Will

Double Sextet - Steve Reich This won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. I've probably posted it before but it's SO GOOD!! Might be one of my favorite non-film works of all time. Just a few favorite moments: Reich's jagged, groovy rhythms are absolutely masterful here (although I can't really read music myself, I've heard that virtually every bar in the 1st and 3rd movements is in a different time signature, which makes the piece, and performance, all the more incredible). I love how he carefully builds the instrumental layers on top of one another, towards a wildly joyous climax: And that's only the first movement! The 3rd is just as amazing. In the climax, I absolutely adore how in the finale the various instruments enter one by one, finishing with the winds euphorically "bouncing" atop the charging piano & percussion plus strings: That modulation... This finale feels almost like something you could sing along to.

To those who doubt his chops, I can only present this:

Yeah, it has some really great moments. As I posted in another thread, my favorite cue is this -- until 0:50: Miranda's voice floats in with an incredible whimsicality ("Hold on tight to those you love, and maybe, soon, from up above"), and then the massive statement of Mary's theme (?) that follows it is just downright awesome.

Thanks for the response! Now that you mention it I definitely agree that there's a lot of Ligeti, Penderecki, etc. here. I still can't shake the feeling that there's something jazzy about these few seconds, but maybe it's actually more because of the jolly rhythm and less because of the harmonies themselves: In any event, it's hard not to marvel at JW's wild chords for this cue. Few composers today would attempt something like this for a climactic action scene.

In honor of the new LLL set, I figured I'd ask a Potter question that's been bothering me for a while. It's about this incredible passage: I've always thought of those gorgeously dissonant (?) brass harmonies as jazzy. But I'm not well-schooled enough in jazz to know whether that bit is actually influenced by JW's (extensive) jazz background. I think it'd be really cool if this was yet another example of JW's jazzy style shining through in even non-overtly-jazzy set pieces like this. Anyone have any thoughts? @Loert, @Jilal, @Score, and/or @Ludwig, or anyone else?

@King Mark, I believe "The Patronus Power" was part of an alternate version of "First Frozen Lake." Although Jay can correct me if I'm wrong.

How gorgeous is this "Saving Buckbeak" coda? 😍

Not sure, but it's definitely some nice art.

No Sirius's Rescue? Seriously, tho, how great is 6m5 Pt II in full orchestral glory? Never realized it was scored for choir! 😍

How great is this cue?

Listening to the partial clean "Rescue of Sirius" from that podcast from a few weeks ago has finally made me realize how great a cue it is: I'm still not a huge fan of Buckbeak's theme (in any context), but the opening of this cue kicks some serious ass -- and I'm excited to hear the full clean version on the new set. This cue clearly foreshadowed the (imho) even better "Presses Roll" from The Post.

As you all know, Matessino came on RTE again - https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradiowebpage.html#!rii=b16_10968910_2393__ (listen around 1:39:00). He played: The Big Doors Open/The Great Hall Ceiling A Walk in the Woods and Bird's Flight (still listening for the promised third piece) EDIT: "A Christmas Break" from 2. Full, longer version!

Love the Knight Bus opening. Sounds like something out of Hook.

A.I. is the one where I cried the most (ending scene). Empire of the Sun also hit hard although I'm not sure if I quite got to crying. I probably got a little misty-eyed during the final sequences of TFA as well (joy tinged with melancholy). Titanic was pretty gripping and devastating but I don't think I cried at all. To some degree I think the shock/trauma factor of that film's final third outweighed the almost perfectly tragic romance. I'm sure I'm forgetting some flicks but it's late right now.

Yeah surprisingly I have to say I agree. Although I think JNH's Grindelwald probably will last longer in my memory due to seeing the film (I haven't seen Disney's Nutcracker), as a pure score Nutcracker resonated emotionally with me in a way that made Grindelwald feel cold. Four Realms is a lovely, warm holiday score. JNH's material blends almost perfectly with Tchaikovsky's imho. I keep finding myself coming back to this score, even if JNH's musical narrative does have some flaws. My one biggest complaint (sounds trivial but it frustrates me) is that the final cue that's original JNH - "Queen Clara" - ends with an unresolved statement of one of the main themes. It's absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking, but without an end credits suite you're just left with a sudden transition into Lang Lang's (great) version of the Tchaikovsky material.

Like @King Mark, I remain a little uncertain about the Williams/Ross split on CoS. Even if Ross didn't "compose" anything new, I wonder whether stuff like the "Reunion of Friends" finale or "Escape from the Dursleys" would count as "adapted" and therefore could have been done by Ross with no Williams involvement (other than the fact that JW's HP1 stuff was riffed on therein, obviously). Then again, like KM I find it hard to believe that, say, the "Reunion" finale could have been composed/adapted by anyone other than JW! It sounds like pure Williams.

Desplat - Julie and Julia Watched this 2009 movie with my fam a couple nights ago. Actually pretty good, but the score is even better imho. Sure, it's nothing particularly new from Desplat (almost as soon as the studio logos came on, I was like "Yeah, this is Desplat"), but the main theme is absolutely gorgeous: My favorite passage from the score has to be this - classic Desplat bliss: 0:47-1:11

Just noticed that Mike Matessino went on a European classical radio show and premiered the previously officially unreleased "Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters" from the set. Listen starting around 1 hour and 8 minutes: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradiowebpage.html#!rii=b16_10965468_2393_24-11-2018_. More excitingly, he immediately afterward premiered the vocal version of "Hogwarts Forever"! It's pretty cool, although only the beginning has vocals. Even better, the host said that next Saturday she'll be playing unreleased stuff from Azkaban from the new set!

@Jay, do you have any idea whether 6m5 Pt. II (presumably an early, rejected version of First Frozen Lake) was recorded -- and, if so, whether it's on this release? I absolutely adore the mock-up I have of 6m5 Pt. II.

Yeah I saw it a couple days ago and actually thought it was pretty great. Flawed, sure, but enough good stuff to make it as good as, and maybe even better than, the first one. Jude Law was great, Depp was way better than expected, Rowling's story was imaginative (if a little confused at times), and of course JNH absolutely knocked it out of the park. I mean, just little moments like Law's Dumbledore turning around on the roof to a harp gliss and a wholesome string introduction to the character's theme really make you smile.

WOAH!! I'd heard about the article but never guessed there was actual music embedded therein. Piece sounds GREAT! Classic Reich. Nothing too new but absolutely lovely as always. Really tough to hear the samples end.

Yeah, I was surprised to hear that as well. But I actually really like it because it shows how JW can make his sound a bit contemporary without sacrificing his classic orchestrations.

Just listened! Sounds kinda predictable - this is definitely "auto-pilot Williams" as some here like to say, and at times it sounds like he is aping "The Flag Parade." Nevertheless, it's as usual very well done, and harkens back to his 80s sound in parts. I particularly like the little trumpet interlude midway through - sounds like something out of Amazing Stories.

Ayy Bill Ross conducting! 😀 (Can't actually listen now but very surprised and excited. I think we'd heard he *might* be writing something but we had absolutely no idea it was actually happening, much less already recorded!!) Also, I guess this shows Lucasfilm isn't done with the LSO, which will make many of you happy!