I Watched Every Harry Potter Movie for the First Time This Summer
The magic of music: Revisiting the music of Harry Potter
Yes you read that right. I was born in 1998 and I had never seen a Harry Potter film nor read the books. But I was obsessed with the Puppet Pals when I was in sixth grade! Banana Phone? A bop! And I had nothing against the series, it’s just something I never participated in.
So this summer, I watched them all! ‘The Prisoner of Askaban’ is my favorite movie. Luna Lovegood is my favorite character. And I think Harry should have ended up with Hermione. Fight about it!
My Favorite Film
And the reason why the third film is my favorite has a lot to do with the music. This was the third and final movie that composer John Williams would score and it was a significant departure from the previous two. Director Alfonso Cuarón wanted something different as he was a new director of the series (the first two films had been previously directed by Chris Columbus). The score would go on to be one of the most highly anticipated expanded score releases for years.
As the hero trio maneuver the corridors and passages of Hogwarts, I could hear almost…was it Medieval music? Was it a Baroque sound? It was the first film of the series where I felt the music transported me to another time, giving its self-contained fantasy world a deeper and more complex dimension. Although it was shot and takes place in the early 2000s, on first watch I felt that the film could be set in any time period, if it wasn’t for the students' modern street clothes. But come on, Dumbledore’s robe? That transcends time!
One of the new themes for ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’, "Double Trouble" also known as “Something Wicked this Way Comes”, was written by Williams during production. In the film, the haunting tune is sung by a children's choir in Hogwarts' Great Hall. The lyrics of the song were taken from William Shakespeare's tragedy ‘Macbeth’. I did hear Medieval! Williams combined lines from parts of the famous speech in the play spoken by the prophesying Witches…spooky!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Last night I saw ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ on Broadway. Another Harry Potter installment where the music plays a pivotal role. British musician Imogen Heap had reworked tracks from her back catalog along with her original compositions for the two-part stage play. Original movement director, Steven Hoggett had been using her songs during rehearsals. Heap and Hogget had previously collaborated in 2006 on ‘Pool (No Water)’.
For ‘Cursed Child’, Heap created four contemporary suites from her background music for the play and some of the songs Hoggett had been using for the early workshops found their way into the final production as well. Heap said the new album, which contains 42 pieces, allowed her to range more widely over musical styles than she had on her previous albums (Source, The Guardian). Although not a musical, ‘Cursed Child’ is the perfect example of how music can still play a pivotal role in theatrical straight plays. And music is an essential piece of the Harry Potter experience. When you hear those beginning notes of John Williams’ theme, you know something magical is in store, whether you’re sitting down to watch your favorite installment of the film or wandering through Universal Studios.
Although I’m a little late to the Potter Party, I’m truly beginning to feel at home at Hogwarts!
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