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as the orchestra, is being replaced by radio broadcast, televised programs, CD's, I-pods, downloads and the like, film scores are very much adding to the popularity, if not the survival, of classical music. But back to the music.

If the opening track dips its toe timidly into the art of blending eastern and western themes, "Spectres in the Fog" plunges head first into those waters. It builds, again, on very oriental sounds, Taiko drums offer a powerful beat, creating a drama and atmosphere that matches the tension on screen and as these fade away into a ghostly mix of flute and percussion a typical Hans Zimmer big finish is given to use. Big orchestral string-dominated waves of urgency speed the music to its natural conclusion leaving the listener out of breath and on edge. "Taken" is a slow burning lull in this tension building from a brooding violin base it builds again to lofty heights adding drama and power as it goes. Taking a break from the grandiose side of things "A Hard Teacher" is a soft and romantic piece and with its dominant Japanese woodwind sounds is slightly less western than some of what has gone before. What Zimmer manages to deliver, especially on these gentler tracks is sheer beauty. People expecting the man to deliver a re-hash of his style setting themes from "Gladiator" or the pulsing rhythms from his other east-west score to "Black Rain" will be pleasantly surprised by the measured and soft tones of many of these tracks particularly those that lead in the more eastern direction.

"To Know My Enemy" can almost be seen as an overview of the CD as a whole as it seems to move through and capture the essence of all of the styles and ideas on the record. A wash of strings set the ground work, soon to be replaced by those stunning Taiko drums and some hardly heard woodblock percussion before briefly exploding into a dance of flutes and beats before falling back to the calmness of before. Large orchestrated passages rise and fall, threatening to take hold of the piece before building into a dramatic finish. To counter the drama "Idylls End" revisits the main theme of the opening track and again proves that even in a film, and a score, full of big statements, action and power, some of the most memorable moments come from the checked and restrained pieces, though this time around that main theme is built into a more involved passage. This theme is visited again in the closing track and in my mind is some of the most listenable and evocative music

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