Various Artists - Da Vinci Code (Score) Soundtrack - Music & Performance - CD

Along with Danny Elfman and Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer represents one of the most important and distinctive voices in the modern film score world. Zimmer pioneered the use of subtle electronic pads and sonic watercolors met with lush string writing. He is a master of the atmospheric, and each new score that bears his stamp is worth listening to at length. The Da Vinci Code is the latest example of Zimmer's haunting approach to the film score. It's brooding and enigmatic, with moments of great deftness.

The Da Vinci Code is both mystery and Gothic horror. Zimmer's score melds both the ominous foreboding of the latter and the sense of urgency and expectation of the former. This is no Roman Holiday. Zimmer's use of choral textures and varied harmonic rhythm, make the first few cues filled with dread. The rhythmic pulse of the strings, coupled with the rising crescendos, build to a series of unresolved climaxes. Cues like "Ad Arcana" are interludes of romantic melody, acting as contrast and release. The serenity is colored by moments of heaviness and later, harmonic density. The format of the album is mostly cues of moderate length. The marked exceptions are "Daniel's 9th Cipher" and "The Rose of Arimathea."

"Cipher" is a darkly intense tone poem, filled with lush string textures and brooding cellos. In the broad recapitulation of the theme, the harmonic character changes subtly, and glimpses of sunlight shine through. The most remarkable track is probably "Poisoned Chalice." Featuring a solo by lyric soprano Hila Plitmann, this is a choral anthem in the modern style, with nod's to Gabrielli's antiphonal writing. Zimmer is a master at employing the old (for character) and the new (for color) to create unique, atmospheric scores. Like his writing in Hannibal Zimmer uses a contemporary classical palate for Da Vinci. His use of strings is thick and heavy, but he relies on subtle changes in texture as developmental cues, rather than more dramatic orchestration tricks.

In all the score is an understated and sophisticated effort. The heraldic French horns make only a late appearance, and then with a lilt#. The writing is intentionally heavy, without being heavy handed. Zimmer has traded in his watercolors for layered oils, and the effect is all the more dramatic. Strokes are applied thickly and with obvious brush strokes. The Da Vinci Code builds relentlessly to a climax, which is finally relieved by a sort of choral "amen."

If the description of this soundtrack seems disjointed, it reflects the episodic nature of the CD. Unlike the epic soundtracks of recent years, this is a series of atmospheric sketches supporting plot, rather than character. It's trickier to write, and more challenging listening, but rewarding nonetheless. Hans Zimmer's work is subtle and enchanting. The Da Vinci Code is a fine score.