Live show 'nerding out' on the film scores of Hans Zimmer

Dan Golding, Andrew Pogson and Nicholas Buc host the podcast The Art of the Score in which they discuss, analyse, and generally “nerd out” discussing film scores.

For the Auckland show, accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia, they will unpack Hans Zimmer's music.

Zimmer is one of Hollywood's most prolific film composers scoring more than 100 films, including Interstellar, Gladiator, Inception and The Lion King.

Related stories:

Golding is a critic and academic while Pogson is a producer, director and the founder of Concert Lab in Australia.

The Auckland show is a “love letter to Mr Zimmer,” Pogson told RNZ’s Culture 101.

“We'll be showing the audiences at various times throughout the night how the music works in real time.”

But in the “fanciest way possible,” he said.

“We get to do it with 70 or 80 musicians on stage and we can show the audience Hans does this, and he does this, and then this - is all happening in real time.”

Audiences respond well to this deep dive, live experience, he said.

“They are fairly spellbound seeing the magic of movie composing revealed before their very eyes and ears.”

What makes Zimmer so special? He was the right composer at the right time, Golding says.

“He emerged in the 1980s and the 1990s when digital technology in particular was really becoming a thing in film-making.”

Also, Zimmer brings a pop sensibility to score composition, Golding said.

“’Video Killed the Radio Star’ has Hans Zimmer on synths, if you watch the video clip from the Buggles he's actually in it, fairly anonymously on keyboards, up the back, but he's definitely visible as a very, very young man.

“I think there's a kind of pop sensibility to his songwriting.”

This pop ear allows Zimmer to compose tunes that chime with a broad audience, he said.

“I think he has an ear for the kind of music that appeals to a really wide, non-specialist audience.”

The show is designed for anyone to enjoy, Pogson said.

“People don't need to be familiar with the podcast at all to to enjoy it. It's more like if you enjoy hanging out, if you want to nerd out about, your favorite film, come hang out with your friends, Dan, Nick and Andrew and have a good time.”

The trio will present Art of the Score: The Music of Hans Zimmer alongside the Auckland Philharmonia in Auckland Tamaki Makaurau on Friday 4 April.