Album Review: The Batman

The Batman

Music composed by Michael Giacchino

Orchestrated by Jeff Kryka, Mick Giacchino, Curtis Green

Additional music by Mick Giacchino, Paul Apelgren

Orchestra conducted by Ludwig Wicki, Cliff Masterson, Jeff Kryka
Score recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London
Album running time: 115 minutes
Available on WaterTower Records

Who hasn't scored a Batman film at this point?  Well, now we get the take by franchise-collector Michael Giacchino.  This is his first film for DC, and a reunion for director Matt Reeves.  

For Giacchino's dark take on the score to The Batman, he created four main themes - The Batman, Catwoman, The Riddler and the Bruce Wayne/family theme.  Prior to the film's release, Batman, Catwoman and Riddler were released as singles.  His Batman theme also appeared in the original trailer and subsequent marketing.  To understand how the themes are created and used in the score, I'm going to focus on them first.

The Batman prominently uses the Batman theme - the descending third pattern.  We also get to explore the less used melancholic Bruce Wayne material featured on strings with rolling cello arpeggios underneath.  The theme expands to the full orchestra and becomes heroic and noble.  The low piano takes over the Batman theme and it slowly builds with different instruments, low strings, brass and bells during its multiple repetitions.  The never ending musical insistence is built into the character and helps build much of the foreboding tension in the film.

The Riddler theme is a twisted minor-key version of Schubert's setting of Ave Maria, which is heard in the film and is related to the character.  We first hear it with quiet strings, bells and wordless vocals.  The cue grows with large brass statements, strings arpeggios and the melody with trilling strings (what a great idea).  When it grows large, the arrangement has a bit of grandiose Goldenthal and the minor arpeggios of Elfman.  The track is quietly unnerving with bombastic moments - like the villain himself.  Catwoman is given a jazzy noir theme, moves between piano solo and then strings played with extra sliding.  Romantic and mysterious, it follows the lead of a John Barry-esque tune.

A great way to open the album, Can't Fight City Halloween, gives us the falling strings and rising brass features before building into several bold statements of the Batman theme.  Mayoral Ducting introduces the eerie vocal version of Riddler's theme among some high-pitched string harmonics.  It's Raining Vengeance gives us the most statements of Batman's dominant theme, moving a bit faster with chimes and interesting string techniques.  Don't Be Voyeur with Me has the Batman theme before harmonics lead the cue into parts of Catwoman's slinky theme.  Crossing the Feline underscores Catwoman's thieving skills with a repeating pattern on piano with metallic percussion.  

Gannika Girl utilizes Catwoman and Riddler's theme, a bit of unnerving and moody atmosphere.  Several repeated statements of Riddler's theme in Moving in for the Gil is accompanied with horror-like strings.  Funeral and Far Between is a full statement of the Bruce Wayne theme for strings and piano.  Collar ID adds some creepiness with knocking percussion and a string sting.  Escaped Crusader turns Batman's theme into a low string ostinato and builds it into a brief action cue.  Penguin of Guilt has the light metallic percussion, string slides with bits of the Batman theme and later the Catwoman theme.

Highway to the Anger Zone, the massive car chase, begins with big orchestral hits, dissonant strings and Batman's theme as action ostinato.  Brass gets the big statements of Batman's theme with percussion also getting to shine.  Giacchino's grandiose writing is thankfully able to be heard under the Batmobile's engine.  Riddler's theme appears again in World's Worst Translator alongside some interesting textures.  Riddles, Riddles Everywhere combines the Batman and Riddler theme.

Meow and You And Everyone We Know switches from a moody rendition to a stirring statement of Catwoman's theme.  For All Your Pennyworth brings back the Bruce Wayne theme in a solemn setting, like some of Giacchino's work on Lost.  Are You a Kenzie or a Can't-zie? is mainly slow burning suspense until it picks up with ticking percussion and Batman's theme growing in intensity.  The repetitive ticking appears in An Im-purr-fect Murder which again has the ostinato Batman theme with Catwoman's theme layered on top.  A few intense Batman statements round out the cue.

The Great Pumpkin Pie is unnerving with tremolo strings and growling brass.  The unnerving atmosphere is definitely apparent in Hoarding School and we hear Riddler's theme over Batman's theme as Batman connects the clues.  Batman's theme quickens a bit in A Flood of Terrors - we finally get the idea of Riddler's big plan.  The theme grows until interrupted by Riddler's theme.  

A Bat in the Rafters, Pt. 1 begins the action finale starting with the grandiose version of Riddler's theme which is built upon the whole track.  Batman's theme gets a thunderous and heroic reprise in A Bat in the Rafters, Pt.2.  We get lots of great moments for the orchestra to shine.  In a calm moment, Catwoman's theme is reprised.  A Bat's True Calling brings back the Bruce Wayne theme, with Batman's theme tolling on tubular bells and melancholic strings make up the rest of the track.  All's Well That Ends Farewell again uses Bruce Wayne's theme in its strongest, most hopeful statement in the film and ending with a flourish.  Gloria Cheng plays the solo piano in the suite, Sonata in Darkness.  Reprising the main themes, the arrangement is fantastic and is partly heard in the end credits.

The best thing of the score is how closely it matches the director's noir/mystery/horror aspects.  From there Giacchino went all in on those themes - they make up just about every aspect of the score.  How much you enjoy the score is really based on the instantly recognizable and repeating Batman theme.  There aren't many scores that capture the casual listeners ears like this one does.  

Most of the score works far better on film as the musical soundscape of this dark version of Gotham - Batman doing real detective work with a forbodding menace always in the background.  The three suites are the essential tracks - they tell you so much about Giacchino's approach.