Hannibal. Original motion picture soundtrack music composed by Hans Zimmer.

Hannibal. Original motion picture soundtrack music composed by Hans Zimmer. Decca 289 467 696-2.

The gimmick of the music for the movie Hannibal, the even-more-grisly sequel to Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter, is that it's quiet and serene, providing a kind of counterpoint to the mayhem occurring on screen. Anthony Hopkins stars for the second time as the refined serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a man of cultured tastes, if you'll excuse the expression, now at large and living in Florence, Italy, under an assumed name. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is supposed to show just how civilized Dr. Lecter is, as he plays Bach's "Aria da Capo" from the Goldberg Variations on the piano (courtesy of Glenn Gould). Other tunes were composed especially for the film and run the gamut from tranquil orchestral pieces to the pseudo operatic. Hopkins himself speaks through a few of the works, giving the disc an eerie reflective quality.

Like most soundtrack albums, this one best serves as a reminder of the motion picture, a souvenir of the experience, rather than as a focused or unified program on its own. And in spite of the seeming placidity of the tracks, it all comes off as rather creepy even if you haven't seen the film. I suppose that's the point. There isn't a lot of joy for the audiophile or music lover, however. The sound can often be distant, dull, mushy, or noisy, surprising given the origins of the audio. I read on the back cover that not only Decca but MGM, Universal, and Sony were involved. Well, most of the entertainment media are in bed with each other these days; it appears to be a matter of survival. Can't say I recommend this disc, but as the movie is one of the most popular of the year, I would imagine the soundtrack is going to sell a ton of copies, anyway.