Zimmer's 100th Film Score full of fusion
Another great from the Zimmer collection: Neely and the Hollywood Studio Symphony perform the music of The Last Samurai
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Repertoire: The Last Samurai
Artists: The Hollywood Studio Symphony/Neely
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Film Soundtrack
Label: Elektra 7559 629322
Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Gladiator) marries classic Japanese musical instruments (Taiko drums, bamboo flute, koto) and aesthetics (formality, stillness) with Western-style orchestration and emotional melodies to create a hybrid sound that exquisitely evokes the two worlds. This is a subtly flavoured soundtrack that lingers diplomatically in the background of the movie, enhancing rather than hijacking, and doing so most elegantly.