Batman Returns Birth of a Penguin Batman vs the The Rise and Fall
(Elfman) – Birth of a Part 2 Circus from Grace
Penguin Part 1
Context History of film music: started as live music played by pianist/orchestra, first film composers had all emigrated
from Europe, audiences are prepared to accept difficult music when combined with visual image, always
secondary to the overall creative aim or at its best works alongside the narrative/visual element, leitmotifs –
short musical idea that represents a person, place or emotion (originated with Wagner)
Elfman: American, frequent collaborations with Tim Burton, influenced by
Bartok/Ravel/Glass/Prokovief/Stravinsky, adored Herrmann, self-taught composer, was in a rock band, often
uses leitmotifs + develops them
Batman Returns: first Batman sequel, directed by Tim Burton, dark satire, central character almost has a dual
personality of a hero/antihero
The Cobblepot family have a new baby, but there is Circus gang (clowns) A business man visits the
something very wrong + they decide to abandon the causing chaos on the Penguin + lures him
child by throwing the cradle into a river leading to the streets downstairs with some
sewers Batman intervenes fish to be greeted by
Journey of the cradle in the sewers with the opening election supporters
titles
Perform Large orchestral score, including pipe organ, harp, celeste, accordion, vibraphone, tubular bells, sleigh bells,
ing piano, fairground steam organ, synth choir and choir
Choir: ‘Ah’/‘La’/‘Ooh’ Extremely large range at Heavy use of percussion Penguin motif: harp (one
Forces
Penguin motif + beginning (e.g. xylophone, marimba, large gliss at start),
and vlns/timp/organ/celeste Batman motifs: brass, timp, piano, snare, temple accordion + organ
Sonority Sleigh bells – constant bsn, bass clarinet, vlns blocks) A: strings – cello/vln pizz,
quavers representing time Celeste, harp + choir at Harp glissandi + then aggressive arco
of year section D dramatically fairground organ answer in cello/double
Celeste + harp: musical change sonority Heavy use of brass + bsn bass (tremolo later)
box, innocence, Flute flutter-tonguing at + bass cl Bass clarinet + harp
(semi)quaver decoration, end mimics penguins Muted trumpet + hand- Bsn (staccato quavers),
harp glissandi E section: brass muted + stopped horn cor anglais (double viola
Organ: drone under vln tremolo + drum, with Violin + horn glissandi end of Penguin motif),
Batman motif + Penguin snares off Trumpet: extreme lip trill oboe counter-melody
motif Bass drum + tam tam as Oboe: extreme vibrato Bass drum, timp at end,
Percussion: bells at end, screen states ‘Gotham Strings: tremolo + pizz bells, marimba
timp, cymbal rolls + tam City’ Celeste oscillating
tam often end sections quavers
, Batman motif: horn, timp, Extremely high violins +
organ low double bass/cellos
Strings: vln tremolo
Penguin motif, lower
strings pizz
Structur A: Batman leitmotif, B: A: augmented altered A: Batman themes + tutti A: comical feel with
e Penguin motif, C: thinner Penguin motif, chords, B: represents Penguin motif fragment,
texture using Penguin argeggiated semis + hint ‘Circus gang’ chaos, C: B: Penguin motif in bass
All through motif, D: full orch of Batman theme, B: new sonority + ostinato, D: then middle, C: waltz-like
composed augmented then low ww ostinato + Batman theme fragments of Batman Penguin motif, then in
Penguin motif, E: choir in bsn/bass cl, C: tutti theme, as he appears in viola, then harp, D:
Penguin motif + sleigh climax chord as title the streets, E: Batman double bass + harp
bells + vln semis, F: ww appears, then triplet theme stops + trumpet interplay, E: picks up in
Penguin motif, arpeggios ostinato accomp with idea from B section pace + descends as
pauses + harp Batman motif, D: sonority returns Penguin lured down the
arpeggios leads to Part 2 dramatically changes, E: stairs
hint of Penguin motif,
snare ostinato, flz
Texture Unison over 5 octaves Mel dom hom: Bb minor Batman theme still in Monophony (first 2 bars)
augmented Penguin motif triplet ostinato with often octaves D: dialogue
ends D section + Penguin homophonic melodies Polyphonic texture with (heterophonic-like
motif always in octaves over = thick many fragmented texture between harp +
Opening 3 notes of Batman motif ideas/layered ostinatos bass cl – harp continues
Batman motif = one of the occasionally in octaves (always stops for a bar arpeggio on clarinet long
only times a melody is not Dialogue: bar + a beat when the Batman theme note, staccato quavers
doubled after second Batman plays) answer their quavers)
E: homophony – triads of theme introduced 2 Homophonic tutti chords Flute/harp in octaves
motif octaves below with accordion waltz
accomp
Arpeggiated harp
+organ octaves
Tonality A/B: Fm A: Dm A: Bm, unrelated C# + Em Clearly Cm throughout
C: Am (tertiary)/Gm B/C: Bbm (except Cmj (tertiary) chords (with a few F#s) – with a
Mostly D: Cm chord + Batman second B: Em, Cm (unprepared) rare perfect cadence into
minor keys E: Dm, section ends with a motif in Dmj) D: C#m (unprepared), Bm section E
Dmj chord via Fm D: F#m, section ends E: Em Tierce de Picardie
with Ab then Abm Obscured by chromaticism
