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How did you react when you first heard Fawkes's Theme?


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What best describes your reaction upon first hearing Fawkes's Theme?  

31 members have voted

  1. 1.

    • Don't remember.
      2
    • Was overcome by euphoria and happiness.
      16
    • Shed tears because it was so beautiful.
      4
    • Thought it was uplifting.
      6
    • Didn't react one way or another.
      3
    • Overcome by nausea.
      0


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Somewhere between the second and Fourth options. To be exact- I was ecstatic that Williams gave us another absolute classic theme after I had already become a hardcore fan.

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Euphoria! I would've checked the next option, but I didn't quite cry . . . I was very moved though. The first time I heard it was actually in the theatre since I made myself wait (something I'm not doing for PoA), and it was a wonderful experience. More than I could've hoped, even from people's descriptions. I had the unopened CD waiting in my car after the film, and I drove home that night along with Fawkes, it was just glorious.

Ray Barnsbury

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The first time I heard it was in the film, and I didn't really pay it much mind. I wasn't much of a hardcore soundtrack person then. But a few months later when I got the soundtrack and actually listened to it, I was...really really happy. Beautiful theme.

:) Final Confrontation from Elfman's Batman

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Really, who voted for the third option other than me as yet? No one mentions it in his/her post, yet I'm the second votary for that...

I first heard it in the movie and I was moved to tears. I went to see it three times over the three days so I remembered it by heart pretty quickly. This theme is easy to remember. I didn't know it was namely "Fawkes" theme, but when I got the CD a few weeks later, skimming hungrily thru track titles I finally SAW it there confirmed...

Roman.-)

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I cried (if only just a little). Fawkes's Theme is one of Williams's most brilliant, moving works and I can never praise it enough.

The only other piece to move me to tears was Barber's Adagio for Strings. Williams (like Barber) is one of the great masters.

Anthony

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A lot of people said that the HP scores are all JW's fantasy and kids work put together, which I know has something to it, but I still find it a breath of fresh air that still nowadays you could have grand scores and themes (and the HP movies probably have as many themes as any score ever). And IMO Fawkes stands out, as being something new, not something similar to Home Alone or Hook.

Such a noble, beautiful theme (though I don't know how Williams was inspired to write for the ugly and totaly fake puppet from the movie).

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I found the second half of The Spiders and Finale in Reunion of Friends to be more moving. Meaning I was more impressed by them. Especially Spiders when the tamburine gets cracking. It really feels like JW's giving the scene everything and holding nothing back. ;)

Justin -Who was very impressed with the theme.

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 Such a noble, beautiful theme (though I don't know how Williams was inspired to write for the ugly and totaly fake puppet from the movie).

JW didn't picture Fawkes face when writing notes for the theme. He let the story behind Fawkes write the theme by itself. It's moving, too, but the theme is still superior to the moments it underscores. If he scored for the Fawkes mug, we would probably get another Robocop motif instead...

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Especially Spiders when the tamburine gets cracking. It really feels like JW's giving the scene everything and holding nothing back.

I cannot agree more.

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Especially Spiders when the tamburine gets cracking. It really feels like JW's giving the scene everything and holding nothing back.

I cannot agree more.

I'm also wondering if for each score Williams will introduce more and more chorus. In the original HP&SS there was no chorus really, except light women's chorus behind the theme. Dueling the Basilisk features some pretty strong full chorus but still they are wordless, I'm wondering if for each score he introduces bigger elements of chorus. That'd be awesome. By the time we get to the final duel in GOF, woo hoo just let that chorus go baby! ;)

Justin

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I first heard it during the HPCOS Coca-Cola promotion commercials.

I had no idea who it was for but I thought it was a very uplifting cue and remains one of my favorites on the COS CD.

