Here we are at the final act of this seven part epic. The stakes have never been higher: the greatest wizard of a generation, Albus Dumbledore, has been killed and the Death Eaters control Hogwarts. Wizards and witches that will not bend to Voldermort’s will are on the run. The Ministry of Magic has fallen and – pure blood or not – any act of defiance will be your last. No one is safe. Thus is the stage for The Deathly Hallows. This is a story about family, loss, forgiveness, fear, hate, redemption and above all, the power of love and friendship. The themes explored in the book are as old as time itself, all turning toward a conclusion that frankly, is epic.

It has been no secret that my opinion on Hooper’s last two scores have been less then enthusiastic. As such, my expectations for The Deathly Hallows were high. This is a series that demands a musical identity, on screen activity be damned, and we needed more then just “Hedwig’s Theme” and the first three Williams scores. When I heard that Alexandre Desplat was signed to score Part I, I was excited about it. While not being all that exposed to his music, I had heard and was generally a fan of some of his newer American films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and surprisingly, New Moon. I felt surely if anyone would bring this series back to the type of thematic cohesion that Williams had started, Desplat could.

I equate this score to what Doyle delivered for Goblet of Fire, sans the strong thematic content. While Desplat might not give the film the thematic cohesion they have been missing, he does indeed give the film something the last two lacked. This is a score worthy of the growing up that Harry, Ron and Hermione have done over the past seven years. This score runs the gambit over its 73 minutes: from the tragic and somber, to the heights of orchestral glory, all the way to the depths of atmosphere and texture. Desplat has laid some interesting ground work here, and I hope he delivers on the lack of large thematic set pieces in Part II.

Beginning with “Oblivate,” and “Snape To Malfoy Manor,” Desplat quickly distances himself from the other films by kicking the film off with some very strong string and woodwind ensemble pieces. The film kicks off as if in mid thought with a lot of things happening at once. Desplat uses a driving (primarily string) motif heard throughout the first two cues in the film, quickly establishing it’s not business as usual. While slightly off putting, the music, juxtaposed with the film, is undeniably masterful. The strings propel the motifs along and carry the film at a brisk pace from the first montage sequence to Snape’s arrival at Malfoy Manor.

The score is dotted with heart-tugging motifs, and they all sound like the beginning of bigger ideas that hopefully will play out in Part II. “Polyjuice Potion” is really the only piece in the score that has a tone of happiness and flourishes of string “magic” throughout the score. Performed mostly by strings, woodwinds and light choir, the music hearkens back to a simpler time in the characters lives. The music is a reminder of how far these characters have come and some of the darker aspects of the cue unconscionably inform us of where they’re going. “Hedwig’s Theme” comes in at the end of the cue; It’s performed by a light celesta and feels like a distant memory. “At The Borrow” and “Harry and Ginny” touch on a few of the more gentle emotional moments of the score. Again, lots of strings here, and some light choral conveying the sense of loss and tragedy. Desplat hints at a new motif for Harry and Ginny in their self titled cue. Again, strings and now piano create the cue. The motif is really beautiful and hopefully he’ll flesh it out in Part II.

“Ron Leaves” is a very poignant cue. For the first time, the trio is two. The string and light choral backing gives the cue a weight and the great sense of sadness. “Godric’s Hollow Graveyard” is one of my favorites on the CD. A light piano starts the cue, and then Desplat descends into strings and again, light piano. The cue then goes further and creates a motif for Harry’s parents. The cues end with an ominous tone as Harry and Hermione find that they are being followed. In “Farewell to Dobby,” Desplat delivers the most emotional cue of the score. Performed by light woodwinds and a light string backing, this cue does more then jerk a few tears loose. The cue embodies the soul of Dobby. The motif is light and small, but will of its own inner strength propels it along. It’s my favorite cue on the disc.

In terms of action set pieces, they are few and far between. “Sky Battle,” “Fireplace Escape,” and “Rescuing Hermione” are the big ones that stand out. “Sky Battle” fires up with some slow building strings and light brass, and then just takes off. The sheer size of the orchestra can be heard in this cue. With some great string and brass writing, the use of “Hedwig’s Theme,” and a new motif for Voldermort, this cue is a highlight of the album. I also think it offers a glimpse into what Desplat might do for the action set pieces in Part II. In “Fireplace Escape,” much of the action occupies the later part of the cue. Again with the strings, and even more for the brass to do, Desplat creates high tension and action as the trio runs from the Ministry. Finally, with “Rescuing Hermione,” frenetic strings kick this cue into high gear; The orchestra is quickly restrained to a light string performance and then right back again into the string style of “Sky Battle.” The cue has a few soft moments before giving us crescendo ending. The final cue on the disc, “The Elder Wand,” is a slow building cue that quickly establishes not only the end of the film, but that bigger things are coming for Part II. The cue hits the ground running and builds with strings and brass to a grand crescendo. Desplat wraps up his score with a perfect finale cliffhanger. The performance of the music is second to none. At 105 players, the London Symphony sounds fantastic. Orchestrator Conrad Pope and his team, Nan Schwartz, Clifford Tasner, Jean-Pascal Beintus, and of course Desplat himself, knock the ball out of the park and with score mixers and recorders Peter Cobbin and Sam Okell in terms of the depth of sonic beauty. This is how an orchestra should sound.

