Whether you realize it or not, legendary composer Hans Zimmer is responsible for the music of some of your favorite films. Whether it’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Lion King, Gladiator or the just recently released Dunkirk (which I reviewed over at Monday Morning Matinee), his scores have brought life and passion to many great films spanning decades, his influence felt throughout the industry. This year he brought these scores together for a world tour, which stopped in to New York for two nights at Radio City Music Hall, where we caught the second show on July 26.
Zimmer started the night off with an intro medley of themes from Driving Miss Daisy, Sherlock Holmes and even Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, gradually warming his way into big time themes from films such as Gladiator and The Lion King, even bringing out singer Lebo M to really bring the “Circle Of Life” to it’s fullest form. Hearing songs like this and the haunting songs from The Gladiator (featuring singer Czarina Russell) really was overwhelming in the best way possible, especially considering the sheer scope and scale of Zimmer’s massive orchestra, which had about 50 members in it.
Following an intermission the show really switched gears when he welcomed in some of his more recent Superheroes themes from Man Of Steel, Batman v Superman and Wonder Woman. He brought out The Smiths’ legend Johnny Marr (Johnny’s son Nile plays in Zimmer’s orchestra) for The Thin Red Line and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (at least something good finally came from that movie), as well as the epic encore performance of Inception songs that put one hell of an exclamation point on a performance that was pure sensory overload, in the best way imaginable.
Zimmer helped provide some insight into these themes before certain selections and performances, with one sobering one coming before “Aurora” an original piece that he dedicated to the victims of the Aurora tragedy. It was insightful to hear Zimmer give us some insight into the thought process into creating some of these amazing scores, making an epic performance feel intimate and true.
Find some photos from the performance posted below, along with the career-spanning setlist.
Hans Zimmer Setlist:
Intro Medley
1. Driving (Driving Miss Daisy)
2. Discombobulate (Sherlock Holmes)
3. Rescue Me / Zoosters Breakout (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa)
Crimson Angels Medley
4. Roll Tide (Crimson Tide)
5. 160 BPM (Angels & Demons)
Gladiator Medley
6. The Wheat (with Czarina Russell)
7. The Battle (with Czarina Russell)
8. Now We Are Free (with Czarina Russell)
The Da Vinci Code
9. Chevaliers de Sangreal
The Lion King Medley
10. Circle of Life Intro (with Lebo M)
11. King of Pride Rock (with Lebo M)
12. This Land (with Lebo M)
13. Circle of Life Reprise (with Lebo M)
Pirates of the Caribbean Medley
14. Jack Sparrow
15. One Day / Marry Me
16. Up Is Down
17. He’s a Pirate
[Intermission]
18. You’re So Cool (True Romance)
Rain Man – Thelma & Louise
19. Rain Man Theme
20. Thunderbird
Superheroes
21. What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World? (Man of Steel)
22. Is She With You? (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman)
The Thin Red Line – The Amazing Spider-Man 2
23. Journey to the Line (with Johnny Marr) (The Thin Red Line)
24. My Enemy/Paranoia (with Johnny Marr) (The Thin Red Line)
The Dark Knight Suite
25. Why So Serious / Like a Dog Chasing Cars / Why Do We Fall?
26. Fear Will Find You / The Fire Rises / Gotham’s Reckoning
27. Aurora
Interstellar Medley
28. Day One
29. No Time for Caution
30. Stay
Encore:
Inception Medley
31. Half Remembered Dream (with Johnny Marr)
32. Dream Is Collapsing (with Johnny Marr)
33. Mombasa (with Johnny Marr)
34. Time (with Johnny Marr)
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