Skelly

Oh, but it is!  (Unless you meant as originally written.)
 
 
 

Oh, but it is!  (Unless you meant as originally written.)
 
 
 

Everyone calls it the Pettigrew motif because that's what it was edited to be (it's even sloppily applied when he turns back into a rat near the end). I think Williams intended for it to be more representative of danger, or evil usage of magic. It's like a sinister version of the Nimbus 2000 theme.

Oh, but it is!  (Unless you meant as originally written.)
 
 
 

It wasn't that complicated, it was just meant for the trailer. I get the impression that Williams really liked working on the Potter movies and was willing to go that extra mile; he probably would have written original music for a CoS trailer too if he hadn't been so busy that year.
Fun fact, the pre-Double Trouble music in the trailer was actually written by Brand X Music (Tom Gire and John Sponsler) but was still recorded with DT and conducted by Williams.

You're thinking of John Williams.
 
https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/may-the-fourth-spotlight-on-joann-kane-music/
 
Maybe there's some small adjustment here and there by the time his sketches are sent to the scoring stage, but I bet you that no one wants to be the guy who bungles up a John Williams cue, or surprises him when he gets up to the conductor's stand. Williams knows exactly what he wants in terms of sound and orchestration and no one is going to stand in his way. That "imitation sound" could be him trying to replicate a style from many years ago that he's sort of gotten past in his everyday writing.

You're thinking of John Williams.
 
https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/may-the-fourth-spotlight-on-joann-kane-music/
 
Maybe there's some small adjustment here and there by the time his sketches are sent to the scoring stage, but I bet you that no one wants to be the guy who bungles up a John Williams cue, or surprises him when he gets up to the conductor's stand. Williams knows exactly what he wants in terms of sound and orchestration and no one is going to stand in his way. That "imitation sound" could be him trying to replicate a style from many years ago that he's sort of gotten past in his everyday writing.

You're thinking of John Williams.
 
https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/may-the-fourth-spotlight-on-joann-kane-music/
 
Maybe there's some small adjustment here and there by the time his sketches are sent to the scoring stage, but I bet you that no one wants to be the guy who bungles up a John Williams cue, or surprises him when he gets up to the conductor's stand. Williams knows exactly what he wants in terms of sound and orchestration and no one is going to stand in his way. That "imitation sound" could be him trying to replicate a style from many years ago that he's sort of gotten past in his everyday writing.

McQuarrie says plainly that he wanted a score of "simplicity and minimalism" for Rogue Nation in the liner notes of that soundtrack. Word on the street is that Tom Cruise wasn't very enthusiastic about the demo cues he was hearing in that vein, and kept asking for more assertion and presence from the underscore, so Kraemer of course followed those instructions. So now McQuarrie wasn't getting the sort of music he wanted. Not only that but the movie's release date was moved to six months earlier, which meant that there was virtually no time for McQuarrie to really check out what each cue was going to sound like. Kraemer tried to be accommodating by writing multiple versions/ideas for cues and give him some options but that's still not the most ideal thing in the world.
In February when the Lorne Balfe rumors were starting to go around, Kraemer said on Twitter that he hadn't been contacted at all by McQuarrie about MI6 (and then a day later said, "okay, I got an email just now, it's a 'no'"). It seems like McQuarrie's decision wasn't necessarily about the quality of the finished score but more the very unsatisfying scoring process. I guess he wanted a fresh start without all the baggage of what happened on the last movie, or worse, a repeat. Kraemer also decided to "like" a tweet that was highly critical of McQuarrie for the whole situation, so you can probably surmise how well their relationship is doing.
It's not as if Kraemer would refuse to do a Nolan-type score either - he's said pretty bluntly that if he were hired and asked to do that, if push came to shove, he'd do it if it's what he was being asked to do.

Well I think the point is that the score is supposed to sound like a major blockbuster. Rogue Nation was envisioned as sort of a "spiritual successor" to the original television show and took more inspiration from that than the previous Cruise films. The music reflected that choice. I haven't seen Fallout but the trailers make it look like it's trying to be a blockbuster "of its time" and have the feel of what you would expect a 2018 action movie to be.

