John Williams - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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Free Music Notes for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Free Music Review: Outstanding music - John Williams is the best
Hit: 5 Stars
More than just a film soundtrack - this music takes you through a breathtaking journey of emotions from the exitement of the Quidditch match to the tension of 'the face of Voldermort.' John Williams mystical theme is fantastic, first heard in prologue it continues to appear effectively in many ways right up until the dramatic climax that is 'Hedwigs theme.' You do not need to have seen the film to benefit from this music - it is outstanding, but who would have expected anything less from John Williams! Those people who have seen the film can sit back and return time and time again to the world of Harry Potter. I find it ultimately relaxing to sit there listening to the music and form the pictures from the film in my mind as I go along, the beautiful 'change of season' is a great example of this as I imagine Hedwig rising with the music and breaking into summer as the music smooths out.
Amongst my favourites are 'Hedwigs theme' and 'Harry's wondrous world' which together are a compilation of most the music heard throughout the CD that form the ending credits of the movie. 'Christmas at Hogwarts' and 'A change of season' provide seasonal touches and the beginning 6 tracks take you on a wonderful journey following Harry's change of fortunes.
All in all a fantastic soundtrack and well worth buying.
Free Music Review: Not your typical bombastic John Williams soundtrack...
Hit: 5 Stars
As an adult "HP" fan, I was scared twice; once when I heard that Chris Columbus was directing the movie and two, when I found out that John Williams was writing and conducting the soundtrack.What impressed me the most is that this soundtrack holds its own as a purely classical piece.
Yes, "Hedwig's Theme" is the common thread that you will hear throughout the entire soundtrack, but even the lighter pieces (such as "Diagon Ally", "Mr. Longbottom Flies" and "Christmas At Hogwarts") quickly turn musically dark, I guess, with the tone of the movie.
I *adore* the use of the celestine against the deep, bass sounds of an orchestra for contrast.
Oh, and "The Quidditch Match" is perfect.
I've read many reviews about the movie, and some of the reviews are stating that the soundtrack is "heavy handed", "typical John Williams", and all of that.
Nonsense. Disney's "Fantasia"'s soundtrack used classical music to perfection, and they believed that was a colossal failure, as well.
As a stand-alone CD, I adore this. As an adult HP fan who's taking her 12 year old niece to the movie (and who's going to don her Halloween costume!)premiere, I'm curious to see how it fits in. I think it's going to do just fine.
Free Music Review: Brings HP to life, without seeing the movie!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
First, I will say that I have read all of the HP books and am aware of all of the hype surrounding the upcoming movie. With that said, here goes my review of the soundtrack. It is the best movie soundtrack that I have ever heard. This soundtrack brings the HP world to life. I can envision scenes in the movie, without actually having seen it.The soundtrack is magical (of course!!), sad, exciting, scary and just plain makes you feel good. After listening to it, I was left with an emptiness...but then I realized, I could listen again!
The soundtrack starts out with a prologue, which draws your attention and finishes strong.
This transforms into the next track, "Harry's Wonderous World", which builds up to many climactic points.
Track 11, "The Quiddich Match", is nothing short of incredible, as is, Track 17, "The Face of Voldemort", which is downright frightening!
Other tracks, such as; "Devil's Snare", "The Chess Game" and "Hedwig's Theme" (which was performed by John Williams live just a few months ago), are all memorable to the soundtrack.
Williams pulls out all of the stops in this one to compose an absolutely invigorating peice. It will not disappoint. It is a must have to any serious music collector.
Free Music Review: Simply perfect... mostly
Hit: 5 Stars
Perhaps it's because I heard the soundtrack before I read the book or saw the movie, but I simply cannot imagine any other music being used for the Harry Potter world. While many film scores are well-composed and seem to complement their films well, this score seems to grow naturally out of the story itself, by way of the great John Williams.One thing to keep in mind about the music, though, however great it is, is that it was composed to complement the movie and not necessarily as an independent listening experience. That said, the soundtrack does, in fact, make a great listening experience, though a few of the tracks do seem to go on for a while without a lot of direction. Williams seems to be big on providing a constant musical wallpaper--or perhaps Columbus requested this, and that means there is simply a LOT of music that went with this film, and much of it is simply atmospheric.
That said, the entire sountrack is worth buying for the trailer music, opening theme, and end titles alone. These pieces bring the main themes of the entire album together (including the excellent Hedwig theme) and integrate them into coherant stand-alone pieces. Also, even the "atmospheric" tracks provide an excellent ambience for exercising or jogging or just working around the house.
Free Music Review: Another John Williams Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is extremely well done. John Williams sets the tone for each part of the movie by defining it with its own, independent theme. Harry's theme is the most "magical" sounding and stands apart from the rest of the soundtrack. It's a very soft and mellow tune that's both mysterious and innocent at the same time. The Quidditch scene has the loudest and most rambunctious music. Much like the sport itself, the music is fast-paced. Voldemort's theme is very soft and dark sounding, with very subtle changes. Though it's no "Imperial March", it's one of Williams' most successful villain themes. It's very obvious that Williams has borrowed certain elements from his past scores, but at the same time manages to change it and add enough new material for a completely original sound. At times, there is a choir in the background providing vocals that tends to sound more like the work of James Horner than John Williams. This is not to say, however, tht Williams is unsuccessful. The mix of instrument and voice is superb. Overall, I would say this is one of John Williams' most successful scores, especially in recent years. It's my favorite since Jurassic Park and well worth the price.