Harry Potter and The Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone - 20 years later

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Gosh I can't believe it's been 20 years since the movie came out (the 10th in the UK, the 16th in the US).  I was 14 years old and saw the movie three times in the space of a month (I remember it was all before LOTR came out), and listened to that OST CD over and over.  I so distinctly remember thinking that Hedwig's Theme was just instantly iconic, immediately one of JW's classic themes, and it felt like his first iconic theme that belonged to me and my age cohort.

[Edmilson 7,384]

2 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Gosh I can't believe it's been 20 years since the movie came out (the 10th in the UK, the 16th in the US)

And the 23rd here in Brazil! Like in the US, the movie also broke the record for biggest opening weekend ever in my country and it was the biggest movie of 2001 here.

 

I was 8 when it came out and my dad took me to see it at the theaters after a friend introduced me to the books a few months earlier.

[Groovygoth666 650]

I was in my early teens, don't remember what film it was but being in the cinema and seeing the teaser trailer for philosophers stone for the first time, and could tell immediately that the music was John Williams, this moment not only cemented my love of his music but helped me to appreciate and take notice of film scores in general.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Strangely enough, my first Harry Potter film memory is my mother coming home from the supermarket with the VHS of the first movie, dubbed in Flemish. I was definitely already reading the books at that point, but we didn't know they were making movies too. Come to think of it, we only had poor ADSL internet in 2004. Oh, the memories of our computer freezing because of the HP3 trailer. Even more strangely, the score made no impression on me whatsoever, undoubtedly because I was too busy being immersed in baroque music at the time.

 

As I've already mentioned, it wasn't until I heard Doyle's Goblet of Fire that my ears were opened to the world of film music. From that moment on, I mostly listened to that score and Zimmer stuff, dismissing JW's music as unstructured, annoyingly memorable and weird.

 

I wish I could say what my turning point in my JW journey was. I want to say Far and Away, possibly combined with Home Alone. Anyway, going to listen to all three scores soon again. Can't have Christmas without a celesta, after all.

[GerateWohl 4,326]

When I first heard the Harry Potter score (on the OST, that I immediately bought, when it came out) and listened to Hedwig's Theme, my first reaction was, that is a little bit like The Witches Dance from The Witches of Eastwick but not as good. So, I wasn't the big fan, neither of the score nor of the movie. That change with The Chamber of Secrets. That OST was so great. I immediately loved the new themes and it had some Tchaikowsky Nutcracker quality to it for me that I really adored. "The flying car" or "Spiders" where such great pieces. And I liked the movie much more than the first one. And the greatness of Williams body of work for Harry Potter unfolded completely then with The Prisoner of Askaban. With that it became the great oevre to me that it is now. 

Meanwhile, especially in the complete edition, I appreciate the first Harry Potter score as, for me at least, as the most consistent musical experience of the three.

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

A nice new interview for the NY Times with Columbus and Radcliffe about making the first movie

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/movies/harry-potter-sorcerers-stone-anniversary.html

[Richard Penna 3,669]

My first memory of the first score... I have no idea, as I wasn't into scores when it came out!

 

Although interestingly, FotR is the first film I remember seeing and noticing the music, but I know that I saw Potter pre-release through my Dad's work, and Potter came out first, which can only mean that I didn't seek out the music after seeing it.

 

I still have a copy of a CD of mp3s I had in 2003, and it has four Potter tracks: Prologue, Visit to the Zoo, Wondrous World, and Quidditch. Whereas I had all three LotR scores as complete as were possible at that point.

 

I may have been turned off Potter slightly by the OST arrangement, with so much random emphasis on the Children's Suite, which never did anything for me, and the multitude of highlights left off. I was always mystified that the Entry into the Great Hall music, which we hear twice in the film, isn't on the album. That's probably why my collection only contained those four cues for some time. The CoS OST is far better in that regard.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

I'm really surprised so many people are liking the COS OST, it has so many huge gaps in the narrative.

[Jurassic Shark 12,024]

I've never cared about the narrative of a soundtrack album versus the movie.

[Holko 9,498]

42 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

I'm really surprised so many people are liking the COS OST, it has so many huge gaps in the narrative.

Zero, ZERO actual in-film Chamber Theme statements!

