Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 by Alexandre Desplat

[fommes 153]

"You name me one film our Johnny can't do!"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

I need to show my enthusiasm on this matter, otherwise I'll explode.

I'm always under the impression that when JW goes dark and menacing, he just RULES. And he sometimes puts a fun and theatrical feeling to it without losing the dark side of the music at all. Impressive, most impressive.

Also when he gives the music that big sacred tone that I love so much.

7m3 Three Note Loop

Approaching the Stones

Reaching the Country

Agreed. "Approaching The Stones" is, and always has been, my favourite piece of music in "TOD". It is simply phenomenal!

[fommes 153]

Does anyone already happen to know what "The Journey" on the LP is?

[Neimoidian 14]

I had a chance to watch the first film recently, after many years. And it struck me how misplaced the music seemed. Maybe it's because we're so used to low volume of JW's scores in films. But it felt like he scored the book and then someone attached it to this film.

Karol

That's why they later hired people like Hooper to make up for that old-fashioned, cheesy way of scoring fantasy movies.

[indy4 155]

Hooper's scores (at least OotP) are way closer to a Williams score than an MV score. I'd like to see Klaus Badelt write something as good as "Room of Requirement" or "Professor Umbridge."

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I gave this soundtrack a listen after a very long long time today. And like fine wine, it is an even better experience with some aging. Delicious themes woven through the entirety of the score, a very unique and magical atmosphere, the darkness and weight.

I think what I love most with this score, and what really takes me back to that old form of film music I hold so near and dear is that listening to the score from beginning to end follows an entire narrative. Not just individual tracks, but the entire score has a clear sense of direction and development. You can follow the story through the music. Rare thing these days.

DH Part 1, Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Sorcerer's Stone are basically the Ron, Hermione, and Harry of the scores for these films. The other scores (by Desplat, Hooper, Doyle, and Williams' own Frankenstein Chamber of Secrets) are like the mediocre to good students in the background of Hogwarts.

[Jay 37,323]

I've listened to the COS OST probably a hundred times and the DH1 OST exactly once. Just can't get into it, and can't understand why so many people rag on COS. It's great!

[Demondm810 399]

I've listened to the COS OST probably a hundred times and the DH1 OST exactly once. Just can't get into it, and can't understand why so many people rag on COS. It's great!

[crocodile 7,990]

It's not about it being not enjoyable (because it is very enjoyable), but because so much of it is simply an adaptation/re-recording, with under-developed (brilliant) thematic material. On album it is fine, but as a standalone score leave a lot to be desired.

Back to Desplat though. I enjoy both of his scores, but don't think they consitute his seminal works. At an intellectual level they satisfy me (there is a lot of subtle development throughout both scores), but I can't say I'm completely, unconditionally happy with them. Desplat is capable of better. But that really has mostly to do with the movies and how they were told.

Karol

[Matt C 452]

I've listened to the COS OST probably a hundred times and the DH1 OST exactly once. Just can't get into it

Part 1 is just multi-faceted and I constantly notice new elements in the orchestration and writing (especially the action cues). I haven't been this impressed with a Desplat score since The Golden Compass and New Moon. Try it again -- I'm surprised you haven't liked the action music at least. I wish Desplat had been hired to score Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince too, and that feeling gets stronger every time I listen to this CD.

It's a shame Part 2 isn't as good, score-wise.

[fommes 153]

As with most Desplat CDs, it gets better and better each time you listen to it. A bit like with Elfman, you start recognizing more and more motifs. I already thought it was pretty exciting music from the get-go; now I think it's brilliant especially given the obvious limitations imposed by the director (even if you have heard the demos, there are one or two excellent and more overt cues in the middle of the film that have been dropped). The only motif I'm not too fond of is the 'Ron leaves' material, but only when it's too minimalistic - I'm loving it in Obliviate.

[DangerMotif 1,037]

Is the Desplat autograph from this real or printed?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

"Nothing unreal exists".

 

T'Planahath, Matron of Vulcan Philosophy