This new Harry Potter score -- any thoughts?

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Paul MacLean · #1 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:16 am

Has anyone heard Nicholas Hooper's new Harry Potter score?

There's no comparason to John Williams' scores (unsurprisingly). Even the more strident, modernistic cues in Williams' Azkaban are at least compositionally interesting, and make for preferable listening.

Its hard for me to make an appreciation about this vs. Patrick Doyle's Goblet of Fire. I have only heard Doyle's score in the context of the film, whereas I thus far have only only heard Hooper's apart from the film.

But I don't find it to be much of a stand-alone CD anyway. I hope it works well in the film, tho it does feel rather emotionally sedate. Still, it is more susbstantial than Doyle's score (I've tried to like Doyle's score, but just can't. Its just so passionless -- all form and no substance.)

Other than fleeting quote of Williams' "Hedwig's Theme", "Professor Umbridge" is the cue which stands-out as the most musical. But neither Doyle nor Hooper seem able to conjure the kind of visceral intensity and imagination that Williams has in spades.

Of course I dream of Williams returning for the last film, but after these last two Potter scores, I'd be happy just to have an exciting, emotionally engaging score, whoever writes it!

mkaroly · #2 Post by **mkaroly** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:50 pm

I'm getting it in the mail within the next couple of weeks- sounds like I didn't make a very good choice.

AndyDursin · #3 Post by **AndyDursin** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:55 pm

mkaroly wrote:I'm getting it in the mail within the next couple of weeks- sounds like I didn't make a very good choice.

Don't open it!

DavidM · #4 Post by **DavidM** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:46 am

This score is BAD! I'm not the biggest fan of what Doyle did on the last one but even that had its moments. I actually had trouble finishing this album and when I did I was like "That's IT?!" I hope it doesn't destroy the movie.

Monterey Jack · #5 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:49 am

The score is remarkably poor. Coming after Williams and Doyle, I'm shocked Warner Bros. would greenlight this.

AndyDursin · #6 Post by **AndyDursin** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:57 am

I agree, it's an absolutely terrible score. I didn't like Doyle's effort at all, and this isn't even an improvement on that...looking at it, both have different approaches but neither one of them wrote a memorable theme in the space of over 3 HOURS of screen time between them!

Pathetic. And then people wonder why I don't "like" film music any more!

Paul MacLean · #7 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:42 am

AndyDursin wrote:I didn't like Doyle's effort at all, and this isn't even an improvement on that...looking at it, both have different approaches but neither one of them wrote a memorable theme in the space of over 3 HOURS of screen time between them!

Pathetic. And then people wonder why I don't "like" film music any more!

Andy you took the words right out of my mouth!

And the sad thing is there are SO MANY composers who COULD do a much better job with these films.

Eric W. · #8 Post by **Eric W.** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 2:57 pm

AndyDursin wrote:I agree, it's an absolutely terrible score. I didn't like Doyle's effort at all, and this isn't even an improvement on that...looking at it, both have different approaches but neither one of them wrote a memorable theme in the space of over 3 HOURS of screen time between them!

Pathetic. And then people wonder why I don't "like" film music any more!

THAT bad?

Paul's right: Better composers like David Arnold, heck John Powell, James Newton Howard on a good day...

Horner would have done something good, although I'm sure we'd have heard a few salutes from past works...so what? It still would have been worlds better than this mediocrity.

Silvestri is someone you usually can't go wrong with...

What a sad waste of an oppurtunity here!

Paul MacLean · #9 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:18 pm

Eric W. wrote:Paul's right: Better composers like David Arnold, heck John Powell, James Newton Howard on a good day...

Myself, I've long thought Danny Elfman would be a great choice. I'm not really even an Elfman devotee, but Potter is right up his street. And Elfman's Edwards Scizzorhands theme is a beautiful celeste-driven waltz, not unlike Williams' Potter theme.

I'd also love to hear one by George Fenton or Richard Rodney Bennett (why couldn't Newell have asked him, after Bennett's fine work on 4 Weddings and a Funeral?

)

Horner would have done something good, although I'm sure we'd have heard a few salutes from past works...so what? It still would have been worlds better than this mediocrity.

Yes, and Horner is proven many times over in this genre.

Eric W. · #10 Post by **Eric W.** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:14 pm

Paul MacLean wrote:
Myself, I've long thought Danny Elfman would be a great choice. I'm not really even an Elfman devotee, but Potter is right up his street. And Elfman's Edwards Scizzorhands theme is a beautiful celeste-driven waltz, not unlike Williams' Potter theme.

^^ That would be amazing.

Elfman is a wild card now for me.

I'd love to see him go back to composing stuff like Scissorhands. Even his recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory score had some moments where I felt like I was finally hearing a return to form with some gusto.

Sadly, these moments have not been very frequent.

Elfman under the right conditions could have been an intruiging Potter composer.

I'd also love to hear one by George Fenton or Richard Rodney Bennett (why couldn't Newell have asked him, after Bennett's fine work on 4 Weddings and a Funeral? )

Two good choices right there.

I also have to put up Alexandre Desplat Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I know these two could really do something special with it.

Paul MacLean · #11 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:53 pm

Eric W. wrote:I also have to put up Alexandre Desplat Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I know these two could really do something special with it.

Desplat is doing The Golden Compass isn't he?

Monterey Jack · #12 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:58 pm

You know who'd be perfect for a Harry Potter movie? Bruce Broughton. It's a damn shame that Broughton hasn't scored a theatrical movie in nine years, while one of the biggest fantasy franchises currently out there is handed off to a complete unknown.

Imagine a Young Sherlock Holmes score attached to a Potter flick.

AndyDursin · #13 Post by **AndyDursin** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:51 am

Paul MacLean wrote:
Eric W. wrote:I also have to put up Alexandre Desplat Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I know these two could really do something special with it.
Desplat is doing The Golden Compass isn't he?

I believe so. I've heard some potential in Desplat but, on the other hand, nothing that's made me rush out and buy one of his scores either. Kaczmarek has done some nice work but again nothing that's really earth shattering -- it's more "pleasant", and also exclusive to a specific type of film for the most part also.

I agree Broughton would have been an easy choice, it makes no sense why he's fallen off the face of the Earth. Maybe like anything else it's about who you know.

Paul MacLean · #14 Post by **Paul MacLean** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:16 am

Monterey Jack wrote:You know who'd be perfect for a Harry Potter movie? Bruce Broughton. It's a damn shame that Broughton hasn't scored a theatrical movie in nine years, while one of the biggest fantasy franchises currently out there is handed off to a complete unknown. Imagine a Young Sherlock Holmes score attached to a Potter flick.

Its funny you should mention Young Sherlock Holmes. Regardless of Chris Columbus' attachment to the Potter series, the Potter stories remind me a lot of YSH -- three young British kids living at an old boarding school who get into all sorts of scrapes and face supernatual perils while trying to solve a great mystery.

Apparently Columbus even screen-tested kids with scenes he'd written for YSH. But agreed, Bruce Broughton's style would suit these films extremely well.

Its unfortunate Broughton does not work more. He's a real pro, and enormously gifted. But I get the sense he is disenchanted with Hollywood. And certainly Hollywood doesn't recognize musical talent or technique nowadays.

Eric W. · #15 Post by **Eric W.** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:44 am

Desplat and Kaczmarek need that one large, break out project. A Potter score could have been/be ideal.

I also love the idea of Broughton doing it.