Music Composed by Hans Zimmer
Rating: *** 1/2

The Da Vinci Code. Whether you’ve seen the movie, or read the book, or both, or neither, you’re sure to have heard something about it. Given that Ron Howard was chosen as director for the screen adaptation of the novel, the choice of Hans Zimmer to pen the film’s score was an interesting one, given Howard’s tendency to work with James Horner and, more recently, Thomas Newman.

It was a risky choice that paid off, however. Zimmer has crafted a score that aptly fits the dark and religious tone of the subject matter. His score opens with “Dies Mercurii I Martius”. Within the cue, almost all the score’s major ideas and orchestrations come to light. Heavy strings, full choir and soprano solo, electric violin bounce back and forth, developing the score’s major themes. The first long and meandering, the second straightforward, sustained notes with racing strings underneath. After some dissonant string writing, the third theme is introduced, a series of descending, major scales, backed by brass and male choir.

Hans Zimmer

The next cue, “L’Esprit Des Gabriel” introduces the final theme, a dark, brooding 5-note motif, rising and falling with a great sense of dread. As the score continues, the orchestration ideas further cement themselves. The action music is dominated by dissonant string chords. A string quartet makes appearances. The choir and solo soprano is ever present. Zimmer’s traditional synth elements remain, but they are subdued, rarely dominant. Solo instruments weave in and out of the score, such as the impressive cello solo played by Martin Tillman in “Ad Arcana”.

Sadly, the mood set by the score is trashed by “Salvete Virgines”. It’s a harsh, abrasive choral cue not in the film, but totally programmed on in the wrong place on the album. It totally disrupts the flow the rest of the album had built up to that point. Thankfully, the score returns to its original sound with “Daniel’s 9th Cipher”, followed by Zimmer’s standout cue from the score, “Poisoned Chalice”. A faux operatic aria sung with crystal clarity by soprano Hila Plitmann, accompanied by full choir and orchestra, this gorgeous cue truly shows off Zimmer’s compositional talent (a shame he doesn’t show it off like this more often!).

The remainder of the score is more of the same. Tenser, more dissonant music controls the second half, but the tone set in the opening half of the score continues unabated. Zimmer’s score concludes on a high note, however, as the final score cue, “CheValiers De Sangreal”audio clip closes with a triumphant rendition of the main theme. In fact, the entire cue is based around the theme, slowly building from the opening of the cue to the close, with more parts of the orchestra adding layers and layers of color to the cue until the music finally explodes with full orchestra, choir, and synths. The album ends not with the cue, but with a subdued, a capella piece for choir by Richard Harvey, the score’s conductor (and a film composer in his own right). “Kyrie for the Magdalene”audio clip would not be out of place in a religious mass, and is a fitting end to the score, given the subject matter that inspired it.

The Da Vinci Code is certainly a solid score by Zimmer. Everything is well composed and thought out, the themes well developed, and the music is recorded wonderfully by Geoff Foster; no muddiness present here that seems to permeate some Zimmer recordings. However, in all honesty, The Da Vinci Code bears great resemblance to the style Zimmer used in scores such as Invincible and Hannibal. You could even call The Da Vinci Code extensions of those scores. As a result, is it more of the same? Nothing truly groundbreaking? Perhaps. But, all that aside, the music really is good. A rewarding listen, especially for fans of Zimmer’s previous, elegiac writing.

Music Composed, Arranged and Produced by Hans Zimmer, Orchestra Conducted by Richard Harvey, Arranged by Lorne Balfe, Nick Glennie-Smith and Henry Jackman; Recorded by Geoff Foster; Mixed by Al Clay; Album Mixed by Alan Meyerson; Label: Decca Records, (B000647902); Availability: In-print; U.S. Release Date: May 9, 2006.

01. Dies Mercurii I Martius (6′03)
02. L’esprit Dès Gabriel (2′48)
03. The Paschal Spiral (2′49)
04. Fructus Gravis (2′50)
05. Ad Arcana (6′07)
06. Malleus Mareficarum (2′21)
07. Salvete Virgines (3′16)
Music by Hans Zimmer
Words by Abhay Manusmare
08. Daniel’s 9th Cipher (9′31)
09. Poisened Chalice (6′19)
10. The Citrine Cross (5′21)
11. Rose Of Arimathea (8′11)
12. Beneath Alrischa (4′23)
13. Che Valiers De Sangreal (4′09)
14. Kyrie For The Magdalene (3′55)
Words and Music by Richard Harvey