The Prisoner of Azkaban score is currently kicking my...

I loved JW's score for Prisoner of Azkaban! Every version of "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was great. I like how antiquated the musicality was with the harpsicord and flutes and how it allowed the the kids to be more modern in wardrobe and attitude in this movie. I also liked the thundering drums when Harry starts to ride Buckbeak for the first time. The music during the Quidditch match was one of his most thrilling.

 

Finally got the soundtrack today. Undoubtedly, it is one of the greatest soundtracks I have listened to. My favorite soundtracks are from the Star Wars saga and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Prisoner of Azkaban falls just outside of that. But hey, that ain't too bad

My favorite tracks: Aunt Marge's Waltz, The Knight Bus, Double Trouble, Buckbeat's Flight, A Window to the Past, Patronus Light, and Forward to Time Past.

As a side note, I also finally got to see the movie last week. Brilliant. My favorite film of the year and my favorite of the Harry Potter films so far. Alfonso Cuauron did a great job

 

I agree 100% on the score and the movie. Those are my favorite tracks as well, but I'd add Quidditch - Third Year (very unusual yet thrilling) and The Dementors Converge (excellent use of the patronus theme and A Window to Time Past).

 

I didn't think "Quidditch, Third Year" was very unusual, but I loved it just the same. "A Window to the Past" has been described as "sad" by most people, but I wouldn't call it that...there's a sort of odd happiness in it.

Didn't notice the Patronus Theme in "The Dementors Converge," just some choral stuff...

 

Didn't notice the Patronus Theme in "The Dementors Converge,"

That's because it's in Finale


I've had this CD for quite some time now and I absolutely love it. I have to go with the majority here and say that Buckbeak's Flight, Double Trouble, and A Window to the Past are some of the main highlights. The statement of AWTTP in the end of Finale is just awe-inspiring, it's my fav. statemant of it in the soundtrack. Though I'm quite surprised not too many have mentioned The Dementors Converge and Quidditch, Third Year. Right next to Dueling the Basilisk, those are my favorite action ques in Harry Potter

 

Well, I don't have the POA soundtrack(am thinking about buying it with my Hastings gift cards, though), but I did see it for the second time and tried to pay more attention to the music. I do think this musical score was filled with a lot of variety & newer themes. I have the first Harry Potter soundtrack, and I really like it(LOVE the opening Harry Potter theme they use in all the movies. It just somehow captures the entire feel of the series in its haunting notes), but there are some themes and pieces of music which seem a bit too Star Warsy to me. Still love it, but I really like it when John Williams comes up with entirely new themes(like the Harry Potter opening theme). Anyways, I've only seen the movie twice, but I do think John Williams may have experimented a bit more with his music in this one, which I like. The only problem I had(and this isn't John William's fault at all, it's just my own problem) is that at certain parts of the movie they did this creepy violin(?) thing that reminded me of the Mystique theme from X-Men, so it would kind of pull me out of the movie when I heard it. This is off-topic, but it's good to read posts by people who loved the movie. There's seem to be so many people who didn't like the new feel Cauron brought to the series but I LOVED his style and thought POA was such a great film.

 

"A Window to the Past" has been described as "sad" by most people, but I wouldn't call it that...there's a sort of odd happiness in it.

I would describe it as bittersweet.

I love this soundtrack even more upon further listenings. I'm listening to it right now, currently on "Saving Buckbeak," another great track.

 

"Bittersweet" is good. The theme can be really upbeat, though, such as in "Finale" or "Harry Conjures the Patronus" (not included on soundtrack).

 

I prefer calling it poignant.

 

"A Window to the Past" actually reminds me of "Across the Stars" in a way. I think they're definitely two of the most beautiful pieces Williams has ever composed (or I could go further and say two of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard).

 

Yeah, both pieces have a few melodic lines in common.

 

When the Oscars come around next year, I really hope the Academy will nominate The Prisoner of Azkaban. Of all the scores I've listened to this year, it is the best. It is also one of the more creative scores I've listened to in quite a time (The Knight Bus and Forward to Time Past are among examples of this with their unexpected styles).

I don't care how many Oscars John Williams has. Give him all of them!

 

I do think that the PoA score is Oscar caliber material. I would love seeing it nominated.

 

My favorites from the soundtrack are numbers 1, 4 and 5. All are rich, mysterious themes, that get the heart pumping.

John Williams was brilliant with this. Just fantastic!

 

I agree Strilo. I just got it today, I finally had the money and the time to go to the store to get it. I truly believe that it is one of JW's greatest works.

A Window to the Past and Hagrid the Professor are two of my favorites. The use of Medieval insrumentation in a 21st century way is great. Williams has once again shown us all that he is still the Master.

 

I've been listening to PoA recently. It's got some tremendous stuff -- Window to the Past is very beautiful; Buckbeak's Flight is good -- but there are some things about it. I don't like Knight Bus at all. Drives me nuts, which I guess is the point, but it feels too out of place. I don't have a problem with Double Double or whatever it's called, but I don't like songs in the middle of albums, and think maybe it should've gone at the end. Starting after that, though, the CD's great -- until the end. After the finale, it seems like we're going to get a great denouement, but it turns into just a megatrack of every signigicant piece of music from the score, in the opposite order. Which makes sense given the time travel thing, but the way they just go one into the other instead of working together is, in my opinion, a pretty unsatisfying ending to what is for the most part a great listen.