Hans Zimmer Flashcards
(26 cards)
Describe the instrumentation in The Battle scene
- Strings used for melody and accompaniment in opening scene.
- Guitar used
- Militaristic percussion playing repetitive ostinato.
- Low male voice with vibrato.
- Brass evoke hunting horns.
How many cues are in The Battle Scene
5
- “Opening Scene” cue
- “Horde say no” cue
- “Preparation for Battle” cue
- “ The battle” cue
- “The victory” cue
Describe the Tonality in The Battle scene
- D minor tonality
- Modulates to relative major (F) an at the end of first phrase.
- Neapolitan key (Eb) used to intensify the harmonic palette
- C major in “the victory” - marking a turning point.
Describe the Harmony in The Battle scene
- Dominant pedal used
- Diatonic functional harmony: modulating to subdominant via a perfect cadence.
- Suspensions: 4-3 and 9-8 used.
- Low male voice in Horde say No (F,E,F, G#)
- Suspensions with sharpened 4-3 evoke the Lydian mode.
- First inversion chords and slower harmonic rhythm in the Victory
Describe the Melody in The Battle scene
- 4 bar melodic phrases in opening scene
- Melodic span of a minor 6th
- Rising chromatic scale used in strings.
- Opening theme heard bass registers.
- Melodic shape becomes more chromatic and chaotic.
- 2nd theme (D minor scale with C# and G#).
- Trumpet fanfare calls with antiphonal imitation.
- Dominant pedal in Victory.
Describe the Tempo, metre and rhythm, in The Battle scene
- Ostinato in accompaniment.
- Crotchet triplet rhythm.
- Rhythmic augmentation in opening melody.
- Semiquavers in low guitar
- Cross rhythms and accented weak beats
- 5/4 time signature with accented weak beats to destabilise the time signature
- Accented Beats 1,3,5
- Use of dotted minims.
Describe the Texture in The Battle scene
- Layering of battle motifs
- Build up of texture enhances the drama.
Describe the Dynamics in the battle scene
- Severe crescendos
- Sudden diminuendos
Describe other features in The Battle scene
- Use of silence and wind and wave sounds.
- String trills
Describe the Instrumentation in “Now we are Free”
- Wordless vocals and choir
- Full orchestra - strings and brass are dominant
- Guitar and Synths
- Percussion becomes more prominent at the towards B section.
Describe the Harmony and tonality in “Now we are Free”
- A major tonality
- Harmonic rhythm in Section A is one chord per bar - creates an ascending bass line.
- Dominant pedal.
- Dominant pedal + D major chord (sus9).
- Change in harmonic rhythm in section b
- F# minor
Describe the Melody in “Now we are Free”
- Wordless vocals sound improvisatory.
- Broken chord using additive 3+3+@ rhythm.
- Countermelody an octave higher the vocal melody.
- Conjunct falling pattern.
Describe the Tempo, rhythms & metre, in “Now we are Free”
- Constant guitar quavers.
- 3+3+2 additive rhythm in bass line.
- Vocal triplets and push rhythms.
- Free tempo.
- Reduced rhythmic movement in the accompaniment
Describe the Texture, dynamics and other, in “Now we are Free”
- Single note (E) left hanging.
- Texture reduced + silence.
- Not as dynamically varied.
- Ternary for with some repeats.
General features of the “Opening Scene” cue
- Percussive Accompaniment.
- Horn and trumpets used as melody - militaristic.
- Ostinato crotchet triplet rhythm.
- D minor - F major
- Suspensions (4-3) (9-8), Neapolitan (Eb)
- Chromatic scale countermelody in violins.
- Rhythmic Augmentation
General features of the “Horde say no” cue
- Silence used.
- Low male voice with vibrant (F-E-F-G#) creating unease.
- Wind and Wave sounds.
- Tonic pedal + Guitar semiquavers.
- No regular ostinato figures = anticipation
General features of the “Preparation for Battle” cue
- Staccato, chromatic, guitar string motif (accented diminished chord)
- Chromatically moving parallel chords in the guitar.
- Dissonant stab chords in the strings.
- Crescendo to fortissimo.
- Inverted tonic pedal
- Antiphonal trumpet fanfare call imitated by horns and strings (C major triad)
- String Trills and Chromaticism.
- Brass + Percussion
General features of the “The Battle” cue
- 5/4 time signature with accents on 1,3,5
- Cross rhythms.
- String Trills + bells and gongs
General features of the “Victory” cue
- C major with dominant pedal.
- Dominant pedal resolves to A minor.
- Interrupted cadence (Sharpened 4-3) evokes the lydian mode.
What happens in each cue in the Battle Scene?
Opening Scene - Roman army prepares for battle and engage in battle with Germanic tribes.
Horde Say No - Roman rider returns on a horse without his head.
Preparation for Battle - Rallying of the troops.
Battle - Fighting occurs
Victory - Romans have suffered heavy losses but are victorious.
Describe the Murph & Cooper theme
- Seventh interval between bass note and melody. (Space between her and her father)
- A dominant pedal in bass implies prolonged resolution.
- Juxtaposition of major and minor (reflects their relationship)
- Minor mode implying a grudge.
Describe the features of the love and action theme
- A minor
- Two note motif with the first note rising by step.
- Repeating harmonic progression with a bass.
- In “Messages from Home” - Lightly orchestra with delicate organ melody.
- Large orchestration with waves scene.
- Minor mode with bass line motion 6-7.
Describe the features of the Wonder theme
- Sustained, shimmering tremolo accompaniment.
- Single melodic pitch.
- Accompaniment contains a major chord with an added sharp 4 - evokes a sense of mystery.
- Major Mode.
Describe the Striving/In Control theme
- Begins on the tonic and goes to the supertonic.
- Next phrase goes to the mediant and falls back down.
- rising and falling motion