This score has a different sound then it did when I first listened. Context is absolutely required to appreciate this score. I really wanted to give this one a higher rating, but looking at other scores in the series, and the lack of any strong thematic cohesion, 3.5 is what I feel it earns, even within the context of the film. As I said earlier, this is a score worthy of the growing up that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have done over the past seven years. It is smarter and more grown up like them – and the films and music must reflect that, however, it’s missing that over arching thematic cohesion that the score (and series) desperately need, and that’s what keeps it from greatness. Personally, I’m quite anxious to hear how Desplat ends the series. Part II has some very big moments, and I think he’ll deliver.

Like Avatar last year, I hear the score in a whole new way after seeing the picture. It also helps that the film is absolutely solid in terms of the filmmaking aspects. This truly is the best Harry Potter film yet, and with Part II simply being the other half, I think when it’s all said and done, The Deathly Hallows will reign supreme as the best film of the series.

I’m off to Hogwarts to help them prep for what’s coming.

Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Track: 25

Special Thanks to Stephen Weber, JJ Hinrichs, and Alex Bornstein.

It’s rare that I don’t know anything about upcoming movies (I’m not kidding; you should see my Google Reader!) but for some reason, How To Train Your Dragon had fallen off my radar. Probably because it was from DreamWorks, and I’d kind of written them off as the “Pop Culture Fizzle Animation Studio.” I went to see Dragon on a whim its opening weekend. I had not seen a trailer, TV spot or anything. In fact, hearing John Powell’s score is what made me want to see it in the first place. It had perked my ears. A score with this much thematic wealth and character? This movie is either really bad or maybe, just maybe, DWA had finally gone back to their roots and done something awesome. Of course, had I known that it was helmed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, who brought us the lovable Lilo and Stich, and produced by Bonnie Arnold who brought us Tarzan and of course the original Toy Story, I would have been signing a different tune. This trio is from Disney. These guys know a good story. Period.

To say I was floored by Dragon is an understatement. When it was over, I just wanted to watch it again (and I didn’t feel that way with Avatar!) I wanted to take it home with me. Here was DreamWorks’ first masterpiece in a very, very long time. There’s not an aspect about it I don’t like, or the message it delivers: “Be the change you want to be, and be your own person.” This was the film that was going to give Toy Story 3 a run for its money.

There was a time when I wasn’t a John Powell fan. The score that did it was X3, and I’ve been hooked ever sense. I got the soundtrack back in March, and it’s never stopped playing. I still listen to it more then a few times a week. Yes, it really is that fantastic. The amount of development this score has is a throwback to the classic film scores of old, lots of sweeping and bombastic action, tender moments and great multiple memorable themes. I think Powell does some of his best work for animated films, and with Dragon, I think he’s composed his best animation score to date.

Four themes drive the score. Three of them come into play with the first cue, “This Is Berk.” The first, which I call “Hiccup’s Theme,” is a soaring heroic theme that appears throughout the score with different orchestrations and instrumentation. It’s the first thing you hear in the film. It’s performed with low brass over the DreamWorks logo. The theme is touched upon throughout the first half of the score and finally coming to full orchestral might in “Test Drive.” It’s a big theme that captures Hiccup’s idealism and bravery and as such; it’s weaved in throughout the fabric of the score as a whole.In cues like “Test Drive” and “Coming Back Around,” Powell takes the theme to new heights as he brings the orchestra firing on all cylinders for a grand performance.In other parts of the score, the theme is tender, as in the later half of “Where’s Hiccup?” It really is the life blood of the score and it glues all the other themes together.

The second theme that we hear in “This Is Berk” is what I guess I’d call “Hiccup’s B Theme.” It’s a big bombastic brassy theme that is derived from Hiccup’s original theme. It’s usually played with a very frenetic pace and, like “Hiccup’s Theme,” appears as another major thematic idea throughout the score. While established in “This Is Berk,” this theme doesn’t see much full throttle action until “New Tail,” “See You Tomorrow” (where it blends with another theme for Hiccup and Toothless), “This Time For Sure,” and finally “Astrid Goes For A Spin.”

