Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I havn't heard much of Schindlers List, but i think this particular piece sounds like the beginning of Parade of the Ewoks, Danse Macabre, and Anakins theme (partly), all rolled into one and given a spooky rendition. Not saying its bad, but he could have given it more 'oomph'.

 

I gave it some time and tried to get used to it, but I still don't feel as enthusiastic about it as some others in this thread do. Don't get me wrong, it sounds quite well for the movie, but I don't think it's close to being one of Williams' best work.

I agree with SotS on the difference between Hook and Harry Potter; Hook just has way too massive amount of music and themes to be compared to this, though admittingly, some parts of the music do sound similar. Besides Hedwig's Theme, my favorite tracks are probably Leaving Hogwarts, The Chess Game, The Face of Voldemort and Prologue. As for the popular Harry's Wondrous World and The Quidditch Match, well, I'm okay with them.

On a whole, it's not going to be a highlight of Williams' distinguished career, or in recent years for that matter. That being said, it's still a worthy addition for Williams.

 

I think that some of you have an over-inflated sense of "musical-prowess" and that you *think* you know alot about music and all the nuances involved. It is one thing to say that you personally don't like the music, but it is an entirely different matter when you try to predict or forsee what others think about it or how the score "matches up to other Williams' scores". The truth is that some of you on here have no business trying to analyze music, or at least vainly trying and sounding pretentious in the process.

On another note,

I like the soundtrack.

 

It's one thing to describe and analyze specifics, and it's one thing to describe your own feelings about your own listening experience. Nobody in here is claiming to be an expert, it's just like a person claiming to like one pizza over another. Do we have to know how each is done in specific terms? No, it's about personal enjoyment.

 

That was uncalled for, Jedi Beowulf. We have every right to express our opinions on this or any other score. None of us are pretending to be experts, we're just music fans.

 

I don't think it was uncalled for...I was just expressing my opinion or other people's opinions.

 

Your opinion not only sucks, it's dead wrong!!!

 

Come on children. These are just opinions, and not very strong ones at that. None of us pretend to be something we're not, we act on and discuss what we know, not what we would like to know.

I'm not into poetry much, but when i had to do a Seamus Heaney essay, i realised how bad a poet he was, in my opinion. That's not a judgement based on all the poems ever written, its based on what i've read, and even poems i've wrote, which surpass his.

So we just discuss what we know. If you want to draw from evidence in other soundtracks and music, then do so, but if someone else doesn't, it doesn't make their opinion void.

 

i just got HP and it seems very repetitive. i dont no about it yet maybe ill have to listen to it a few more times and watch the movie to like it more

 

ok, im getting more used to it now

 

This is defenitely my favorite JW since TPM; There were several tracks that jumped out and grabbed me: such as track 5- Diagon Alley. The fiddle playing on that track is very cool (of course as I play the violin I'm slightly biased)

Of course I'm madly in love with Hedwig's theme. It does remind me a lot of Hook, but it's different too. Let's face it people, Hook and HP are very similar stories as far as their scope of adventure and magic. HP leans a little heavier on the magic side and Hook a little more on the adventure. I can also see where you can hear Schindler's List.

And doesn't anyone else think Fluffy's Harp is just a cool piece of music all by itself? I mean, how often have you heard a composition consisting of only a harp and a tuba? A very interesting combination.

The only part that bored me was "Hogwarts Forever." It seemed to drag. It lost the feeling of "magical boarding school" and became (to me) "high school band concert"

All in all though, I'm already wearing out my CD, and it will be a long time before I switch it for something else (probably next May )

 

i actually think the ep2 soundtrack comes out april 23? or something but i also think the chess game is very good, i can play it on the trumpet

 

Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only on who heard Hook in there.

I saw HP last night and quite enjoyed it. But the music was very, very familiar. I was torn, however, between the idea that it sounded so much like Hook, and the idea that the music was so RIGHT for the film (which, I must say, it was) that it seemed familiar.

Haven't gotten the CD yet, but plan to. As soon as I saw Williams was involved I knew this movie would rock the casbah.

Anyone else hear part of the Star Wars theme when Harry gets to platform 9 3/4?

(For those of you familiar with the Bill Murray SNL rendition of the Star Wars theme, it's the notes corresponding to "nothing but STAAAAAAR Wars...")

