The Dark Knight: The Collectors Edition

第51回グラミー賞 Best Score Soundtrack Album 受賞！
『バットマン・ビギンズ』の続編、『ダークナイト』のサウンドトラック。クリスチャン・ベールがバットマン、ゲイリー・オールドマンがゴードン警部補、急逝したヒース・レジャーがジョーカーを演じる。スコアはハンス・ジマー、ジェームス・ニュートン・ハワードが手掛ける。

Even high-budget Hollywood movies generally get by with one A-list composer, but the renewed Batman series that kicked off with Batman Begins under the direction of Christopher Nolan in 2005 used two, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, both of whom return for the second installment, The Dark Knight. Although Zimmer and Howard are co-credited with each of the cues (with Lorne Balfe given a credit for unspecified "additional music"), their styles are sufficiently distinct that their individual contributions don't seem hard to delineate. The highly percussive synthesized music, much of it seemingly already mixed in with sound effects, sounds like Zimmer; the more conventional orchestral passages, sometimes giving way to solo piano, sound like Howard (who is, in fact, credited with playing piano on the soundtrack). Both approaches are combined in these sometimes lengthy cues, however. Those pounding, thunderous drums (or synthesized percussive effects) are never absent for long, even if certain tracks, notably Harvey Two-Face, Blood on My Hands. and Watch the World Burn, have a pastoral, classical feel. Other tracks, such as I'm Not a Hero and A Little Push, in which the percussion dominates, may be more Zimmer than Howard. Still, the two work well together on a score that, by definition, is "dark," laden with ominous sounds and relentlessly rhythmic accompaniments to the fast-paced action in the film.

Even high-budget Hollywood movies generally get by with one A-list composer, but the renewed Batman series that kicked off with Batman Begins under the direction of Christopher Nolan in 2005 used two, Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, both of whom return for the second installment, The Dark Knight. Although Zimmer and Howard are co-credited with each of the cues (with Lorne Balfe given a credit for unspecified "additional music"), their styles are sufficiently distinct that their individual contributions don't seem hard to delineate. The highly percussive synthesized music, much of it seemingly already mixed in with sound effects, sounds like Zimmer; the more conventional orchestral passages, sometimes giving way to solo piano, sound like Howard (who is, in fact, credited with playing piano on the soundtrack). Both approaches are combined in these sometimes lengthy cues, however. Those pounding, thunderous drums (or synthesized percussive effects) are never absent for long, even if certain tracks, notably "Harvey Two-Face," "Blood on My Hands," and "Watch the World Burn," have a pastoral, classical feel. Other tracks, such as "I'm Not a Hero" and "A Little Push," in which the percussion dominates, may be more Zimmer than Howard. Still, the two work well together on a score that, by definition, is "dark," laden with ominous sounds and relentlessly rhythmic accompaniments to the fast-paced action in the film. ~ William Ruhlmann

巨匠ふたりの、またしても新しい挑戦!!
もちろん、燃えまくるが、それだけではない!!

『ダーク・ナイト』(2008)
サウンドトラック
音楽 ハンス・ジマー&ジェームス・ニュートン・ハワード
監督 クリストファー・ノーラン
主演 クリスチャン・ベール、ヒース・レジャー

『バットマン・ビギンズ』の続編にあたるストーリーという枠を超え、スケールの大きい犯罪アクションとして絶賛を浴びる本作を形作るひとつの要素は、前作でファンを驚かせた、巨匠ふたりの本当のコラボレーション。そして、今回は、再びその共演が実現、壮大に勇ましい オーケストラに悲壮なアクセントを取り入れたものから、ハードなギター・サウンドを盛り込んだ刺激的なスコアまで、さすがに様々な大作を通過してきた巨匠のタッグならではの聴き応えたっぷりの濃厚な、新しい映画音楽スコア。オーケストラ・スコア・ファンはもちろん、 現代の映画音楽とは?というもののまずは薦められる一作であろうと思われます。この作品から、スコア・ファンになる人もきっと多いことでしょう。 (C)馬場敏裕