The third theme is a much slower romantic theme for Hiccup and Astrid. It’s also derived from “Hiccup’s Theme”, but used to great effect in some of the slower sequences in the film. We hear it first in “This Is Berk”, about half way in with a huge orchestral performance. It also comes into play at the opening of “The Kill Ring”, with some low brass instruments and light chimes, and another big orchestral performance in “Coming Back Around.” The highlight of the theme is “Romantic Flight.” Performed with light chorus performances with some strings and brass, Powell tugs at the heart strings on this one and delivers a beautiful performance.

The fourth theme, and it doesn’t appear very much but I love it anyway, is the theme for Hiccup and Toothless. It only appears in a few cues, “Forbidden Friendship”, “See You Tomorrow”, and “Battling The Green Death”. Powell beginsthis one early on in “Forbidden Friendship”. A note here and there on strings, light drums, percussion and a restrained xylophone. The theme builds from the first few notes of the cue and takes the whole four minutes to grow and develop. Along the way, Powell brings in the full weight of the orchestra and choir for a big finish. In “See You Tomorrow”, Powell takes the theme further and brings in some celtic instrumentation, using some pipes and woodwinds. We might only hear this theme a few times in the score, but it’s the friendship knot between the two. Toothless is not just a family pet, he’s become Hiccup’s best friend.

Powell comes to the table with some excellent action music too. The last few cues not only score the big battle at Dragon’s Den with some heavy action music for choir and orchestra, but also make great use of the character themes that have been developing throughout the score. Between “Battling The Green Death” and “Counter Attack”, Powell delivers some of his best action music since X3. A lot of the themes we’ve been hearing morph into the heavy hitting action music used in these final cues. Some of the more ominous textures heard in “Dragon Training” and “The Dragon Book” come into play here as more developed thoughts for the dragons. But for me, the real treat of this section of music is the end of “Battling The Green Death”. Here Powell brings Hiccup’s Theme into play as his father, Stoick, not only saves Toothless from drowning, but in the middle of the action, Powell brings Hiccup’s Theme in for a break in the action and creates a tender moment for father and son. The music offers a lot of underlying emotion between the two of them and adds to the dialogue – but on a deeper level. The music picks up again as Hiccup mounts Toothless and shoots towards the sky to save his tribe. You can almost hear Jay Baruchel (who voices Hiccup) yell “C’mon on bud!” to Toothless towards the end of the cue. The momentum continues into “Counter Attack”. Here, more of the ominous music that symbolizes the Evil Dragon, comes back with some big choir moments. Then, at the finale, we hear Hiccup and Toothless’ Themes again before the cue ends with a lone, somber choral performance.

The finale cues, “Where’s Hiccup?” and “Coming Back Around”, still get me every time – even after five months. They wrap up the score as only great films can do. As much as I love Hiccup’s Theme in “Test Drive”, the piano performance at the end of “Where’s Hiccup?” and the big finale of “Coming Back Around” I think seal the deal for this score. If you don’t have a huge smile, want to yell out a huge “Whoopee!”, and maybe a shed a tear all at once for these cues, then I think you’re crazy.

I can count on one hand – OK, maybe two and some toes – how many films I’ve gone back to see multiple times in the theatre and loved this much. I’m happy to say that Dragon is one of those rare films that not only brought DreamWorks Animation back to the field of great animation filmmaking, but also gave us something really timeless in terms of story, character, message, and music. With Shrek ending, it looks like Dragon will become another franchise for the studio. I can’t wait to join Hiccup and Toothless on their new adventures, and, of course, I hope that Powell comes back to score them.

With the year half over, Powell’s Dragon rules the skies, and, right now, it’s one of the best scores of 2010 – if not the best.

Rating: 5/5
Favorite Tracks: All of them!

Special thanks to Stephen Weber and John “JJ” Hinrichs.

I saw my first James Cameron film when I was 10. It was T2. Like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron’s films have always had an impact on me and I’m always excited for a new one. If you asked my high school friends (and teachers) how much of a Titanic nut I was, they’d simply laugh and shake their head at you. Loving that film has never been an issue for me, and say what you will about it, the level of filmmaking mastery can’t be disputed in my opinion. Seeing it opening day with my friend Jason was one of those life moments that I’ll never forget. It was that film that cemented film editing as something I wanted to do.

