Hedwig's Theme vs. The Enterprise

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

They're laid out relatively similarly in terms of structure from beginning to end, one is just slower and more grand than the other.

If someone held a gun to my head and told me to describe why these composers are absolute magicians/miracle workers I'd have to point to these two tracks.

Who will win? Who will lose?

Find out! Right here!

[Datameister 2,042]

Totally different structure. Fail, Blume. Epic fail is what this is.

"Hedwig's Theme."

But "The Enterprise" is magnificent.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Hedwigs Theme....quiet beginning...building up middle stuff...grand finale.

The Enterprise.......quiet beginning...building up middle stuff....grand finale.

Same.

[Datameister 2,042]

Sure, on the large scale, there's some superficial similarity, but their structures are quite different when you go down to a smaller scale.

Okay, so it's not quite epic fail. Still some flavor of fail, though. I expect better from you. Come to think of it, I expect better from your avatars and sigs, too. Where's the irony? Those could be nothing more than a perfectly beautiful Christmas card! Highly disappointing.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

DAMMIT MAN! I'M RECOVERING FROM SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON ALL THESE SOUNDTRACKS! GIVE ME A BREAK!

YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW! YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!

Play "Distraught Desmond" in the background while reading that, and imagine I'm beating the crap out of you drunk.

[Trent B 337]

Personally I voted "The Enterprise". Maybe a bit biased since I'm a Trekkie. Nothing gets more chills of excitement than that particular cue. I love the build up to the main Star Trek theme when it shows the front view of the newly redesigned Enterprise.

[indy4 155]

I vote for "The Enterprise." But it's a little unfair. While the Goldsmith could very well be the best thing he's ever composed (at least that I've heard), "Hedwig's Theme" isn't even close to the best thing Williams has composed. It's not even my favorite cue from Sorcerer's Stone.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Really? I think it's the maestro's finest piece. Technically impressive, visceral, powerful, great range from beginning to end, wonderful theme.

[Datameister 2,042]

DAMMIT MAN! I'M RECOVERING FROM SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON ALL THESE SOUNDTRACKS! GIVE ME A BREAK!

YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW! YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!

Play "Distraught Desmond" in the background while reading that, and imagine I'm beating the crap out of you drunk.

That's more like it. Also, I agree about Hedwig's Theme. Dunno if I'd say it's THE finest, but it's certainly up there with the best.

[Quintus 5,399]

Totally different structure. Fail, Blume. Epic fail is what this is.

In answer to the question, I'd go for The Enterprise, just because it sounds better.

[John Crichton 4]

Jerry wins this one.

[crocodile 8,006]

The Enterprise. Why? If you have a great concert piece that's good, but I you get to hear a concert-like piece in a film - that's just amazing.

Karol

[Charlie Brigden 7]

The Enterprise. I've warmed to Hedwig's Theme, but The Enterprise is probably my favourite theme ever, and the actual cue is absolute genius.

[Maxxie 1]

I'm not voting because I love them both!

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Hedwig's Theme. I fell in love with music when I heard that for the first time.

[SF1_freeze 131]

The Enterprise, when i heard this cue for the first time it blew my socks (a bit more than Hedwig's)

[Ollie 1,059]

The Enterprise.

[Greg1138 3]

Gotta go with The Enterprise for this one. Can't explain why really, but when I read the two titles involved in the poll The Enterprise wa the one that brought a smile to my face. Yep - that's it - that's my reasoning for this one - sometimes gotta go with the gut...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Love Hedwigs, absolutely adore it. With maybe the single best 1.5 minute of music of the naughties in it's climax.

But I vote for The Enterprise.

[Ollie 1,059]

There is no comparison.

[Jay 37,352]

I think I'll have to vote for The Enterprise, but honestly if you had done Harry's Wondrous World vs The Enterprise I'd have a lot harder time deciding.

[Uni 306]

The Enterprise all the way (both versions, actually). Hedwig's is good, but not as great.

- Uni

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I was thinking of creating a poll about your favourite appearances of the Enterprise theme, but I realise now it would have about forty-six options.

[Jeff 10]

I suppose there are more Trekkies than Potter fans on this board. I voted for Hedwig's theme out of loyalty to the franchise, but also because I like that theme better. Every time I hear it, I get chills down my spine. It sets the mood for each film the way the Star Wars scroll sets the mood for each episode, though obviously the mood is quite different. Both perfectly achieve the desired effect.

The Enterprise theme is great, too - but I have no personal emotional attachment to it.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

"The Enterprise", not least, because of the absolutely gob-smacking visuals that accompany it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

I love Hedwig's Theme, but in this case there is indeed no comparison.

I heard brilliant renditions of both cues live a few years back in the same concert, by the way. The Potter suite is certainly a challenge for the best orchestras. Mauceri made The Enterprise shine even slightly more than the King himself had done a few years earlier with the LSO.

[crocodile 8,006]

So you say this piece was actually performed live? I didn't know that.

Karol

[Hlao-roo 389]

Princess Leia's Theme.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Dumbutt.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Dumbutt.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

So you say this piece was actually performed live? I didn't know that.

