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 New Era University

College of Music

Hans ZimmerFilm Score Composer

Life and Works

Submitted by:

Jerome Van Lester S. Garcia

in partial Fulfillment of 

te re!uirements for "L #$ "usicolo%y

Submitted to:

&r. Genesis 'i(era

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)ack%round of te Study

Hans Zimmer is a film composer, award winning composer and also a record

 producer. He is one of the most talented and finest Composer of today. He is well-

nown for his composition for Hollywood !loc!uster movies lie "ainman, #ion

ing, $ladiator, %irates of the Cari!!ean, &nterstellar, 'atman series and many

more. Hans Zimmer was one of the pioneers of synth programming and using

sampling techni(ues and samplers in the creation of film scores. He is nown for 

his hy!rid sound )com!ining live orchestra and other instruments with samplers

and synthesi*ers+, which he has !een perfecting throughout his career that

contri!uted to his worldwide success. His arrangements are very uni(ue and suited

to his film. s a composer, Hans eplore different soundssamples that are not

familiar. nd contri!uted so well in the world of film scoring.

*b+ecti(e

/he purpose of this reseach is to eplore the life of this great composer. How did

he !ecame a well-nown composer internationally, what is his ideasin creating

music. 'ecause Hans Zimmer created music for almost 012 films already. Even

many of this mae an awards and also, let3s loo into his world and see the

moderni*ation of music through him.

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"etodolo%y

&nformation that will come up to this research is !ased from wors from the

internet, !oos, videos, news and from the composer himself.

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Hans Florian Zimmer was

 !orn on septem!er 04, 0516

in 7ranfurt am Main, $ermany,the

largest city in the $erman state  of 

 Hessen and the fifth-largest city in

$ermany. s a young child, he

lived in 89nigstein-7alenstein, a

climatic spa and lies on the thicly

wooded slopes of the /aunus in Hesse, $ermany.

s a young !oy, Zimmer played the piano at home, !ut even though, he had piano lessons only

 !riefly as he dislied the discipline of this lie formal lessons. His mother is a musician who is a

fan of 'eethoven and His father is a engineer and a inventor. :o as Hans grew up, he learned to

modify the piano that his Mother gasp in horror !ut his father would thin that it was fantastic

when Hans attach a chainsaw and stuff lie that to the piano.

$rowing up in the 0512s and ;<2s in post-=orld =ar && $ermany only made Hans3s identity

harder for him to grapple with !ecause the Zimmers are >ewish. Zimmer;s father died when he

was a young !oy, and his mother rarely discussed her >ewish roots. He nows she escaped

$ermany in 05?5 and survived the war in England, !ut her silence a!out the family religion led

him to feel that it was, in a way, their secret. @Auite honestly, & thin my parents were always

wary of me telling the neigh!ors,B Zimmer said. @/here was always still that cloud, and & felt

it.BHans Zimmer said. &n an interview with the $erman television station Z7 in 422<, he

commentedD My father died when & was Fust a child, and & escaped somehow into the music and

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music has !een my !est friend. =hen he is in his teenage years, He moved to #ondon where he

attended the Hurtwood House school.

Zimmer !egan his career playing

ey!oards and synthesi*ers in the 0562s,

with the !and ,rakatoa )%icture on the

left, 8raatoa 0.1 - avid %oon, Nigel

$locer, Elana Harris, Hans Zimmer and

"oger dams+.

/hen later wored with /he 'uggles, a new wave !and

formed in #ondon in 0566 with /revor Horn, $eoff 

ownes, and 'ruce =oolley. Zimmer can !e seen

 !riefly in /he 'uggles3 music video for the 0565 song

Gideo 8illed the "adio :tar .

fter woring with /he 'uggles, he started to wor

for the &talian group 8risma, a new wave !and

formed in 056< with Mauri*io rcieri and Christina

Moser. He was a featured synthesist for 8risma;s

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third al!um, Cathode Mamma. He has also wored with the !and Helden )with =arren Cann 

from Ultravo+.

