When you think of musicians who have influenced the pop culture of the 21st century, there are a lot of names that come to mind. If you’re a rock fan, it’s probably Jack White, Dave Grohl or Muse. Pop fans will mention names like Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. There are a lot of different musicians that we could put on that list. But there’s one name that has influenced our culture just as much as anyone on that list that rarely comes up. Maybe that’s because we don’t often see his name; he never had videos on Much Music or the YouTube algorithm, despite evolving in the most visual of musical mediums. The man I’m talking about is none other than prolific German composer Hans Zimmer.
I still remember the first time I stuck around at the end credits of a film to read the composer’s name. I was in a theatre having just finished the journey that was Gladiator. I remember noticing how with every high and low of the last 3 hours was guided by the expert hand of the majestic score. That was the first time I read the name Hans Zimmer.
A simple melody can tickle our ‘member berries’ and bring us back to incredible places. It can bring us back to the Death Star, ancient Rome, or the deck of the Black Pearl. It’s incredible how music with so much power doesn’t often get translated to music’s most powerful medium, the live performance. I can honestly say this was my first opportunity to experience Hollywood live with the original composer.
As the curtain Rose and the massive orchestra was revealed, a question was answered: What would Zimmer be like live? Would he be just a conductor? The answer was no; he was a performer. As they opened with the house Atreides theme from Dune, Zimmer stood amongst the band, guitar in hand, shredding riffs. In fact, I’d say that if you didn’t know what he looked like ahead of time, you wouldn’t know who on stage’s name was on the marquee. I saw a few people around me pull out their phones and Google pictures of him just to confirm he was indeed on stage.
Zimmer weaved amongst his cohorts, moving to various instruments throughout the night but never making it about him. He walked amongst his musicians, smiling and being very playful. At one moment he did wave his hands in the air as if he were a conductor, but it seemed to be in a mocking fashion, as if to say I’m not the general who leads from his office, I’m in the trenches, I’m part of the team.
While the crowd was into it from the start, business definitely picked up at the end of the first set when the orchestra performed the suites from Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean. Indeed the bowl of the Bell Centre had turned into the hull of a pirate vessel and the crowd swayed like they were finding their sea legs.
I’ll take a moment to point out that, just like in Hollywood, lighting played a major role in the production. With so many musicians on stage, the lighting did an expert job of directing the eye to the individual performers during their moments. We were treated to many virtuoso vocal performances as well as musical solos that allowed the various sections to shine.
Set two again began with music from Dune, this time fittingly part 2. But the highlights of the set were definitely The Dark Knight theme and the Lion King theme. This duo was a perfect representation of Zimmer’s versatility as a composer. Okay, Bruce Wayne and Simba’s stories both start with them losing parents, but that’s where the similarities end. The ability of the scores to transport you back to bright sunny Africa by way of dark, brooding Gotham is incredible. Travel agents should take note.
I’ve seen a lot of encores in my life, and I’ve got to say that walking back out to James Bond music is amongst the most badass I’ve ever seen. This was definitely the most animated the orchestra was all night. The raw emotion behind these iconic notes can’t be overstated.
Overall, this was an incredible night of music, with top-level performers transporting us to so many corners of pop culture. We give actors and directors their flowers on a consistent basis, but let us not forget that nothing controls our emotions like music. Alright, now I need to see Danny Elfman and John Williams live, but at least I can cross Hans Zimmer off the old bucket list—well, at least until he graces our fair city again.
Review – Richard Brunette
Photos – Alex Distaulo