[Richard Penna 3,669]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

I'm really surprised so many people are liking the COS OST, it has so many huge gaps in the narrative.

 

i find it a more consistent listen than the first OST. I have a nearly Thor-like approach as I think the film is terrible, so I never really noticed all the missing Chamber theme statements. Plus it has the dark forest material left off the first.

 

In fact the only issue I have is the spider sequence being split up such that the chase comes before the build-up with Aragog.

[Tom 4,633]

I was blown away by the music in the trailer.  I then heard the BSO premiere of the full Hedwig's theme.  I liked it less, but I think it was because I wanted it to open big.  I would soon regard it as a classic, but it took a few months.

 

I loved the OST, though thought it repeated Hedwig's theme just a little too much.  Harry's Wondrous World has never quite clicked with me either--not sure why.  

 

I thought the move was good.  I remember critiques of Columbus's approach, but I think it introduced the world in a satisfying cinematic way.  The kid actors were kid actors, though they all did a better job than Jake Lloyd.  I still find Columbus's efforts to be better than anyone  else's other than Cuaron's. 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I remember covering my own eyes in the theater when the bad guy turned to sand.  And watching the quicktime trailer on the church library computer.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

On 12/11/2021 at 7:32 AM, bollemanneke said:

I'm really surprised so many people are liking the COS OST, it has so many huge gaps in the narrative.

 

On 12/11/2021 at 7:40 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

I've never cared about the narrative of a soundtrack album versus the movie.

 

Yeah I never noticed anything like that until I started posting here. All I ever knew was the COS soundtrack had three amazing theme tracks that I listened to over and over and like five others that I also loved so it's always been a hit with me. 

 

I have no real first memory of hearing "Hedwig's Theme" for the first time. I was wildly anticipating the movie and when the teaser came out, my brother and I got up early before school and watched it. By "watched it," I mean that we sat there for an hour or more and waited for every last frame to load up because it was 2001 and we had 56k. I can't remember if I had heard of John Williams, but I do remember just sitting with that music and hearing it over and over as we kept replaying and watching again up to where it had loaded, so very piecemeal. I don't know how much I comprehended it as being for the movie but I must have accepted it right away. By the time the movie came out, with all the other trailers and commercials, I obviously knew it very well as the Harry Potter theme. 

 

I have a lot of fun memories just dying for that movie to come out, then finally getting to see it, I loved it and the score, just thought they were the greatest things ever. The two JW moments that I remember most from that first time were the Diagon Alley/Great Hall march -- which of course I was pissed to find out later wasn't on the soundtrack, and took me awhile to appreciate both the Diagon Alley and Great Hall tracks for themselves because I just always skipped over them, I was so mad lmao -- and the "Dadada Da! Dadadadadada Da!" for Ron's big play in the chess scene.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I suppose I should actually listen to the dang score today since it's the actual anniversary date for America.  I love it so but it is such a time commitment, maybe I'll just listen to the Children's Suite 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

I got up to Lonely First Night, good enough.

[eitam 364]

I was 10 when the movie came out, and by that time my sister and I were already obsessed with the books, so my parents took us to see it, and that obsession expanded to include the movie. Later they bought the soundtrack, and I'm not sure I knew before then that you could listen to music from a movie on its own. I'm afraid we mostly used as an ersatz for the real thing, namely the movie itself, while waiting for the VHS release. We were mainly listening to Hedwig, Wondrous World, and highlights like the quidditch match and the chess game. The same thing more or less happened with Chamber of Secrets, then with Prisoner of Azkaban (which actually disappointed us, being a departure from the sound of the first two movies). It wasn't until I discovered (Lord of the Rings and) Star Wars circa 2005 that I got into film music per se. 

 

I actually listened to the first score (LLL edition) last week end, and I must say, there is A LOT of Hedwig Theme 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

12 minutes ago, eitam said:

I'm afraid we mostly used as an ersatz for the real thing, namely the movie itself, while waiting for the VHS release

 

Nothing to be ashamed of here, I'm sure it's how most of us started on the road to film score obsession.