So here we are, 12 years later, with Cameron finally back from his underwater documentary adventures to the feature film arena. With a rumored budget of over $300 million (varied reports place it at $400 with marketing costs, and it’s already made that back and then some) Cameron’s SciFi epic, “Avatar” promises to change the way we “see” films forever. To create this living and breathing world, Cameron brings newly developed technologies to the table, even creating some himself. Shot with the stereoscopic Pace/Cameron Fusion 3D camera system, and combining it with motion capture and photo realistic visual effects from the masters at WETA, Avatar paints a vidid jaw dropping picture of the living alien world, Pandora. Avatar is one of the most beautifully rendered films ever put on screen and it takes George Lucas’ idea of a “digital backlot” and elevates it to levels beyond anything we’ve seen or dreamed of.

Given his Oscar wins on Titanic, it was no surprise that Cameron asked James Horner to take this journey with him. Horner’s been MIA this past year and a half and returns to the screen with probably his most solid effort in the last decade.

The score opens with the ambient haunting sounds of “You Don’t Dream In Cryo.” Plenty of soundscape scoring here with very minimal use of a bold orchestra. Opening with tribal elements and drums, the cue slowly builds. Horner’s infamous “4 Note Danger Motif” makes a few appearances throughout the cue. Solo vocals mixed in with ethnic instrumentation glide in and out of the musical structure. There’s plenty of musical ambiguity here.

“Jake Enters His Avatar World” is a musical blueprint for a lot of what we’ll hear later, only very simplified. Using more tribal and ethic elements (mainly woodwinds) with some heavy breathing performances, Horner weaves these as a cushion before we first hear the main theme, which is largely string and brass based. It’s very whimsical, almost care free in tone, but it will be expanded and build upon throughout the score.

The next series of cues really go all out with the tribal and ethic instrumentation. “Pure Spirits Of The Forest” is largely woodwinds with some orchestral underpinnings. The main theme makes an appearence, but it’s only hinted at, a few notes here and there with various instruments and your brain connects the dots. Some light synth work hits around the middle of the cue while playing the main theme before giving way to the cold sound that was touched upon in the “Cryo” cue. Here Horner’s use of darker orchestral colors and atmosphere creates the sound for the humans in the film. The cue ends with sparse performances of a deep tribal vocal. With “Bioluminescence Of The Night,” Horner brings a softer performance of the main theme with the woodwinds again. As the title of the cue suggests, he uses chimes mixed with some light use of choral, ethnic instruments and the main theme make up a theme for the Pandorian night. The main title shifts into a grander dramatic performance for “Becoming One Of “The People” / Becoming One With Neytiri”. It morphs into a more tender love theme performance as Jake and Neytiri share a kiss (and then some) in the later half of the cue, which rounds out with another tender performance of the main theme. “Jake’s First Flight” really gives a grand performance of the main theme. Using the same instrumentation as the last few cues, Horner lets the orchestra have a go and really delivers a nice performance.

Most of the cues up to “Scorched Earth” are all using the same orchestral palette. You could call it the “Na’vi” sound. But when the listener arrives here, a larger, more traditional presence begins to clash with the Na’vi, that only means one thing…bigger things are coming. In the first part of the score, Horner shows great restraint and only now begins to loosen his grip before the final section. “Scorched Earth” and “Quaritch” set up a lot of the brass driven military thematic development. Of course what we get is reflective of the on screen action. But the “clashing” of these two musical ideas presents the listener with a much more interesting and layered orchestral palette then we’ve heard from Horner in a long while. As these two themes battle it out in the soundscape, Horner brings in the main theme once again with dramatic weight and sorrow. As we continue to “Destruction Of Hometree,” Horner expands greatly on what we heard in the two previous cues. Taking bits of development from each cue and fleshing them out, Horner makes you truly hear and feel the sadness for the Na’vi in this tragic cue. He employs the use of a large choir, a shakuhachi (from Willow and Legends of the Fall) and finally, his “4 Note Danger Motif” returns to end the cue on a sad note that is expanded upon further with a solo choral performance in “Shutting Down Grace’s Lab.”

The last two cues are worth the price of the CD, even if some of the representation here is less then fantastic. “Gathering the Na’vi Clans For Battle” and “War” are some of the best writing (if not the best) Horner’s done in the past ten years. For these cues, Horner pulls out all the stops on what he’s been building for the past 11 cues and hits it out of the park. Everything comes into play here, Horner leaves no orchestral stone unturned and layers the themes and orchestrations in such a way that leaves the listener in awe. Hearing these cues without seeing it in the film is a crime and there’s no way you’re going to get the full effect unless you hear every note (and that includes all the music they left off during and after the “War” sequence, the awesome end credits suite included).