McQuarrie says plainly that he wanted a score of "simplicity and minimalism" for Rogue Nation in the liner notes of that soundtrack. Word on the street is that Tom Cruise wasn't very enthusiastic about the demo cues he was hearing in that vein, and kept asking for more assertion and presence from the underscore, so Kraemer of course followed those instructions. So now McQuarrie wasn't getting the sort of music he wanted. Not only that but the movie's release date was moved to six months earlier, which meant that there was virtually no time for McQuarrie to really check out what each cue was going to sound like. Kraemer tried to be accommodating by writing multiple versions/ideas for cues and give him some options but that's still not the most ideal thing in the world.
In February when the Lorne Balfe rumors were starting to go around, Kraemer said on Twitter that he hadn't been contacted at all by McQuarrie about MI6 (and then a day later said, "okay, I got an email just now, it's a 'no'"). It seems like McQuarrie's decision wasn't necessarily about the quality of the finished score but more the very unsatisfying scoring process. I guess he wanted a fresh start without all the baggage of what happened on the last movie, or worse, a repeat. Kraemer also decided to "like" a tweet that was highly critical of McQuarrie for the whole situation, so you can probably surmise how well their relationship is doing.
It's not as if Kraemer would refuse to do a Nolan-type score either - he's said pretty bluntly that if he were hired and asked to do that, if push came to shove, he'd do it if it's what he was being asked to do.

It's been done very well by Fennel-Ka for Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, but I don't believe anyone's ever tried something like it for Harry Potter!
I thought it would be interesting to restore the unused music while also retaining dialogue/FX to give you an idea of how it all could have meshed together sound-wise, as opposed to just having music-only tracks. If people would prefer to have me not bother keeping the dialogue and sound effects in the mix, I'll do that in the future.
Here are a few examples from each of the films; I'll be updating the thread throughout the next few weeks with more.
 
PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
"Logos"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkZVk4TWRILTczcms
Williams originally intended for the WB logo to be paired with an alluring celeste rather than a more orchestral arrangement of Hedwig's Theme.
 
"The Beach"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkNFdsNlVGUmEteEE
The opening portion of this cue was dialed out, and is introduced only when the Family Theme is played. Given that the mail delivery sequence essentially just repeats Hedwig's Theme over and over again, it was probably decided that another quotation of it would have been fatiguing.
 
"You're A Wizard Harry"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkMUZXa0djeWFVYWs
The first 40 seconds or so of this cue are used in the film, before it segues to the (tracked) unused logo music, and then the rest of the scene goes unscored. The cue is dialed back in when Hagrid points his umbrella at Vernon. I have no idea why this decision was made; I think the rest of the music complements the scene very well!
 
"Diagon Alley"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkNEhTdlZjMUY1eFU
This is perhaps the most infamous music edit in the film. When brainstorming what to write for this cue, instead of capturing Harry's awe and wonder of the place, Williams imagined what a small wizard's ensemble might sound like if one were performing in Diagon Alley. There are plenty more opportunities in the film to listen to Harry's reactions to the wizarding world, but not as many chances to listen to the world as experienced wizards hear it. Of course, with the decision to track music in from a couple cues in the final cut, that creative choice is essentially reversed.
 
"Hagrid's Flashback"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkTUwwLUxLaENHUDg
The opening half of this cue was dialed out. It turns out that the unused portion is longer than the scene itself, so I edited the cue down myself in order to see how it might have been able to fit into this scene.
 
"Entering the Great Hall"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkczg3eW05dUZQRjQ
The first dozen or so measures were dialed out, when Malfoy introduces himself. I'm not sure why they considered this unflattering music expendable. Its removal certainly doesn't add any degree of subtlety to Draco's wickedess, considering how hammy the scene is with Malfoy essentially saying, "Join me or I'll hate you".
 
"Flying 1"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkRDRXRXhmYjNlODg
I'm really not sure at all why this quotation of the Hogwarts theme was dialed out.
 
"Flying 2"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkdmN2NzNMZ2Z0WkU
The film loses yet another statement of the Hogwarts motif when McGonagall seemingly reprimands Harry. However, the lack of music does leave Harry's fate more to chance in the mind of the viewer.
 
"Troll in the Dungeon"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkZ0FYdE5pRFk1aEU
Unused in the film. I think it was decided that the confusion and panic would be heightened if Quirrell's message was delivered without accompanying music (because a lack of music is a lack of information).
 
"Christmas"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkWnc1WWhXajFnZE0
This one is purely experimental in nature. Williams went to the trouble of writing a Hogwarts Christmas carol from scratch as well as an accompanying tune to be played on a music box synth. Alas, only a seconds of each were used in the final film. Here you can listen to how the whole song could fit into the scene; I tried to line it up to the music box track, but although they both carry the same basic melody the tempos are just too different to be melodiously aligned.
 