 'oth Zimmer )on ey!oards+ and Cann )on drums+, were invited to !e part of the :panish

group Mecano for a live performance in :egovia ):pain+ in 05I. /wo songs from this concert

were included in the MecanoD En Concierto al!um released in 051 only in :pain. &n 052

Zimmer co-produced a single, History of the =orld, %art 0, with, and for, U8 %un !and /he

amned, which was also included on their 052 #% release, /he 'lac l!um, and carried the

description of his efforts as Jver-%roduced !y Hans Zimmer.

England !ecame a suita!le place for Hans !ecause he was !een eposed on many ind of music.

:hould it !e roc !and lie the rolling stones, orchestras and >ohn =illiams3s :ymphonic

%oem, which is very popular in the late 42th century. Hans Zimmer thin that =illiams is a

uni(ue composer and he idoli*ed him. Hans also eposed on creating commercials on high

cali!er, so there is high education he a!sor!ed that led him in composing.

-e Start of is Career as a composer...

7or Hans Zimmer, musicrecording studio is a instrument. instrument !ecause of it has so

many uses, with his synthesi*er, mier, auilator, and a filter when was !eginning, he

successfully create music. 'ecause of Hans is not a good performer in from of people, he

concentrate more on recording than playing on a live in front of the audience. 'ecause of the

rapid improvement of technology, Hans used it to mae and create great music.

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&n the 052s, Zimmer partnered with Stanley "yers)#eft

 picture+, a prolific film composer who wrote the scores for over 

sity films. Zimmer and Myers coKfounded the #ondonK!ased

#illie Lard recording studio. /ogether, Myers and Zimmer 

wored on fusing the traditional orchestral sound with

electronic instruments. :ome of the films on which Zimmer 

and Myers wored areD

Moonlighting )054+,

:uccess is the 'est "evenge )05I+,

&nsignificance )051+,

My 'eautiful #aunderette )051+.

Zimmer3s first solo score was /erminal Eposure for director Nico Mastorais in 056, for which

he also wrote the songs. Zimmer acted as score producer for the 056 film /he #ast Emperor ,

which won the cademy ward for 'est Jriginal :core. 

-urnin% /oint...

turning point in Zimmer3s career occurred with the 05

film "ain Man. Hollywood director 'arry #evinson was

looing for someone to score "ain Man, and his wife heard the

soundtrac C of the anti-partheid drama =orld part, for 

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which Zimmer had composed the music. #evinson was impressed !y Zimmer3s wor, and hired

him to score "ain Man.

Compositions:

 LeavingWallbrook- On the Road  

Hans creative mind used sounds that are not lie a symphonic music !ut rather native

instruments from africa. lso in this soundtrac it is sound as cinematic with the sound of !ass

drums, lots of drums. Zimmer eplained that &t was a road movie, and road movies usually have

 Fangly guitars or a !unch of strings. & ept thining don3t !e !igger than the characters. /ry to

eep it contained. /he "aymond character doesn3t actually now where he is. /he world is so

different to him. He might as well !e on Mars. :o, why don3t we Fust invent our own world music

for a world that doesn3t really eist.

-e /o0er of *ne

/he %ower of Jne is an intriguing story of a

young English !oy named %eeay and his

 passion for changing the world. 'ecause of this

film, Zimmer travelled to frica in order to

use frican choirs and drums in the recording

of the score.

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Composition:

The Rain Maker 

Hans successfully create a score that is more dramatic !ut multi emotion, =ith a male soloist,

Male chorus in acapella at the !eginning of the trac. /hen later came the drums, then !ac to

the chorus and now mied chorus. Hans came to an idea of african music !ut more melodious

rather than Fust rhythm. t the very end, it create of a Foyous music, as the melody and the

instruments !ecame Foyful.

'ecause of wonderful wors of Hans Zimmer to the film "The Power of Love", isney

nimation :tudios approached Zimmer to compose the score for the film /he #ion 8ing. 'ut

also Hans Zimmer got a police record in frica !ecause of doing 3su!versive3 movies.