I think ultimately what Horner delivers in the final film is nothing short of amazing. He really has worked the past year and a half and you can hear it. This score in complete form (as seen in the film) is one of Horner’s best, especially the last hour of the film. It’s awesome. But here on the CD, much of that grand effect is lost. It’s not a music issue, it’s a time issue. This is a score that deserves another CD. I’d even say more than just a second CD, a complete redo and release like The Lord Of The Rings. Rating this disc as a whole was difficult. The score as a complete whole is nothing less then 5.0 across the board. But the presentation on the CD really leaves a lot to be desired, and I think a 3.5 would be appropriate. Given both ratings, I think a 4.0 is a good average.

A lot of my enthusiasm for this score comes from seeing it with the film. Horner’s Avatar is a score that must be seen and heard first and listened to after.

Rating: 4/5 (3.5 CD / 5.0 Film)
Favorite Tracks: 12 and 13

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a very early Sunday morning during the late ’80s, and I, not knowing any better, was actually awake and looking for some cartoons to watch. But of course, what kind of good cartoons were on Sunday mornings in those days? None. Instead, I found a rented VHS from the night before. I popped Back To The Future in the player and the logos rolled on.

For two hours I sat, totally absorbed. Everything from the story, characters, effects just bolted me to the floor. But in the end, it wasn’t any of those that got to me the way Alan Silvestri’s score did. It’s been about 23 years, and here I sit, writing this. And for me, it’s kind of awesome to finally be writing about the score that got me into this whole film score world in the first place and I know I’m not alone on this one.

It’s been no secret that we film score enthusiasts have wanted Silvestri’s masterpiece ever since the film came out and, even today, it’s a mystery why no score album was released given the popularity of the film and its $380 million worldwide gross (that was a big deal back then). The MCA soundtrack which features various songs from the film and two cues by Silvestri is still a decent seller today. But now, 24 years from it’s theatricalrun (and many bootlegs later), the team at Intrada Records has delivered what I’d imagine is the most requested title in recent history. Period.

BTTF is a classic film score in every tradition possible. It’s a massive orchestral powerhouse, around 98 players (one of the biggest orchestras assembled at the time) and listening to it, sounds so rich, full and big when compared to scores today. The complete score is surprisingly short compared to the other two films. “Future” clocks in around 50 minutes long (including the two source cues), yet listening to it and seeing it with the film, you’d swear it was longer. That’s the beauty of something this good, it doesn’t need to be insanely long to get the musical ideas across to the viewer/listener or to have the appropriate impact. (“Wall-to-Wall” scores that try too hard, I’m lookin’ at you.) The score as a whole is all built around a very small amount of material that is orchestrated in different ways, various tempo changes, and a series of very complex orchestra writing techniques that make for the perfect combination of notes and motifs that are able to be expanded to fill the soundscape of the Hill Valley night at the end of the film, or the tiniest orchestral “blink” of an eye as heard when Doc blinks his eye after he’s been shot. While none of this is new in crafting a film score by any stretch of the imagination, Silvestri is a master at using it to the effect that we hear in this film. Pure and simple, Silvestri’s totally in his element with this score.

You don’t even hear a note till about 20 minutes into the film, during the “DeLorean Reveal” scene. The “Main Theme” that everyone associates with the film doesn’t actually appear all that much in its full blooded form, but it does make plenty of little appearances throughout the score. The first time we hear it is when Marty goes back to 1955. It’s large, big, brassy and makes great use of the orchestra, not something you generally hear these days. But before we hear it, Silvestri lays some ground work. The score uses the first few cues to build the orchestral language that will make up the rest of the film, themes included for Doc and Marty. These early cues are giving the listener some hints before totally unleashing the orchestral onslaught at the end of “’85 Twin Pines Mall” that basically kicks the score out of the gate. The big performances are, of course, saved for the film’s bigger moments, including “Skateboard Chase” and the finale of the film. With “It’s Been Educational – Clocktower,” Silvestri brings his theme to new heights with tons of extra and large brass and string writing to compliment its expansion. (I’m not kidding, crank the cue up on a good sound system so you can hear what the orchestra is actually doing. There’s tons of stuff going on, it’s awesome!) All of these elements create the makeup for one great final cue. Fans that have seen the film, know this sequence well, and the various bootlegs have done what they could to preserve it, but hearing it now in this properly mastered state is just great. You can feel the weight of the orchestra as they play and it’s a constant ride till the end of the almost 11 minute cue. Crank it and let the neighbors hear it!

