Gladiator
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Free Music Notes for Gladiator
Free Music Review: John du Prey - Classical Review
Hit: 5 Stars
Linguistic irony abounds in this brilliant soundtrack. The Romans conquer the Germanic tribes in the Prologue to this motion picture; yet the major influences throughout Acts I, II, III and the Epilogue are, in fact, Latin-based and Germanic-influenced languages that work in silhouette to the musical score; Irish voices, Roman voices, Germanic voices, shades of antiquity, uplifting the fallen hero even as he drops to his knees before his crucified wife and son; shocking treatment of a commanding general's family (after he had led the Roman army to a victorious battle). Dramatic irony abounds throughout the score as well; partly because of the rich Irish-Latin-Germanic merge of songs, mournful chants, in-the-pit-of-death chords, compassionate voices (feminine, filled with empathy; con dolore), the conveyance of crescendo, decrescendo, diminuendo with the tongues of the vanquished; our hero had conquered the very people whose sorrowful tongues would mourn in Greek chorus the loss of his beloved wife and child; the Hans Zimmer score so laced with irony to render deep emotion.
In this redemption story, the chorus must echo the pain of the hero through voices that elevate the drama in its ascent through the first slaughter of the Germanic warriors, then through the second slaughter (above stated); if in mourning the chorus escorts the hero con grazia from his fallen state (he was dead with grief; then he was rescued; then he was glorified by gladiator feats), the voices of antiquity from many tongues with distinct, cultural nuances (history preserved) serve to uphold the magnificent instrumental orchestration (adhering to the Greek tragedian model) until our hero dies and joins his departed wife and son in the hereafter.
Powerful motion picture scores, like Gladiator, create the catharsis for the listener and for the viewer of the film: on many levels of classical accomplishment. We go back again and again to this movie, I think, because the soundtrack is superb; the epic tragedy is superior for its time; and our moments alone with the hero, Maximum Decimus Meridius, could leave an lasting impression on our psyche. This film was so honored because it truly was a masterpiece, in the tradition of Ben-Hur and the great composer Miklos Rozsa.
Free Music Review: It will conquer the senses!
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first got "Gladiator" a few week ago and gave it a listen, I wasn't thinking much of it, except the fact that track #3 "The Battle" and #13 "Barbarian Horde" were really really cool battle tracks with a great beat and visceral rhythm to them. When I saw the movie and listened to the soundtrack again afterwards, it completely enraptured me. Sure, there's thematic similarities in the Battle Themes to Holst "Mars, Bringer of War", but that's okay. David Herschfelder was able to get away with it in another convincing and very original way in "Elizabeth" by adding a choral section. Hans just cranks up the rhythm to it and mixes in his own flair to make it original. But the greatest treasure on this CD isn't the battle themes, as I'd expected, it's the last three tracks, sung by Lisa Gerrard. They're absolutely beautiful, ariatic and solemn vocal pieces that penetrate into your heart and give real emotion to the sadness and loss that Maximus (Russel Crowe's character) feels when he has lost it all: all this while still keeping a beautiful mood of releave and relaxation of death: "letting go" so to speak, and the peace in death. It's like Lisa Gerrard sings in the language of our souls so that they can understand what she's trying to tell us. I'd plunk down any amount of money for just the last three tracks "Elysium", "Honor Him", and "Now We Are Free". That's the truth. "Am I Not Merciful?" is a great choral track that also shows off Zimmer's orchestrations and synths. All the other tracks aren't that bad either, and I'm sure that after repeated listenings you'll find these to be little nuggets of gold as well that complement the rest of the material on the CD.
This is definately a must buy. I'm not kidding at all. If you say the movie and hated it in every way, or if you're only a fan of pure orchestral works (I never realized there was any ever synths on the album), then you'll probably might wnat to skip this CD. Those of us about to die salute "Galdiator" and it's composer, Hans Zimmer and singer, Lisa Gerrard.
Free Music Review: Gladiator music
Hit: 5 Stars
To begin with, it is pitiful to read reviews by people, such as "music fan from Boston" who aparently have no musical horizon at all. Describing the film score as Enya-lite shows just how narrow knowledge of music and history he has... The music by Lisa Gerrard is more traditional than much music found anywhere, and far from New Age (if anything it is Old Age). This kind of musical influence relies on hundreds of years of middle eastern traditions. Music much like it can still be heard today. Unfortunately, his one star affects the overall rating of this CD, but not significantly. As others have pointed out, some music you just don't like. People are free to like what they want, but if you don't like a genre, don't listen to it - least of all don't rate it. It's not your cup of tea.Lisa Gerrards beautiful voice complements the setting of the movie, drawing on the influences of the middle east, as she has done before, both solo and with companion in Dead Can Dance. The music was harmonious, and ideal for the time and age portrayed. The music would even have been possible to play on current period instruments. Coincidence? I don't think so.