-e Lion ,in%

&s a 055I merican animated epic musical film produced !y =alt isney 7eature nimation./he

story taes place in a ingdom of lions in frica,

and was influenced !y =illiam

:haespeare3s Hamlet. &ts original songs were

written !y composer Elton >ohn and lyricist /im

"ice, and original scores were written !y Hans

Zimmer .

/his was to !e Hans3s first score for an animated

film. Zimmer said that he had wanted to go to

:outh frica to record parts of the soundtrac, !ut !ecause of his record there it was una!led.

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isney studio !osses epressed fears that Zimmer would !e illed if he went to :outh frica, so

the recording of the choirs was organi*ed during a visit !y #e!o Morae )nown as /he Goice

and :pirit of /he #ion 8ing and is a :outh frican  producer  and composer  most famous for

arranging and performing music for The Lion King  movies and stage productions.+

Scores

Circle of Life

&s a song from isney3s 055I animated

film The Lion King . Composed !y Elton >ohn,

with lyrics !y /im "ice and score !y Hans

Zimmer. &t was Hans idea to create an opening of a call 1ants in%onyama ba%iti )aba)

Here comes a lion, 7ather+ with the voice of #e!o M., creating of a call that tells that the story

will start, and start in a different world, leading us to africa. /he !eginning of the music also

suggesting us that this story is not Fust any story, !ut giving us an idea this this will !e a great

story. /he music create a !eautiful song with rithmic chant of african choirs, and it give a spirit

of the nature, of the Fungle. /he Circle of life is a!out living and dying and carrying on on our

life. /he idea of this score, is that it has to !e not sound lie a american, !ut rather a african

thing.

2-is Land2

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nother trac from the #ion ing is the /his #and, created !y Hans Zimmer. /his music is for

the coming !ac of the lion ing):im!a+, so Hans created it as lie cele!rating the return of

someone thats !een felt from a dar past. strong and uprising melody of the strings and

continue as the choir sings.

Zimmer won numerous awards for his wor on The Lion King , including an cademy

ward for  'est Jriginal :core, a $olden $lo!e, and two $rammys. &n 0556, the score was

adapted into a 'roadway musical version which won the /ony ward for 'est Musical in 055.

Crimson -ide

Zimmer3s score for /ony :cott3s 0551

film Crimson Tide won a $rammy ward

for the main theme, which maes heavy

use of synthesi*ers in place of traditional

orchestral instruments. Hans Zimmer one

said that, the use of synthesi*er is not

imitating a orchestra, !ecause orchestra is

a different world and also Hans said that

atleast you dont need a one hundred people in your room !ut Fust his instrument. Hans is trying

to do is to create the emotion that a orchestra can do.

-e "ain -eme

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/he score is very dramatic in the opening with the main melody in the trumpet !acing up !y the

strings and then later the drums came in, and it !ecame cinematic in effect. nd there is a

changing in the mood of the score, with the male chorus singing some chants in different parts.

/hen again orchestra came in, and later that, a chorus singing a song from some lie classical

 period or lie a song for a worship service and it ended with a men.

3ear 4555

&n the 4222s, Hans composed numerous composition for !loc!uster films. :ome of this is the

$ladiator.

-e Gladiator

/he original soundtrac to "idley :cott3s

$ladiator features an original score composed

 !y cademy ward winner Hans Zimmer and

$olden $lo!e nominee and former ead Can

ance mem!er #isa $errard. /he duo3s

dramatic music incorporates traditional

orchestral elements, ancient and indigenous

instruments, and $errard3s haunting vocals to

create a timeless and evocative !acdrop for

:cott3s tale of an avenging gladiator in ancient "ome.

"idley :cott transports Hollywood to second-century "ome in the rousing historical epic

$ladiator . Maimus )"ussell Crowe+, a "oman general, finds himself caught up in the !attle for

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the throne when the Emperor chooses him over his son Commodus. =hen Maimus discovers

that his family has !een slaughtered he allows himself to !e captured and thrown into the

gladiator games in a !id to save not only himself !ut the future of the very empire that he loves

and honours.