Not the Children's suite, if you read it that way. It was a "regular" suite including Hedwig's Theme, Harry's Wondrous World and Fluffy's Harp; I don't recall the rest, but only cues available on the OST album were present.

[crocodile 8,006]

I was talking about The Enterprise.

Karol

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Dumbutt.

Yeah. You deserve nothing better than walking in on old man Harrison and old woman Carrie doing it.

[Hlao-roo 389]

Dumbutt.

Yeah. You deserve nothing better than walking in on old man Harrison and old woman Carrie doing it.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

I was talking about The Enterprise.

Ah. I think it's "frequently" played live. Goldsmith did a 30 minute suite from TMP at his last LSO concert, I think that suite was compiled by Mauceri for the Hollywood Bowl.

[David Coscina 3]

Gotta be honest- Enterprise all the way. Hedwig's Theme was one that was never nuts about. It never sat in the films either IMO. I much prefer "Harry's Wondrous World". That track has emotion, range and feeling. Hedwig's Theme is overly busy and how should one say? Too many notes.

[King Mark 3,631]

Hedwig's Theme is overly busy and how should one say? Too many notes.

riiiiight .Almost every composer won;t write something as good in their lifetime.

That being said ,The Enterprise wins this poll

[David Coscina 3]

I totally disagree. Yared has written better IMO, and of course, this is totally subjective at the end of the day. I'll take "Crazy Tom" over "Hedwig's Theme" any day of the week. But then again, aside from HOOK, I'm not terribly interested in Williams "cutsy" music. Oh, I also like Home Alone too.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

If Robert Wise had directed Philosopher's Stone, Goldsmith might have composed a similar track anyway while young Harry verrrrrry slowwwwwwwly docks his boat up to Hogwarts.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

I totally disagree. Yared has written better IMO, and of course, this is totally subjective at the end of the day. I'll take "Crazy Tom" over "Hedwig's Theme" any day of the week. But then again, aside from HOOK, I'm not terribly interested in Williams "cutsy" music. Oh, I also like Home Alone too.

...and "Home Alone" isn't cute because..?

[David Coscina 3]

I totally disagree. Yared has written better IMO, and of course, this is totally subjective at the end of the day. I'll take "Crazy Tom" over "Hedwig's Theme" any day of the week. But then again, aside from HOOK, I'm not terribly interested in Williams "cutsy" music. Oh, I also like Home Alone too.

...and "Home Alone" isn't cute because..?

There are parts of HOOK and Home Alone that I don't care for because of their tone. A lot of Home Alone, to me though sounds more Tchaikovsky-like so it doesn't bother me as much. I actually find much of The Philosopher's Stone very reminiscent of HOOK which has some beautiful moments but also kind of annoying ones too.

But like I said, it's a personal thing. I don't think Williams is at fault. I was just saying this because Mark seems to think Williams Hedwig's Theme is the be-all and end-all. If you guys listened to as much Prokofiev as I do, you would find a dozen unsettling resemblances in Williams' music and his. Obviously Williams has a tremendous knowledge of classical repertoire and I would never accuse him of knowingly trying to copy something but there is a lot of Prokofiev in his writing. Almost as much as Horner's to be honest.

[steb74 53]

Almost as much as Horner's to be honest.

The big difference though, for me at least, is Williams' ability to take any given source material and shape it into something more original and to let it sit more organically with the rest of a score, instead of it feeling like a copy and paste situation.

Obviously Williams has a tremendous knowledge of classical repertoire and I would never accuse him of knowingly trying to copy something but there is a lot of Prokofiev in his writing.

I think Williams has brought enough to the table without having to be concerned with message board accusations ....if one were to accuse him that is

Anyway, Hedwig's Theme vs. The Enterprise?

For me, Hedwig's Theme hands down but that's probably because the Enterprise scene has always made me laugh (in a good way) and I don't think it's one of Goldsmith's best pieces by a long shot.

[Wojo 2,453]

the Enterprise scene has always made me laugh (in a good way)

It's only a model.

[Quintus 5,399]

Lol

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I disagree with Fiery on Hedwig's Theme, but heartily agree on most everything else regarding cutesy....including Hook....and to some degree Home Alone (but I also like that).

Ironically while I find Hedwig's theme to be teetering on the verge of too many notes, but it still has a very balletic nature to it. There is something necessary about all those notes. It is the summation of this magical world...so it's only right that it is so....rich!

And I'm one of the biggest critics of too many notes. I believe the most challenging work is in the creating what appears simple and elegant. The ornamentation and appearance of lots of things going on...( "complexity") is just time and patience, "busy work" if you will.

[Wojo 2,453]

If you guys listened to as much Prokofiev as I do, you would find a dozen unsettling resemblances in Williams' music and his.

You need to listen to less Prokofiev.

[steb74 53]

It's only a model.

I wasn't talking about the model but rather, words unspoken.

[Wojo 2,453]

That photo makes me feel dirty.

[publicist 4,643]

That photo makes me feel dirty.

You are not alone. 'Celebrated director of STAR TREK movie caught in public bathroom!'-headline alert!!

[gkgyver 1,645]

I need the movie with it to get a true kick out of Hedwig's Theme, but over The Enterprise I can scoregasm well without visuals.