Batman Begins (soundtrack)

Infobox Album
Name = "Batman Begins"
Type = Soundtrack
Longtype =
Artist = Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard


Released = June 14, 2005
Recorded =
Genre =
Length = 60:26
Label =
Producer = Warner Bros.
Reviews =
Last album =
This album =
Next album =

"Batman Begins" is a soundtrack album to Christopher Nolan's 2005 "Batman Begins". It was released on June 15, 2005. The soundtrack drew from the film score, composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, as well as contributions by Ramin Djawadi and Mel Wesson. The songs in the soundtrack were titled with Latin names: the first song, "Vespertilio", is taken from the Latin word for bat, and the rest of the songs are titled after different genera of bats. [cite web | url=http://www.soundtrack.net/soundtracks/database/?id=3991 | title=Batman Begins Soundtrack | publisher=SoundtrackNet | accessdate=2006-11-06 ] Director Christopher Nolan originally invited Zimmer to compose the film score, and Zimmer asked the director if he could invite Howard to compose as well, as they had always planned a collaboration.cite news | author = Danny Graydon | title = A Little Knight Music | publisher = Empire | date = July 2005 | pages =87] The two composers collaborated on separate themes for the "split personality" of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman. Zimmer and Howard began composing in Los Angeles and moved to London where they stayed for 12 weeks to complete most of their writing. [cite news | author=Spence D | url=http://music.ign.com/articles/624/624382p1.html | title=Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard Part 1 | publisher=IGN | date=2005-06-10 | accessdate=2006-12-01 ] Zimmer and Howard sought inspiration for shaping the score by making set visits to "Batman Begins".cite news | author=Spence D | url=http://music.ign.com/articles/624/624641p1.html | title=Batman Vs. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard Part 2 | publisher=IGN | date=2005-06-13 | accessdate=2006-12-01 ]

Zimmer wanted to avoid composing a film score that had been done before, so the score became an amalgamation of orchestra and electronic music. The film's ninety-piece orchestra was developed from members of various London orchestras, and Zimmer chose to use more than the normal amount of cellos. Zimmer enlisted a choir boy to help reflect the music in the film's scene where Bruce Wayne's parents are killed. "He's singing a fairly pretty tune and then he gets stuck, it's like froze, arrested development", Zimmer said. Zimmer also attempted to add human dimension to Batman, whose behavior would typically be seen as "psychotic", through the music. Both composers collaborated to create 2 hours and 20 minutes worth of music for the film. Zimmer composed the action sequences, while Howard focused on the film's drama.

Track listing

# "Vespertilio" – The opening flashback.cite news|author=Matt Scheller|title=Batman Begins: First Listen|work=SoundtrackNet|date=2005-06-06|url=http://www.soundtrack.net/features/article/?id=150|accessdate=2008-09-19]
# "Eptesicus" – Bruce remembers his parents as he begins his training.
# "Myotis" – Bruce destroys the monastery.
# "Barbastella" – Bruce enters the cave as an adult.
# "Artibeus" – Features some of the Scarecrow's themes.
# "Tadarida" – Scarecrow attacks Batman.
# "Macrotus" – Begins with Howard's themes, before seguing into Zimmer's work.
# "Antrozous" – Batman reveals himself to Dawes, flys to Ducard.
# "Nycteris" – Bruce meets Lucius Fox.
# "Molossus" – Tumbler escape chase to the Batcave.
# "Corynorhinus" – The film's resolution.
# "Lasiurus" – Includes Batman watching over Gotham after defeating Falcone.

The first letters of tracks #4-9 spell BATMAN.

Use in other works

The soundtrack is also often sampled for other superhero related productions. "Molossus", an instrumental by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, was sampled for the "Aquaman" pilot, and was also used in the trailer for "V for Vendetta". "Vespertilio" and "Eptesicus" were used in the screener pilot for "Heroes". "Myotis" has been featured in trailers for "King Kong", "Fantastic Four", "Far Cry" and of course, "The Dark Knight".

References

External links

* [http://www.soundtrack.net/soundtracks/database/?id=3991 SoundtrackNet] - Batman Begins Soundtrack