Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A larger but no deeper Hooper score, 14 Jul 2009
It seems like many eons ago now that I gave Hooper's Order of the Phoenix soundtrack a fairly negative review. The good news is that many of the tracks grew on me over time, especially after seeing the film numerous times and being able to picture the scenes which the music accompanies.
Unfortunately, that is still no high praise. No soundtrack should require the listener to conjure their memories of the film in order to fully enjoy its music. Composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore are infamous for creating truly amazing musical pieces, irrespective of the quality of the films which go with them.
It is, therefore, also my sad duty to say that the Half-Blood Prince soundtrack gives a slight improvement and is more enjoyable in its own right but remains lightyears away from a musical masterpiece and still depends heavily on the mechanics of the film to truly work. To begin with, Hooper gives with one hand - by giving us 28 tracks as opposed to OOTP's 18 - but takes with the other by keeping all the tracks incredibly short.
There are some great tracks in this set and very few, if any, terrible ones. Amongst the greats are my absolute favourite - Journey to the Cave - and some of Hooper's more original 'non-potterish' tracks such as Wizard Wheezes, Farewell Aragog, The Weasley Stomp and In Noctem. I was also very impressed with his twist on John Williams 'Prisoner of Azkaban' Quidditch theme in Ron's Victory. However, though none are terrible, most of the others suffer from lack of presence. The music starts, plays, and ends. There is no true sense of event or mood and if you play the tracks without watching the playlist I can guarantee that 6 times in 10 you won't even notice the track has changed.
Overall, this soundtrack is a competent piece of work by Hooper. I have absolute no doubt it will work in great harmony with the movie, just as his last track did. That said, I can't help but lament the disappointing lack of length and depth in most tracks. I have to wonder what another composer could have done with Hooper's incredibly bland Dumbledore tracks.
It was with great excitement that I read an interview with David Heyman this morning suggesting John Williams will be back for Deathly Hallows Part II.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely beautiful, 11 Aug 2009
I adore this gorgeous film score and I am in awe of what Mr Hooper has achieved here.
So many beautiful themes, often both subtle and delicate. So many different styles, from Celtic ballad to 1930's big band sound to choral works, from harp pieces, to those led by flute and those led by piano.
So many commentators damn the soundtrack with faint praise, it makes me wonder if it was written with just me in mind because I absolutely love it!
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Half Blooded Soundtrack?, 17 Jul 2009
As a fan of Hooper's Order of the Phoenix score, I looked forward to hearing this soundtrack, both on it's own and with the movie. I can't honestly say that I was disappointed.
Hooper says of the CD that "[it] is to give you a feeling of the film through the medium of the music" - and, it has to be said, in this it mostly succeeds. The film, as with the book, has an underlying theme of darkness. In his score, Hooper creates a constant thread of melancholy through nearly every piece. Partly this is done by his use of the 'Possession' theme, created for Order of the Phoenix and partly with the new 'in noctem' theme. Even in some of the lighter pieces ('School!', 'Ginny' etc) the lightness is subtle - in each piece (barring the delightfully foot tapping 'Wizard Wheezes' and 'The Weasley Stomp') the underlying melancholy breaks through. So yes, the soundtrack does give one a feel of the movie through the medium of music. (Mostly dark and sad, with some bright moments - quite like the view of Diagon Alley.) Hooper also states that the tracks run in the order of the film; whilst this is true, it's not completely correct. Pieces from Order of the Phoenix have been used again in the film but have not been included in the album. Equally, 'Wizard Wheezes' does not have a place in the film.
The real downside to this soundtrack, to my mind, is that all the tracks are so short - and yet, so many flow almost seamlessly one into the next. In other words, possibly some of the pieces would have benefited from being combined together, at the expense of letting each significant moment or character have its own named piece.
If you enjoyed Hooper's Order of the Phoenix, or tracks such as William's 'A window to the past' (Prisoner of Azkaban), you will likely enjoy this subtle yet atmospheric soundtrack. (if not, try listening on a service such as spotify, and then download selectively!)
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ Nicholas Hooper
~ Stuart Cassells
~ John Williams (Composer)
~ Judith Farmer
~ Original Soundtrack