The softer, more intimate theme is first heard in “Lorraine’s Bedroom.” Silvestri brings this theme up when Marty or a reference to his family are mentioned. It’s very tender, and very much an off shoot of the “Main Theme.” It’s performed with some light woodwind, chimes and strings, or alternately, some light brass as in “Marty’s Letter,” and finality quality, in “4×4.” This same “theme logic” can be applied to Doc. In “Einstein Disintegrated,” Silvestri uses offshoots of the “Main Theme” to create a series of frenetic brass and string writing to symbolize Doc’s character.

Some of the darker brooding brass and string elements that come into play throughout the score echo what Silvestri would later develop into his darker score for BTTF 2 and Predator. We first hear these elements in the first half of “Peabody Barn.” These string and brass elements signify a “danger” type of sound with the orchestra. It’s not really a common theme per say, but it happens later in the score with a different motif and orchestration. Cues like “George To The Rescue Pt. 1” and elements of it are integrated into the “Clocktower” portion of the finale cue. Lots of strings, playing a mile a minute.

Speaking of the darker aspects of the score, another treat with this release is on the second disc. Here we are given early alternate versions of cues and it paints a very different picture of what this score was going to be when scoring began in early May of ’85. Some of the cues are similar, while others are very different from the final film editions. Some examples, the film version of “Peabody Farm” uses less of the dark brooding music in favor of some light theme usage and some light piano work before jumping to the theme towards the middle of the cue where Marty drives off the farm. In the alternate version, Silvestri uses more orchestral brass clashes mixed with some brooding string music. The “Main Theme” makes a quick appearance, then is ditched for more brass clashes. In the original “Skateboard Chase,” the cue does a slight build of thematic material, then right into the “Main Theme” (and variances) for the vast majority of the cue at a somewhat fast tempo, also completing the cue in that manner. With its alternate, it begins with more brass clashes and some orchestral dissonance at the beginning before going into the theme, yet the theme is slightly slower in its performance. That slowness is a slight distraction when compared to the other performances of the theme. The end of the cue also goes off into more brass hits without ending on the triumphant moment. The alternate reminds me of the much slower cue on Varese’s “Trilogy” CD. (In fact, these alternates might explain that CD as a whole.) “George To The Rescue” is a totally different cue between the two discs. The film version finds it much shorter with a source cue separating it, while the alternate is much longer and uses huge brass performances then the final version, not to mention tossing in some elements from the “Clocktower” cue. I don’t want to give all the surprises away, “Clocktower” included, but needless to say the second disc is a treat all it’s own. It really shows the growth of this score and how the tone of a film can change by moving some notes around, changing the tempo, or using brass dissonance versus hits of the main theme notes. A lot of the darker aspects found with these early sessions made their way to “BTTF 2” for which they are totally appropriate. I wonder, if the score had gone this way, would it be the hallmark score we know and love today? I doubt it, and we have Steven Spielberg to thank for it. According to Intrada’s liners (by Michael Matessino) during the early May sessions, Spielberg was reported to love the main theme so much, he felt there should be more of it in the final film. As such, more scoring days were scheduled, giving us the score we have today.

I think in the end, Back To The Future really does take us back in time. The ‘80s were a decade of some amazing score writing that influenced much of the work that was done over the past 24 years. Bottom line, buy this CD. It’s the biggest no brainer of the year, maybe even the decade. If you don’t, well, you might be paid a visit from Darth Vader from the Planet Vulcan! In that case, do what he says. Your future might depend on it!

A big thanks to Doug, Roger, Michael, Jeff, George, Mark, and Joe at Intrada for their fine work on this, and every project they do.

Rating: 5/5
Favorite Track 19

You know, it’s funny, before I started writing this, I got an email from the webmaster at MovieMusic.com asking if I was going to submit something or if I’d retired from doing them. It dawned on me that I have been writing and talking about the scores of Harry Potter for almost 10 years. That’s kind of crazy if you think about it and by the time the final film is released, it will have been 10 years!

I think one of the things that has made the Potter scores suffer over the last few films is the musical continuity that tied the first three Williams score together. While Doyle brought some great new thematic (and darker) ideas into the cauldron of music, I think what Hooper has brought is decent at best. Granted, an argument can be made that all of the composers have their own styles and thematic ideas about what Harry’s World should be, and while this is very true, I still do believe that a certain thematic style can be changed and morphed with still keeping the original intent that Williams brought forth with the first three films.

When it was originally announced that David Yates’ longtime collaborator, Nicholas Hooper would be assigned the task of composing Order Of The Phoenix, I think it’s safe to assume that the fans of the Potter music (not to mention possibility the film score enthusiast community) held it’s collective breath. At least with Doyle, listeners had a very large body of work to ideas draw from, thus making it easier to discern what Doyle might do musically, but with Hooper, I think we were all sending up big question marks.

