score Favourite Harry Potter Score.

[xEmmaberryx]

This is a long post to come to the eventual question of Do You Have a favourite Harry Potter track? So feel free to skip over my essay if you'd like. 

 

In recent years I've come to really appreciate how non-diegetic sound (usually a score or track played over the action, but not part of the action)  can shape a film.  I think a good score can make a film, whilst a bad score can break it. I'll only be talking about the score on the original films, as I've listened to these a lot more than the Fantastic Beast films, or Cursed Child play (but I can do a post on those if it's interesting enough). For the most part I'll try to refer to the 

 

With Harry Potter, I think for the most part, the scores composed by John Williams (1-3), Patrick Doyle (4)  the few tracks from James Buckle, Steve Claydon and Jarvis Cocker in GoF, Nicholas Hooper (5-6) and Alexandre Desplat (7-8) are overwhelmingly positive with their placement in the films. They don't overwhelm you, nor do they feel forced. Each piece has been carefully composed and constructed to fit the scene, the plot, and build the atmosphere. I don't know much about music composition, but finding myself coming back to film scores time and time again, I got thinking...

 

In college, the OOTP soundtrack was my favourite, and I'd listen to that most out of the films. I thought the Fireworks track was particularly effective for the scene, which Hooper later built on for Weasley Stomp in HBP. However, that was never my favourite track on them. It was always Umbridge Spoils a Beautiful Morning, for being so effective I could visualise the scene. It didn't matter where I was, I could always see the sequence playing. 

 

Now, almost five years on, I've realised that I have favourites for a completely different reason. I still love Fireworks and Weasley Stomp, part due to the significance they have in my Film Studies Journey. However, my favourite album is the Philosopher's Stone. There are several motifs (repeated moments) that make John Williams tracks so identifiable, and each track feels like it's made for just listening to, as well as accompanying whatever is on screen. Mr Longbottom Flies is so iconic (I have a story attached to this track, so let me know if you want to hear it), Harry's Wondrous Wold, Prologue and Hedwig's theme are such a staple across all the films. However, it's Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault that makes me smile, and I think it's just the transition from Diagon Alley to Gringott's that I really love and appreciate, and sets the tone for the rest of the film - fantastical, but slightly darker underneath the wondrous first impression of magic.

 

To conclude this essay, I'll leave you with my three favourite tracks (although if you've read this, you can probably guess them.)

1. Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - John Williams. 
2. Weasley Stomp - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Nicholas Hooper. 
3. Umbridge Spoils a Beautiful Morning - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Nicholas Hooper.

 

Do you have any favourite tracks from the films? Or overall album? I'd love to see which ones you enjoy the most!

[Dumbledore]

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[PinkDeadly12]

Who is that hiding under the invisibility cloak? Harry... Is that you? No?
Well, you must be a Muggle... And, you've found our magical community!

In that case, I think you should join us.
Enrol | Sign in

Once signed in you’ll be ‘sorted’ into your Hogwarts house; where you can start creating your own personalised ‘topics’ straight away, or you can also join existing conversations with fellow fans by replying to ‘threads’ and discussions that pique your interest.

[PinkDeadly12]

Who is that hiding under the invisibility cloak? Harry... Is that you? No?
Well, you must be a Muggle... And, you've found our magical community!

In that case, I think you should join us.
Enrol | Sign in

Once signed in you’ll be ‘sorted’ into your Hogwarts house; where you can start creating your own personalised ‘topics’ straight away, or you can also join existing conversations with fellow fans by replying to ‘threads’ and discussions that pique your interest.