However, some of the passages were somehow a little familiar, and I suspect some older material by Dead Can Dance can have inspired Lisa Gerrard in making the music. Still, the music is refreshing and inspiring.
Even though Zimmerman does a good job at the rest of the score, I can't help but feel that Gerrard could have contributed more, if not in all of the musical passages. Some times the brute passages of a soundtrack is not too interesting to listen to without watching the film. Nevertheless these passages are important in the movie and are thus important for a soundtrack CD.
Still, when Martin Scorcese commissioned Peter Gabriel to score his great movie The Last Temptation of Christ, he gave him free reins. The resulting soundtrack CD Passion is one of the best soundtracks I have heard.
What made the Gladiator a great movie to me? Simple! The historic setting, the costumes and directing, the beautiful pictures, and not least, the music!
Free Music Review: A beautiful and rousing (if not too melodic) score.
Hit: 5 Stars
The movie Gladiator is a truly excellent film, with an involving storyline, beautiful locations, intense drama, full-blooded action and a rousing score from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard. As soon as the movie starts, one is surprised by the subdued tone that the musical score seems to be taking. Knowing that Hans Zimmer was the composer, I was expecting his usual rousing, booming and very pleasant music, as seen (or rather, heard) in other movies like 'Crimson Tide', 'The Peacemaker', and 'Backdraft'. However, what we get, as a friend of mine remarked, is something like a cross between Vangelis and 'The Rock' (which also includes participation by Zimmer). Which is fine.
While not as melodic as, for example, a James Horner score like Braveheart, Hans Zimmer's score, with Lisa Gerrard's participation, perfectly complements the action on screen. When battle music is required, the score returns to a classic, if somewhat more mature, Zimmer feel; totally classical in style and paying homage to Gustav Holst's Masterpiece - The Planets, particularly 'Mars - Bringer of War'. Very appropriate, given that Mars was the Roman god of War!
This, added to Zimmer's trademark rousing passages, and Lisa Gerrard's moving, lyrical contributions, makes Gladiator a memorable score. Gerrard's participation, in particular was a very pleasant addition, because it adds an ethereal element which is necessary for such concepts as Elysium (the Afterlife) and Freedom. Throughout the movie, the Hero, Maximus, constantly weaves between the 'here and now' scheming and battles, and a longing to join his family, in the afterlife. The score reflects these concepts with an excellent treatment of both dimensions.
Which leaves us listeners with a score that is not exactly easy to listen to. It is not too melodic and pleasing to the ears, but is contains a lot of wonderful, mature music. It is something like an acquired taste: after listening to the CD for a couple of times (or watching the movie itself more than once) one becomes pleasantly hooked.
A truly memorable score, for a memorable movie.
Free Music Review: Eclectic, electric, powerful and inventive
Hit: 5 Stars
....yet not contrived but somewhat derived. I'm trying to recall all the elements that I've picked out which 'contributed' to this composition! There is Siegfried's funeral music from Wagner's 'Ring' (towards the end of track 13, 'Barbarian Horde') there's also Prokofiev's 'Lieutenant Kije,' Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 (track 14 'Am I not Merciful?'), Holst's Mars, Bringer of War from 'The Planets' (track 13 'Barbarian Horde')..... but this is fundamentally a soundtrack, not anything being paraded as a new and completely original composition. Yet I must even now paradoxically say that it somehow amounts to even more than a soundtrack! Besides, back in the day when composers 'borrowed from' others, it was said that their music was 'influenced'. Well, Zimmer was 'influenced' and thank God he was!
But this is all trivia. This soundtrack is powerful and simply timeless. Gladiator is one of my favourite films of all time. I was struck by the music separately, however. I rushed out to buy the soundtrack as soon as I could get my hands on it. I vowed there and then in the cinema that I had to get it. I still listen to it many times over and I'm transported by it every time. So evocative is the music that is consistently rouses sentiment: awe, humility, bravery.....passion. This is truly moving music.
Noone moans more about atonality and dissonance than I do but I find the score completely melodic. BEAUTIFULLY melodic. As for it's accessibility? Well, as I said, I grabbed me from the start and I've been held in rapture since.
Liza Gerrard's voice adds a quality that is difficult to quantify. It is DEEPLY moving, sonorous, soulful....God! It's beauty pains my heart!The instruments are lush, exotic and brilliantly orchestrated. Some of it is, I believe, synthesized but heck- when it sounds this good, who really cares? Call the technology a 'modern instrument' and have done with it.
Hans Zimmer has made a towering achievement here and like a gladiator about to die with each hearing, I salute him!