After just recently re-watching Order Of The Phoenix, it’s not that I dislike what Hooper did, it just sounded like a very freshmen entry into a big film a like Harry Potter, not that I blame him for taking a very restrained approach, I think anyone would play it safe. But in all honestly, the music in the film really doesn’t pack the punch that I think it needed to. But, I do generally believe that he writes some very nice music, especially when coupled with picture, and in all honestly, I was really excited to hear what Hooper was going to come up with for The Half-Blood Prince.

Now, before I go on, I feel the need to mention that I was personally, very unhappy with the film. While the film technically excels, I felt that Kloves’ script was very much lacking and turning the story inside out and making it something totally different from the book. Yes, that is a normal and a very traveled road when adapting book to films, but the other Potter films did their very best, and I felt that this one just did it all completely incorrect. And this coming from a huge fan of all the other films and the books. That said, before everyone freaks out, the score to The Half-Blood Prince is not horrible by any stretch of the imagination, and it is very serviceable within the film itself, very much giving weight to certain scenes. It’s definitely darker and not as whimsical as Phoenix was. There are some good and great moments in the score, all things that I would have liked to have seen developed throughout the musical fabric that Hooper should have been doing since Phoenix. Some thematic ideas were in fact carried over, some more flushed out then others. The “Fireworks” cue, which now, I think we can simply call “The Weasley Theme,” which appears in “The Weasley Stomp” cue, and the “Fireworks” cue from “Phoenix” also appears in the film as well, but not featured on the CD. A variation on Umbridge’s Theme, makes an appearance in “Living Death.” Finally, the theme for “Possession.” It comes in to play towards the end of the score, culminating in the finale of the hauntingly beautiful “Inferi In The Firestorm.” As for Williams material, we of course hear, “Hegwig’s Theme,” in the “Opening” and “Ginny” cues and some of Williams Quidditch material from Sorcerer’s Stone,makes in to “Ron’s Victory” and “Of Love & War.”

For new material, probably the biggest over arching theme in the score is first heard in the second cue on the disc, “In Noctem.” Hooper creates a very sad and tragic cue to symbolize the lament of Dumbledore’s death that hangs over the whole story. That particular cue is sung with a choir and it really is a good theme and in all honestly, it got me really excited for what I might hear after those few opening cues. The theme is also heard throughout the score through various interpretations when pertaining to Dumbeldore. In “Dumbledore’s Speech” and “Dumbeldore’s Foreboding” the theme comes in again with a light choral backing and some darker brass and string work. Another cue to note is the “Journey To The Cave.” Here the theme takes a turn and becomes this rather large piece towards the middle of the cue. Large choral and brass backing with some strings tossed in. The final cue I’d like to mention with this new theme is “Dumbledore’s Farewell.” The choral backing returns as a solo cello plays out the theme, thus delivering the emotional punch that the few cues before it slightly lacked.

While “In Noctem” is really one of Hooper’s standout themes, in this score, Hooper does indeed deliver some other thematic material that while short, is very well written, but unfortunately, the power of those few cues, at least in my opinion, doesn’t transfer to the rest of Hooper’s score in general.

“Opening” really establishes some driving rhythms in the later part of the cue that I really liked. There’s some really great string work and light choral in this cue, coupled with “Hedwig’s Theme,” it’s a nice opener and really does set the tone for the story that we’re about to see and hear. “Farewell Aragog” is a very somber theme for the giant spider from Chamber of Secrets. Using some very light strings and some celtic themes, Hooper establishes a really nice thematic piece for the death of the spider. “The Friends” establishes a really sad, uplifting and great musical finality at what Harry, Ron and Hermione are about to embark upon that serves as the basis for The Deathly Hallows.

Like with Phoenix, there is some really good stuff in this score, but I think on the whole, once again, not very satisfying as a listening experience outside of the film. Most of the score, while more mature then Phoenix just doesn’t do much for an experience like the other four. It’s not that Hooper writes bad music, it’s just that his music is mainly used for picture, and really, that’s why a film score is written in the first place, not as a listening experience.

All of this said, I do believe that what Hooper is building for could be great, grand and epic. I wanted this score to be something bigger, larger, more thematic…and when compared to Phoenix it’s a few notches above, but still, as a fan of the films and the books, it’s definitely not what I wanted. Maybe he’s saving it all for The Deathly Hallows.