"Dumbledore's Caution"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkaHJEMk5jYXdvdzA
There's a very passive quotation of Hedwig's Theme edited out of the film that I think was supposed to underscore this deleted scene. I wish the scene had been kept in; it acts as a good contrast to the...
 
"Time Transition"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkNFBfMGtJMHBWT3c
Williams originally had an entirely different idea for this scene, which used a feathery arrangement of the Flying Theme (on the celeste, of course!). I much prefer the revised cue; in context, this one seems too whimsical to be taken seriously.
 
"The Dark Forest"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkS3NNMy1nT0FHeXc
Dialed out in the film is an airy statement of Voldemort's Theme, which I think was a bit too indicative of the Dark Lord's hand in the matter. Plus, the eeriness is increased tenfold when the scene is not graced with any music; it's as if they're isolated even from the underscore.
 
CHAMBER OF SECRETS
"Introducing Dobby"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkVi00bUpaM3pTbHc
This went fully unused in the film and honestly I think it was the right choice. Although it probably would have helped cement Dobby's theme into the film a little better, it just seems to be making light of Dobby's self-harm, thereby making it harder to pity him later in the film.
 
PRISONER OF AZKABAN
"The Dementor Appears"
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx_2TC4QmNqkdGljeU9nSnNhcms
Williams originally wrote this ending to the cue, but in the final cut it was replaced with a sustained note from choir that anticipates the similar sound that underscores later appearances of the Patronus charm.

Philosopher's Stone originally was released for PS1 and PC only, and those have synth samples only. By the time Chamber of Secrets came around I guess the music budget was increased and Soule was able to start recording that and subsequent titles with real orchestra. Philosopher's Stone for Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube was released in 2003, so Soule went back and recorded some of his PS tracks with the orchestra too, for that. So only the earliest games have pure synth, the others are at least mostly orchestral.

Philosopher's Stone originally was released for PS1 and PC only, and those have synth samples only. By the time Chamber of Secrets came around I guess the music budget was increased and Soule was able to start recording that and subsequent titles with real orchestra. Philosopher's Stone for Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube was released in 2003, so Soule went back and recorded some of his PS tracks with the orchestra too, for that. So only the earliest games have pure synth, the others are at least mostly orchestral.

Philosopher's Stone originally was released for PS1 and PC only, and those have synth samples only. By the time Chamber of Secrets came around I guess the music budget was increased and Soule was able to start recording that and subsequent titles with real orchestra. Philosopher's Stone for Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube was released in 2003, so Soule went back and recorded some of his PS tracks with the orchestra too, for that. So only the earliest games have pure synth, the others are at least mostly orchestral.

Yep, that's the track.
I don't think EA got use of Williams's themes until Order of the Phoenix, and they milked the hell out of it in cutscenes.

Yep, that's the track.
I don't think EA got use of Williams's themes until Order of the Phoenix, and they milked the hell out of it in cutscenes.

I have a soft spot for Soule's work on those games too; it's a shame they never got a very good release.
 
Here's what an EA sound director said about whatever influence Williams had or didn't have on the sound of the games:

"The other thing is that [Soule's] music's very close to the style of John Williams, and that feel works really well for Harry Potter. We did approach John Williams to see if we could license the score for Harry Potter. Everybody thinks 'The game's licensed from Warner Bros, so therefore you get instant access to the John Williams music,' but that isn't the case, because John Williams owns his own stuff. It would actually have cost us a fortune to use that music, and what we would have had was 90 minutes of very specific music written for the film, which we would then have had to jump through hoops producing edits for the game. So ultimately, yes, you'd get the sound of John Williams, but you wouldn't get music that was appropriate for what you were doing. So Jeremy was the best option, because he sounds like John Williams, and he can write music specifically for the bits of gameplay that we need it for."
 
The "John Williams owns his own stuff" comment seems oversimplified or dubious to me.
Also, on the PC version there's a file called "Invisible" in the music directory which sounds pretty darn close to Hedwig's Theme! As I recall it's not used in the actual game though.
 

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.

I doubt Williams would let some computer monkey composer debut his music, in typical trailer fashion, before he himself could introduce the piece properly.

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.

I think it would be safe to say that neither Williams nor the copyright holders would mind if people meow their music in public.