/he al!um won the $olden $lo!e ward for 'est Jriginal :core and was also nominated for the

cademy ward and '7/ ward for 'est :core )nthony s(uith ward for 7ilm Music+.

/he score was also nominated for the $rammy award, Jnline 7ilm Critics :ociety ward,

Chicago 7ilm Critics ssociation ward 4220, cademy of :cience 7iction, 7antasy Horror

7ilms, U: 4220, "& Music ward 4220, '7/ ward 4220./he original soundtrac al!um

was a huge success for Universal and ecca, selling platinum in sales and prompting multiple

al!um releases in the future. /he $ladiator score goes as one of the most important in the

modern age of soundtracs, !ringing recognition to the genre of soundtrac music to the masses

and has influenced many young composers of our generation.

s Zimmer states in his interview a!out $ladiator;s score with &an #ace fir the 7ilm Music on

the =e!D @& have to say that & did not want to turn into a musical anthropologist, to research

ancient "oman music. 'ut at the same time & wanted to have a sound that was not contemporary

to today.B Zimmer made a conscious choice of creating a sound for this movie, which would

transfer the viewer of the film to the "oman times.

=ith the etensive use of the $erman medieval instrument the gamshorn, which plays the

%rogeny theme , the more then ?222 year old rmenian instrument udu, played !y master

dudu player Fivan $asparyan, a very rare dulcimer-lie hammered string instrument Lang

Ching, performed !y #isa $errard, #isa;s !eautiful eternal-ethnic lie vocals with a com!ination

of solo cello, trumpet, orchestra, ethnic ra!ic percussions, synth percussions and synth

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apreggiators, pads and sta!s, Zimmer achieved in creating a very fresh sound that evoes the

 past, yet is very modern and emotional. Zimmer point out in his interview with &an #aceD @=orld

music has !ecome the in-thing Fust now !ut & !elieve & have contrasted that sound fairly well

with the use of such an enormous orchestra. &3ve always wanted to write for Fivan $asparyan. &

thin he is one of the most ama*ing musicians in the world. He creates a sound that has a lonely

yet haunting (uality and is thousands of years old - ageless.B

$ladiator;s score is pure of emotion and drama and it engulfs the viewer into the picture and, in

my opinion, !lends perfectly with the way the film is shot and the colors of the picture.

/irates of te Caribbean

Hans Zimmer is the composer that has

contri!uted throughout the whole series of 

%irates of the Cari!!ean. /herefore, this

maes him the man that is all-nowing

a!out his scores. uring interviews,

Zimmer has descri!ed what he aimed to

achieve with the score and its role in the

movie. He !elieves that he could provide

the audience with a livid memory of the film. /he process of perfecting this vehicle, as eplained

 !y many of Zimmer;s colla!orators, such as #orne 'alfe, 'o! 'adami and 'ruce 7owler, was a

very time-consuming process that re(uired heaps of concentration and many long nights.

However, since only three wees were spent on the development of the soundtrac for the 'lac

%earl, Zimmer epected this one to !e of lesser importance in his career.

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Caracterisation

Characterisation is commonly shown through the flm music. The title o the

soundtrack is actually named ater the character in some instances. For

example, there are songs named “Will And lisa!eth", “#ack $parrow",

“%ar!arossa &s 'ungry", “(a)y #ones", etc. These titles indicate that the

music is meant to illustrate the moods o these characters. There are also

indirect links to characters, such as a leitmoti that is always played when

 #ack makes his humorous entrances. The same leitmoti is always played

when #ack is introduced in the flms, thus stressing the importance o these

ew notes and adds a whole new le)el o understanding to the character.

 

Conclusion

&n this research we will find how a composer thin, how he act on certain Fo!s,

how he orchestrate his scores. &n this research, Hans life is so creative and

wonderful.