[redishere 697]

On 11/11/2021 at 11:59 PM, Disco Stu said:

I so distinctly remember thinking that Hedwig's Theme was just instantly iconic, immediately one of JW's classic themes, and it felt like his first iconic theme that belonged to me and my age cohort.

I had the same feeling! I remember it was like November 2001, I was 15, and the movie wasn't out yet, but I couldn't wait, 'cause I already was a fan of the books. I was with my parents and we decided to go into a record store: when I saw the OST CD, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was a Spielberg fan so I knew who John Williams was - plus I already had the Greatest Hits 1969-1999 CD - but I had no idea he composed the score for HP1, so I immediately took it, and it was the first soundtrack I've ever bought.

When I listened to the first notes of Prologue, I remember thinking it was perfect, and to me it felt like something already iconic, even before I saw the movie. It was actually really cool to listen to the music before having seen a single trailer (it was an Enhanced CD, so the first time I watched anything remotely official was when I put it into my computer and opened a truly bad Quicktime file). That album accompanied me for years, I listened to it while doing my homework and used the scariest cues to score my home made horror short I shot with my friends, so now every time I hear anything from that first HP score, I instantly feel warmth and think about my childhood.

After watching the movie all over again, I was disappointed to realize many cues were not in the CD: at first I tought they weren't written by Williams, then I understood how soundtrack album worked (and I had an even bigger disappointment with the HP2 and HP3 OST CDs), and I started hoping someday the complete scores would be released, so of course you can imagine I was insanely happy when I learned LLL was about to release the 7CD Collection, and now the expanded Philosopher's Stone is probably my most listened soundtrack.

[Holko 9,498]

I remember snuggling up to my parents in bed when I was maybe 5, ready to watch the big movie based on the book I loved when it was first broadcast, and making them stop it possibly before the Prologue was even over because I was scared out of my mind. I also fondly remember playing around a lot in the HP1 bonus disc menus, among the first DVDs we ever bought, was nice to switch up from the TV-recorded VHS I watched to shreds. Also looking around for the real complete score around by then already, I have zero memories of ever actually hearing the entire OST as is, even recently. I grew so attached to SonicAdventure's classic Deluxe Edition session edit that I even replicated many track joinings in my LLL set edit - the LLL set, what an insanely huge event that was!

 

Relistened to this score of pure magic this Saturday. The dark/sad tints that creep into many tracks, the noble one-offs like Firenze's material, the special one-offs like Filch's Fond Remembrance, the playfulness, the seriousness, the insane memorability, the raising stakes by the end, the friendliness, embracingness, heroism, love, contrasting twistedly fun or genuinely dark material, the confident and perfectly timed flick with which Privet Drive goes into the Title Hedwig B statement, the supporting line in Hedwig's Theme wandering around up and down perfectly illustrating flight, the little climbing figures whizzing by in the Quidditch Match part 1 like the players onscreen, speaking of, the real unsung hero that is Hogwarts Forever, a beautifully warm and noble melody with anice growing mini-arc, the A.I.-ey first half of Mirror of Erised, the perfection that is everything in the Stone challenges, the perfection that is Face of Voldemort with things coming together, the utterly unspeakably perfect perfection that is Leaving Hogwarts... the complete perfection that is every note of this score! Just wow.

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:59 PM, Disco Stu said:

I so distinctly remember thinking that Hedwig's Theme was just instantly iconic, immediately one of JW's classic themes, and it felt like his first iconic theme that belonged to me and my age cohort.

 

 

Same here. Instant masterpiece. I heard it in the trailer and it was written in my mind in stone forever.

 

Total classic! And absolutely one of his best themes and one of the great themes of cinema.

[MrJosh 892]

I remember waiting over an hour to download the teaser from Quicktime movie trailers site and instantly liking Hedwig's theme. 

 

I remember buying the soundtrack before seeing the movie. I walked a few blocks with my sister to a books/movie/music store (Hastings) and bought the CD on the day it came out. I was in my young teen years and it was just about the time I had just started getting more serious about exploring John Williams' music and other movie scores. 

 

I had the 2CD Greatest Hits release that had just come out recently, and the only thing I asked for for Christmas the year prior was JW CDs! I think I got Seven Years in Tibet, Jurassic Park, Stepmom, Close Encounters and the Rhino Superman release. 