Now, it’s rumored that Williams is in talks to come back for the final two films, but as of this writing, that remains to be seen. Hooper recently claimed in an FSM interview that he was not coming back for The Deathly Hallows, citing spending more time with his family as his reasons. Personally, I’d really like to see him give it all he’s got to deliver something truly magical. I for one, believe he can, but I’m not going to argue one bit if Williams chooses to return.

And now, I am off to search for The Deathly Hallows.

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Favorite Track: 2

When I posted the July 10th release date of this album, on MovieMusic.com joked that I could post my review anytime. That really did make me laugh, because, he’s right. I’ve talked Potter to death, but I’ve got some great memories associated with the films and their music, especially Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s been a musical journey for Harry and company, and here we are with only two film scores left in the Harry Potter saga.

With the exception of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Lord of the RIngs, most franchises have difficulty maintaining the same composer throughout due to a constant flux in creative leadership. Patrick Doyle’s addition was a welcome change, and many figured he’d either be back, or Williams would return for “Year 5.” However we were all surprised when Warner announced that Nicholas Hooper was going to be doing the score, and according to reports, director David Yates has signed for The Half Blood Prince, so I bet we’ll see Hooper again next November 2008 when the movie is due in theaters.

The movie is a knock out. I liked it much better then Goblet of Fire. It has a better flow, but so did the book. The score works really well in the movie, but I think suffers from just a plain listen off the CD unless you have the context of the scene. This usually isn’t the case with Potter music, but Hooper’s scoring really focused on being mostly effective with the picture, and only partially effective as a separate listening experience. Fortunately for us, most of the best music in the movie is on the disc… so no complaining about a 51 minute release. The music we’re missing is mostly atmospheric with no great impact on the rest of the score.

Hooper takes a very humorous, if yet playful approach to his theme for Professor Dolores Umbridge, which was a wonderful approach, considering the very disturbing nature of the character’s interior, juxtaposed to the seemingly harmless nature of her exterior.

With “Dumbledore’s Army” we hear a light (perhaps unintentional?) nod to Williams’ “Window into the Past” theme in the cue’s opening, whereupon which it is taken into some truly exhilarating string writing. In the second half of the cue, the writing becomes really rhythmic and pleasant. The cue is performed wonderfully and works magic with the picture, being utilized over the course of a rather long montage scene to great effect. There are some really great ideas in this one that are further expanded in the later part of “The Sirius Deception” cue. Here we get to hear a powerful performance of the “Dumbledore’s Army” Theme. Some fantastic work here, this theme is big, bold and uplifting.

A theme through the book is what’s called Possession, which is not a surprise to those that have read it. We first hear it in the cue, “Possession.” It starts as some Mark Snow-like string work and light choral backing, but then goes into some really light brass and string writing. The music feels tragic but at the same time, there is something grand and epic about it, but in the end, ends on a dark tone.

“Fireworks,” which opens the album (but happens later, and with great effect in the movie), is a fun cue that has some great orchestral flares in it. Based largely on a big string backing, the cue takes off in the later half when Hooper brings out the electric guitar (that is missing or covered with sound effects in the movie). The string writing here is fantastic though, really fun stuff. In “Flight of the Order of the Phoenix” we get a really high energy cue with some great string and brass work. Finally, with “Loved Ones and Leaving,” Hooper brings in the full weight of the orchestra to create a melancholy cue for the ending of the movie. The cue reflects the emotion, the sacrifices made in this movie and what we’ll see soon in The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows, but at its end, the strings build and offer a glimmer of hope in a light touch of the “Dumbledore’s Army” theme. A great end to the album (and movie.)

As much as I think the music fits within the movie, I just don’t believe it’s as good as the others in the series. And actually, it was hard for me to rate this one. On one hand, the movie context is great, the music just works great and it’s very enjoyable, but, more themes and development please. On CD, the listening experience is difficult. Granted the scene context in this case will work wonders, the bottom line is that without the scenes to go with it, the score is largely uninteresting.

But, I am not all that mean, I think that Hooper brings a solid, sound voice to Harry’s World, but I just don’t think it has the impact that the others do. I think Hooper can still deliver and will when The Half Blood Prince arrives. Hopefully, he’ll continue the development of his themes and motifs that we’ve heard here.

While this score is lower key and atmospheric then the other four, it has its place. As the story in the film is not really action driven, the score reflects that. Hooper’s use of Williams original material is nicely woven into the context of the score, without going overboard and I really enjoy his new themes, especially the “Dumbledore’s Army” theme.

While it’s not my favorite Potter score (that would be Azkaban and Goblet), it’s nice to have a new interpretation of what’s been established. And either way, once a Potter fan, always a Potter fan.

I’m off to search for The Half Blood Prince.

Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Track: 11