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Music Review: Nicholas Hooper, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"
by R.J. Carter
Published: July 13, 2009
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Release Date: July 14, 2009
Label: New Line Records
Grade: B+
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Nicholas Hooper continues building on themes developed in "Order of the Phoenix," reflecting the darker, more somber turn the series of books and films takes at this point in the saga of J.K. Rowling's boy wizard. Of course, he's becoming less of a boy and more of a man, and Hooper's score incorporates that maturity while still retaining echoes of the more magical and innocent beginnings.
Darkness and light take turns on the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, starting out with the haunting chants of "In Noctem" (because nothing says "ooh, beware" like a nice Gregorian chant). "Ginny" brightens things up considerably with its romantic airy strains, as they lead into the comfortable and familiar thematic chords created by John Williams when the franchise was still young, and helps bring the listener back to the wonderment and awe of Harry's fresh-faced youth.
An interesting and fun track is "Wizard Wheezes," no doubt created for the scene in which the Weasley twins, Fred and George, decide to leave Hogwarts and open their own joke shop. It's a bopping big-band swing number, and it's notable for the fact that it does not appear in the film at all, leaving this reviewer to wonder if the scene itself will be excised from the film for the sake of time constraints.
If, by some wildly improbably chance, you haven't read the books and want to be surprised by events as they unfold in the film, by all means avoid the track listing below, because there are certainly at least a small handful of what you'll consider spoilers. For the rest of the world, take comfort in knowing that Hooper's craft has captured completely the nuance and emotion of the tragedies we know occur toward this penultimate chapter's climax.
This CD includes a free digital download of the soundtrack in 5.1 Surround Sound, which is only one of the handful of bonus features available through the active content portion of this disc. You'll also have access to an MP3 download of "Big Beat Repeat," obtain a "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" ringtone, and watch some scenes from the scoring session as it took place in Abbey Road Studios.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" opens in theaters this Wednesday, July 15th.
Nicholas Hooper
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Track Listing |
01. Opening
02. In Noctem
03. The Story Begins
04. Ginny
05. Snape & The Unbreakable Vow
06. Wizard Wheezes
07. Dumbledore's Speech
08. Living Death
09. Into the Pensieve
10. The Book
11. Ron's Victory
12. Harry & Hermione
13. School!
14. Malfoy's Mission |
15. The Slug Party
16. Into the Rushes
17. Farewell Aragog
18. Dumbledore's Foreboding
19. Of Love & War
20. When Ginny Kissed Harry
21. Slughorn's Confession
22. Journey to the Cave
23. The Drink of Despair
24. Inferi in the Firestorm
25. The Killing of Dumbledore
26. Dumbledore's Farewell
27. The Friends
28. The Weasley Stomp |
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