Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...

Does it appear to be all Williams or is there music from this other composer?

 

I can't really decide what's Williams's contribution and what's Ross's contribution to this score. Unless Ross is an amazing copycat composer, it seems to me that Williams could have written the whole thing. You can hear little influences from many recent scores of Williams in practically every cue.

Either Ross has the ability to compose exactly like Williams, or Williams wrote more than just 40 minutes of music.

 

I agree, it's quite seamless. Unlike the score for JP3, which was obviously a different composer who unfortunately butchered the Jurassic Park theme.

And Fawke's theme rocks.

 

That one track, I think it's the Fawkes one, that is so beautiful.
It's kind of funny that the two main themes are named after birds.
Some of it reminds me a little of Star Wars, but I guess JW can't help that.

 

Unlike the score for JP3, which was obviously a different composer who unfortunately butchered the Jurassic Park theme.

I'm still recovering from that one (and that was opening weekend of the film!).

If the mixture in HP: COS is as seamless as you all say, then I'm looking forward hearing it.

 

Up! It's coming out Tuesday!

 

OMG! I forgot!

*puts it on his birthday / Christmas wishlist*

 

Got it. Along with AOTC and FOTR: Uber-Edition DVDs (how prophetic, Jedi Ginny's words).

I wasn't too thrilled with the JP3 soundtrack since it was basically "music music music...let's insert an out-of-place JW theme here...more music", but this one is truly classic Williams. William Ross may be William's musical successor when that tragic day comes.

I mean, I don't know how much was Williams and how much Ross, but sitting here listening without having looked at the track names or order, a new track came on and I swear I said immediately "This is Dobby (the house elf)'s theme." And it was. That's the power of William's music. You don't have to have heard it before to know who it belongs to.

If I hadn't been told this wasn't pure Williams, I wouldn't have known.

Honestly, I remember a thread about "If Williams died, who...?" and today I'd cast my vote for Ross.

I won't go more in depth right now until more have a chance to listen, but suffice it to say, I prefer it to JP3, and even to the first HP.

A worthwhile buy.

M. Scott

 

I see the movie today, and - like with HP1 - I'll pay extra attention to the music. Especially since you sound pretty excited about the seamlessness (if that happens to be a word )

 

Filmtracks has their review up.

Any opinions on the new theme introduced in track 2 Fawkes the Phoenix? Since I have not read the books, I have no idea what it refers to, but as the main new theme of the score, it doesn't hit me very strongly. The orchestration tries for a sweeping scope, but the melody itself is not as memorable as, say, Harry's Wonderous World.

 

I listened (hm, I still do) to that stream and I was in the movie last night...
and while I second (third, fourth, whatever ) the opinion that it sounds very Williams-like (which is good), I also find it rather redundant from the first one...

I didn't think HP1's score was that great, but I liked it. I like this one (2), too, but don't think I'll buy it.

Maybe the score to the fourth/ fifth movie, where every theme so far is to be found on with all that recycling

 

I saw the movie today. The score was good, but like TwiLek said, it was rather redundant. For instance, during the quidditch match, when Harry caught the snitch it was EXACTLY the same music as played last year when Harry caught it. And the forbidden forest music was also exactly the same. Etc. etc.

Fawkes theme was cool though. Other than that, it doesn't really break any new ground at all though. A very safe score.

 

Just saw the movie. Like most of Williams' themes, I like the Fawkes theme more now that I have seen the movie. And unlike many Williams' fans, I usually dislike the concert suites of his big themes compared to the use of it in the actual film. This is the case with the Fawkes theme; it's used beautifully in Dueling the Basilisk, but I'm still not too enthusiastic about it in the concert suite, which appears in (usual Williams' style) the end credits.

I think I pretty much stand by my first thoughts on the album when the internet stream came to our attention. It may have a lot of similar sounds to the first movie, but considering them as two separates, I'd say this one has less redundancy with itself than Philosopher's Stone. Instead of feeling Hedwig and Harry WW's theme being used too much, they are integrated well in this movie. The Harry WW's theme is especially beautiful. It also has less jarring cues; I still cannot listen to The Chess Game without recalling its grossly bombastic nature within the first movie.

 

I liked the film a lot and I liked the music a lot too. It truly felt like a Williams score thru and thru unlike the JP3 piece of crap. However, most of the main music was almost as if it was tracked from HP1. Now I know it wasn't and this was DEFINATELY the way to do this film's music under the circumstances, but still... it mildly bugged me at points.

 

"unlike the JP3 piece of crap"

Amen!

 

I saw the movie the other day and I noticed something very interesting during the Quidditch match.
When Harry and Dreyco (sp?) are flying through the wooden planks "backstage", the music sounded exactly like "Chase Through Coruscant" from AOTC!!! It was only for a few seconds but I swear I heard it. Anyone else notice it?

 

No but I noticed the cue that sounded a lot like No Ticket from Indy 3.



And it's DRACO.

 

I just got the 2 HP dvds in the mail today...

gonna watch as soon as I can.

 

Ken I did not know you liked Harry Potter! Yeah I love the score for CoS. Fawkes' theme is just brilliant! I like all the new themes a lot. Considering that much of it was arranged by William Ross using stuff from the first film, this score is surprisingly good and the CD is very enjoyable to listen to.

Can't wait to hear Prisoner of Azkaban! Sirius Black needs a theme!

 

The books are amazing. I just finished the 4th one (read em all before my sister was able to finish just the fifth ). I can't wait to read that next one. The music is pretty good too, but thats just John Williams for you. I would love to see voldemort on screen with some menacing theme in goblet of fire, though i doubt they will actually make that into a movie.

 

Steve Kloves is already working on the screenplay(s) for Goblet of Fire. He is trying to make the whole thing one film, but if that fails, they are going to make two films. I don't know where everyone is getting this idea that they are not making any after Prisoner of Azkaban. Of course they are. They have to make all seven books.

 

I don't know where everyone is getting this idea that they are not making any after Prisoner of Azkaban. Of course they are. They have to make all seven books.

Amen to that!