Album: The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack
Track: Gotham's Reckoning
Odd time:
The first thing of note for this piece is that its time signature is in 5/4. It has one extra quarter note than your common 4/4 measure. The rhythmic structure is best described as two short and two long notes for each bar. This rhythm remains constant throughout the piece and so tension is built by dynamics rather than rhythmic shifts.
Dynamics and instrumentation:
The piece builds up with staccato sounds from percussion and high strings playing the dominant 'two short, two long' rhythm. Underpinning this is a very low register bass changing notes with the start of each bar. Gradually more elements of the orchestra are added to the mix. Low frequency sounds from instruments like trombones and various baritone instruments begin to add a more coarse edge to the bass line.
A complex mix:
There are too many sounds to name individually but the panning in this mix has created a wide stereo image. Generally there is a higher and lower version of a sound where one is panned to the right or left while the other is centre. The best example of this is the foot stamping and chanting. The thumping feet can be heard both on the left and the right. However, there is a higher pitch stomping sound panned hard to the right. The difference might be like stomping on stone versus stomping on leaves. Earlier there is a sharp and high pitched 'drum like' sound panned hard to the left adding another texture the the rhythm that underpins the whole piece.
5/4 used to great effect:
A final note on rhythm: Throughout the film the use of this 5/4 meter has shown to be very effective building and releasing tension. The 5/4 meter seems to 'push' itself across the bar line due to its 'extra' beat. Furthermore, it is sped up and slowed down for different scenes in the film creating the dynamics I have been writing on,
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