 

Back to HP, I loved the OST and it got many plays before I actually got to go see the movie in theaters. Then, once I saw the movie (which I really enjoyed), I was distraught that the 'going into the great hall' music wasn't on the OST and complained to my family about it, who were all confused and didn't know what I was talking about. 

 

Good times!

[redishere 697]

16 hours ago, MrJosh said:

I was distraught that the 'going into the great hall' music wasn't on the OST and complained to my family about it, who were all confused and didn't know what I was talking about.

Same here! I remember humming that melody over and over again just so I could try and play it on the piano: when I finally made it, it was a huge deal for me haha

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

On 17/11/2021 at 6:48 PM, MrJosh said:

 

 

Back to HP, I loved the OST and it got many plays before I actually got to go see the movie in theaters. Then, once I saw the movie (which I really enjoyed), I was distraught that the 'going into the great hall' music wasn't on the OST and complained to my family about it, who were all confused and didn't know what I was talking about. 

 

 

It remains a most baffling omission. 

 

[Edmilson 7,384]

Cool interview with Chris Columbus about the 20th anniversary of the movie:

 

https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1201506-interview-chris-columbus-reflects-on-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone

 

He said that about the score:

 

Quote

One of the more iconic bits of Harry Potter is John Williams’ iconic score. Do you remember your reaction to hearing his iconic theme for the first time?

Oh, God, yeah. I mean, being on that stage — and to watch John conduct is cinematically a historical experience. He had played it for me on the piano, and when I heard [Hedwig’s Theme] on the piano, I knew we had something special. I was like, “Oh, this is the guy who wrote the Star Wars theme, the Raiders theme, the Jaws theme, he’s done it again!”

I would work with John on every movie, unfortunately he’s John Williams and he’s not always available. His score was iconic and just beautiful.

 

[Edmilson 7,384]

There it is:

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I refuse to click play until someone can assure me he doesn't reference Rowling's current controversial status within some groups

[Edmilson 7,384]

1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

I refuse to click play until someone can assure me he doesn't reference Rowling's current controversial status within some groups

He doesn't even mention Rowling at all and just says it is based on a book.

 

The way Ryan avoids controversy is TIGHT!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

He doesn't even mention Rowling at all and just says it is based on a book.

 

The way Ryan avoids controversy is TIGHT!

 

I'm gonna need you to get ALL the way off my back about that controversy

[Jay 37,281]

That was funny, never really thought about the fact he killed a teacher before lol

[bollemanneke 3,337]

How are they planning to credit her in Beasts 3? Screenplay by someone Whatshername?

This is really good. I never thought of two things they mentioned: the Dursleys refusing to send Harry away and Flamel being okay with dying/the whole 'finding the stone but not using it' thing.

[Positivatee 327]

Great point about magical folks celebrating Christmas. The birth of Jesus. The Guy who offers eternal life if you believe in His word and eat/drink His offerings. 

 

Voldemort wants to live forever. He spends eight movies doing it his own way...and he doesn't quite get there.

 

I think the books and movies just take the nondenominational route and celebrate the secular pagan parts of Christmas. That and... These started with being released near Christmas anyways, before they were summer blockbusters, so it's good to show Christmas for Christmas. 

[mrbellamy 6,272]

The jokes about if Voldemort watched Quirrell poop and if they said good night to each other, that was basically the premise for their relationship in this college-produced Harry Potter parody lol

 

 

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

10 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

How are they planning to credit her in Beasts 3? Screenplay by someone Whatshername?

Screenplay by She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...

[Positivatee 327]

[leeallen01 2,133]

Harry's Wondrous World has to be the best example ever of how to spread themes and motifs around an Orchestra's instrument groups. I mean my god it's just one after the other of Williams giving every damn instrument group a solo workout to display the theme. Unbelievable.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

HWW and Hedwig's Theme are the two (and only two) instances where I think JW's concert suites made an immeasurable enhancement to the album. I've mentioned before that I feel JW's attempt to merge an hour of score with the Children's suite doesn't work for me, as I find them stylistically incompatible.

