so this soundtrack is not exempt from Zimmer's modern and traditional fusion. This one composed the subjects of action, whereas Newton Howard worked the dramatic pieces. Both achieved another fusion with their styles, and with it, they managed to capture the essence of the dark plot and the characterization of the characters. They even incorporate noises like the horrendous distortion product of the Scarecrow toxin and the moving layer of our hero.
Inception (2010)
The debut of Inception by acclaimed director Christopher Nolan is a very good reason to get into the music of the German composer Hans Zimmer who composed the soundtrack for the film. This is his third collaboration for Nolan after "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight". Hans Zimmer has excelled mix electronic sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements, thus achieving a dynamic fusion and even tension, as well as the rhythm.
Interstellar (2014)
Hans Zimmer has composed one of his best works for the film of Christopher Nolan. The music that surrounds the film is beautiful and inspiring, making the viewer feel the emotions that Nolan wanted to convey with the film. His score is worthy of any great composer. If you have not listened separately, I recommend that you must listen to it.
From the darkness of cinema to live concerts:
Last weekend Coachella had, among all its stars, one that shone more. Or maybe he just did it with a different shine. The German composer has overcome his stage fright and fulfilled his dream of performing some of the most mythical soundtracks of his vast career, such as Origen, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lion King, Gladiator and The Dark Knight. The overall performance showed that Zimmer can also play in another league, and that left a hallucinated crowd that will not forget what lived in a long time.
Verdict:
Hans Zimmer is recognized as one of the most innovative and influential musical talents in the Hollywood industry, winning several Grammy Awards and an Oscar, Hans Zimmer is one of the most acclaimed composers. His work is extensively diverse and he has given us gems in terms of soundtrack referred to as Inception, The Dark Night and the Pirates of Caribbean.
Today Hans Zimmer has accumulated soundtracks for more than three decades and one of the indispensable composers in Hollywood today. He has won a renowned position not only for his long career but for his versatility: animation films, action, dramas, comedies. He believes that his music makes people participate and is part of the interstellar journey, so when he composes he does it thinking about the emotions that the audience can feel when watching the movie.
