Batman is Brückner

The movie trailer for the new Batman movie has an orchestral chord (in the last 30 seconds, over the title) that sends chills up my spine. After listening to it a few times, it started to sound familar, and after a few days of letting it roll around in my brain, I remembered where I had hear that before. It goes back awhile...

While a student at UBC, I met a friend who introduced me to classical music. While I had heard Beethovens' greatest hits and even heard of Mahler, the ones that I had never even heard of before were the last three symphonies by Anton Brückner. Like Mahler, these are big orchestras, with big, sweeping themes, and awesome brass sections.

Brückner's music you have to sit and listen to. You can't be doing something else. It ain't background music.  I have to physically prepare my space before listening, then need unwinding time after, with silence and no interruptions between. The music is that holy. I recall driving from Ottawa to Kingston for a rare performance of the 8th Symphony, and driving back in the silent glow of the event.

Even if you don't care to dive as deeply as I have, you should at least hear what might have inspired Hans Zimmer on this soundtrack.

Here's the link to Anton Brückner's Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, Movement 4 (Finale) on the iTunes Music Store. Listen with reverence.

Another rendition conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini on YouTube.