 

The only criticism I'd level at either is that I've never quite been a fan of the way Hedwig's Theme goes up and down in energy, from the full orchestra down to just glockenspiel (or whatever it is) and back up again. Something about it doesn't really work for me. However, the final measures are up there with the ending of T-Rex Rescue & Finale and The Lost World in terms of endings to concert pieces/set pieces.

 

But HWW has special meaning for me as it represents the last period where I truly felt the Christmas spirit in my mid teens. I was always amazed at the ingenuity of going from the waltz section up to the Quidditch statement, then back gently down to what I assume is Harry's theme, which is so unbelievably Christmassy without being overly sugary. Genius! 

[bollemanneke 3,337]

I agree that HWW is one of the very few concert pieces that truly adds to the album, or score for that matter.

 

I also think the children's suite doesn't summarise the score at all, it's just an alternative approach to the score and/or its ideas. Its biggest 'drawback' that stops me from counting it as a summary is that it's all written for different orchestral sections.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

Aside from my not liking the suite, it's really the cause of the OST being more of a concept album, given that when I hear score in a film, I want to hear that same score on album, and not something that vaguely resembles it because JW wanted it to be easier for children to be able to play.

 

I think I've said this before somewhere but really they should have done a 2 disc set, with 75+ minutes of pure score (arranged as necessary) and a second disc containing the suite and whatever concert arrangements he did.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Well, we know that JKR didn't want the suite to be released. But Filmtracks claimed there were rumours in 2001 of an expanded 2-disc set.

 

having said all that, I'm just listening to random bits of the score and my God, it is such a true masterpiece. I still feel like a 7-year-old discovering Hogwarts. Incredible. HP3 has very itneresting ideas and standout cues, but HP1 is on another level entirely.

[Datameister 2,037]

I love the Children's Suite. The shortened Hedwig's theme isn't very...important, but it's a nice prologue on album. Hogwarts Forever is wonderful and fits beautifully on the album - I miss it in C&C presentations. Voldemort is the weakest movement, but it's not on the OST. Nimbus 2000 is also missing, and probably for good reason, but I really like it. Fluffy and His Harp is more interesting than the film version. I frickin' LOVE Quidditch. Family Portrait might have fit well on the OST. Diagon Alley confused me greatly in 2001, especially because I really loved the tracked Great Hall music in the film, but I really like the whole piece now. And then Harry's Wondrous World is obviously taken directly from the film, plus the big ending.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

I have Williams' original score cue for Diagon Alley in my playlist now, but I had a tracked recreation to begin with - it took me some time to fully enjoy the intended music. There's no question in my mind that Williams' original vision was wrong and that Columbus was 100% creatively correct to replace it.

 

And like you I was very confused in 2001 about the omission of the Great Hall music. It's not enough for Williams to omit it, but to pretend that it's supposed to be there in the track name... that's messed up!

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Columbus might have been right, even if I don't think he was, but he should have asked JW to come up with a new cue instead other than just repeating the same one twice.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

If that had been a practical option he probably would have, so let's assume that time or scheduling didn't allow. I think the music editors did a fantastic job handling those changes - the edits themselves are really good.

[Jay 37,281]

Just came across this interesting tidbit on reddit

 

"I saw the first Harry Potter movie in a test screening.

Biggest things I remember were “Flight to Neverland” from Hook being used to score the scene where the train is first arriving to Hogwarts and the snake he talks to at the zoo being a very rough, untextured CGI model."

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/sazdgd/has_anyone_actually_been_in_a_test_screening/htwovxa/

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Yeah, there also a childish promo on the HP1 Ultimate Edition with the Hook Prologue cue. It works, of course, but I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, what the hell?

[Tom 4,633]

27 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Yeah, there also a childish promo on the HP1 Ultimate Edition with the Hook Prologue cue. It works, of course, but I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, what the hell?

It is funny how little of Williams's music would work in trailers due to it being too recognizable.  

[mrbellamy 6,272]

Treasure Planet using Far & Away is the most notable I can think of, "The Land Race" makes a very effective trailer piece. 

 

 

I know Musker/Clements courted JW for it and the influence is definitely felt in JNH's score. 

 

Witches of Eastwick in Hook is a funny one

 

 

[Faleel 5,330]

Didnt Black Sunday end up in the Trek TMP trailer/teaser?

 

Some Last Crusade in JP?