For those of you thinking it's kind of weak, I feel the same way about the ANH soundtrack. It's good music, but man when Williams got a grasp of the characters and wrote the Imperial March, THAT'S when it started.

This is only the beginning.

M. Scott

 

I saw HP Friday night with a friend who doesn't know too much about John Williams, and he said the score really carried the film along and he really enjoyed it. I think that says something.

Yeah, I liked it a lot too... especially Harry's Wonderous World... there's a few themes there that occur a bunch of times throughout the movie. There's this nice theme that I think is Harry's theme..

 

As was the case with A.I, the music has gained more meaning for me after seeing the film. "Hedwig's Theme" shows up much more often in the film than in the soundtrack, but it embodies the feel of the film so well that I didn't mind the repetition. The "Quidditch Match" and "Chess Game" pieces made their respective scenes so much more exciting. However, I did notice a few unreleased cues that I wish were on the soundtrack, including those heard during the mountain troll scene and near the film's climax. But with the film's popularity, a second CD release doesn't seem so unlikely. Maybe it'll include that suite that Williams worked on for "children's concerts".

Do I consider it the better of the two JW scores of 2001? I'm still undecided, but now I like the score more than I did when I first listened to the CD.

 

I think it sounds like Schindler's List, too, but I haven't heard anyone else say so! It's a great CD, although it's not as good as the new score for Lord of the Rings. If you liked Duel of the Fates, you might enjoy Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Lots of chanting. . . very dark and powerful music. (Not Williams-esque at all, however.)

 

I jsut saw the movie today i really liked the music in it the most. my favorite part was when they were playing the game (i don't remeber what it was called) but it reminded me a little bit of Gladiator espeacially when they were waiting for the door to open. i really liked it though

 

The game was Quidditch. The part of the score I liked most was the music played during the Wizard's Chess at the end.

 

I loved the soundtrack. Yes, it mimicked Hook, SW, and ET, but it's only because he had to create music with an ethereal, magical quality, as in those movies, while ensuring that some of the music betrayed the inherent severity of the situation. My personal favorite had to be the Chess Game, with its martial tension. Loved Diagon Alley(me and Kyra both heard the fiddle tune and went "We have to play that!"). Loved Christmas, knew it would be the ghosts singing. Especially loved Quidditch.

 

I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on Saturday night. I wasn't very impressed with the movie (and I do like the books). The score, while good, did not seem like one of Williams' best. "Hedwig's Theme" is a very good theme, and was used effectively for the most part, although I thought it was overused in the opening scenes. The funny thing is that Hedwig is never named in the movie. If I had not read the book, I would be wondering what the story with that owl was. But that has nothing to do with the score, so...

I remember especially liking the music during the Quidditch match, probably the best scene, and the "Fluffy's Harp" piece. I have to differ with some others on the chess music, though; I thought it was overly loud and bombastic, and a bit annoying. That scene in general did not work for me, as it was mostly a bunch of noise (partly due to the overscoring) and explosions rather than actual chess strategy.

Overall, I'd probably give the score a B (while the movie gets a C-). I definitely prefer Williams' score for A.I., which like the movie itself was brilliant.

 

A lot of what Jeff just posted remains true for me, too. I probably like the movie a little more, but I do tend to agree that the score was overly bombastic in certain scenes. Can't really blame Williams for The Chess Game though; I don't know how the novel was written, but in the way the movie unfolds, they basically don't show us any of the moves on the two sides, only the kills, so I suppose Williams naturally went with something as eye/ear popping as the kills. Like before seeing this movie, I still like the score to A.I. a lot more, and feel that Harry Potter is not too significant an addition to Williams' career. In case someone flames on again, the above, is all IMHO.

 

I heard the Star Wars-theme too.

 

does anyone know the name of the song that was used during the ending credits? thanks

 

Once again.... it's not a "song" if it doesn't contain any singing. Nothing in the Harry Potter soundtrack can be considered a song, except maybe the beginning of "Christmas at Hogwarts".

Now to answer your question, the end credits suite started with "Harry's Wondrous World" (track 2) and that was followed by "Hedwig's Theme" (track 19).

 

ok thanks...and sorry for calling it a song