O ur task was to develop a show that could co-exist with the already successful »Hans Zimmer Live« tour and work without Hans Zimmer himself being present on stage.
Since »Hans Zimmer Live« focuses on Zimmer’s band in a non-orchestral setting, we decided to present the composer’s works arranged for a live symphony orchestra, thereby complementing the existing production with a new presentation of Hans Zimmer’s music. The title “The World of Hans Zimmer – A Symphonic Celebration” was chosen with the aim of giving the audience the possibility to delve into the thrilling “World of Hans Zimmer” with all its multilayered facets. Long-term collaborators such as conductor Gavin Greenaway, Lisa Gerrard or Pedro Eustache were engaged to ensure the quality and to make it clear to the audience that this was not a concert like so many other Hans Zimmer features, but the official symphonic production. The program was developed together with Hans Zimmer himself and the concert suites were produced by him and his team. Regular meetings with our music and video team followed.
A means of visualization similar to our »Hollywood in Vienna« productions was chosen, using animations as well as original film clips, but presenting them in an artistic way. Short video recordings of Hans Zimmer and his long-time friends and colleagues were recorded to be shown intermittently throughout the show, giving the audience the feeling of being invited to Hans Zimmer’s studio. The idea behind the stage design was to have the LED screens as scenery, with 7 screens of different heights rather than a regular 16:9 screen or cinemascope setting that is usually used for concerts with movie clips. It was our intention to break with this approach and to find a more artistic one, even if the film clips cannot be seen in full. Risers for the instrument groups of the orchestra turned the groups into individual performers which could be lit separately, depending on where the musical focus was. In order to heighten the dramatic effect of the choral pieces, two LED panels move to the side, revealing towers, where the choir is positioned on three levels.
The concept of “The World of Hans Zimmer – A Symphonic Celebration” proved to be highly successful, with sold out arenas from London to Lissabon.
