Hans Zimmer, Scoring Big with 'Da Vinci'

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Ron Howard (left) and Hans Zimmer in the studio. Saeed Adyani hide caption

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Saeed Adyani

Ron Howard (left) and Hans Zimmer in the studio.

Saeed Adyani

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Composer Hans Zimmer offers some additional thoughts: hide caption

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Composer Hans Zimmer offers some additional thoughts:

On Mentor Stanley Myers

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The Future of Film Music

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Electronics Versus Orchestra

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On Editors

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You can't see the big-screen version of The Da Vinci Code for a few more days. But composer Hans Zimmer's score is already out on CD, and the music sets a tone that is both suspenseful and brimming with emotion.

Zimmer is a cinema powerhouse. His past work includes Gladiator, The Thin Red Line, Batman Begins and The Lion King. The latter won him an Academy Award. He last collaborated with Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard on the movie Backdraft.

Writing the score for what might be the most-awaited film of the year required a delicate balance. The result is reflective, but rises to the occasion for action-packed sequences.

Zimmer talks with Liane Hansen about the composition process, writing electronic versus orchestral scores and the future of film music.