-Mark, Who will now listen to Ave Santani in honor of his 666th post....;)

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Ah, I loved the chase music when that tambourine comes out! It gives me shivers every time. I felt such an incredible feeling when I first listened to "Fawkes the Phoenix" that saying I had shivers down my spine would be the understatement of the century. It was beautiful, noble, reflective and everything in one. But it reminds me of Clemmenson's review over at filmtracks, he really picked apart that score. He claimed Fawke's wasn't that memorable anyway, but you can feel that Gryffindor pride. Whatever, Christian, you're now clutching it straws...

I think the chorus was much more prominent in Philosopher's Stone; it could be heard in "Arrival of Baby Harry"; "Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault"; "Platform 9 & 3/4 and Journey to Hogwarts"; I think "Mr Longbottom Flies!"; "Hogwarts Forever! and The Moving Stairs"; "The Quidditch Match"; "Christmas at Hogwarts"; film version of The Mirror of Erised (or "Invisibility Cloak and the Library Scene" if you prefer); I swear it's there for a second in the album verison of "The Chess Game" (it is much more in the film version); and finally "The Face of Voldemort".

In Chamber of Secrets it's in "The Flying Car"; "Moaning Myrtle"; "Fawkes is Reborn"; "Meeting Tom Riddle" and "Dueling the Basilisk". There's probably more, I can't remember at the moment. But also bear in mind that these are only the album releases, there's probably much more in the movie.

I have too much time on my hands.

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Well, Magical I wasn't talking about minutes that the chorus is in. I mean the intensity of it. PS doesn't have very intense chorus. Dueling the Basilisk has some excellent action chorus music. ;)

Justin

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I must say I barely noticed the music when I first saw the film. That was right before my transition to a serious soundtrack fan.

Hearing it on the album, though, was wonderful. It interacts with "The Chamber of Secrets" well; they're like good and evil versions of the same theme! (Not that the actual melodies are very similar, but you get that feeling...)

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But it reminds me of Clemmenson's review over at filmtracks, he really picked apart that score. He claimed Fawke's wasn't that memorable anyway, but you can feel that Gryffindor pride. Whatever, Christian, you're now clutching it straws...  

Yeah, I totally agree. Clemmenson lost a lot of credibility with me with that review. And when is chorus used in "Fawkes is Reborn"?!?! I've listened to that cue countless times and never noticed any.

Ray Barnsbury

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I must say I barely noticed the music when I first saw the film.

it's because it wasn't loud enough in that movie.

When i first head Fawkes Theme it was excruciatingly painful,it felt like poison flowing through my veins..oh yeah i was hung over.

K.M.

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Too similar to Across the Stars, Hook, and the Lost World (the first two chords!). Nice theme, but very much a "by the numbers" affair in my opinion. John Williams is capable of much better. Worked well in the movie though.

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Well, I think my list of chorus-prominent cues is a little wrong (probably "Fawkes is Reborn"). I didn't have the CDs with me at the time.

Oh, Justin, that's what you meant. In that case, I have to agree with you. Hearing that chorus in "Dueling the Basilisk" was more intense than anywhere in PS, save, perhaps when the boats are approaching Hogwarts in the moonlight. THAT'S what music is!

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I was happy that i was sitting, because my knees became weak.

HPFAN_2 - Not exagerating.

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I was happy that i was sitting, because my knees became weak.  

HPFAN_2 - Not exagerating.

Damn! Your serious?

Wow! That is one hell of a reaction.

Sounds like you were overcome with emotion.

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I first heard it during the HPCOS Coca-Cola promotion commercials.

I had no idea who it was for but I thought it was a very uplifting cue and remains one of my favorites on the COS CD.

Same here. I was caught completely off guard when Hedwig's Theme smoothly progressed into Fawkes. I certainly wasn't expecting the debut of a new theme because the CoS trailers hadn't even had any new music.

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I was also really taken aback by the theme when I first heard. I just wasn't expectign something that phenominal.

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the CoS trailers hadn't even had any new music.

Trailers typically don't use music from the movie they're presenting. It's either not recorded yet, or they just want to suppress piracy.

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Yes, I'm sure that if he'd been able to score the whole of CoS instead of having Ross fill the gaps with PS music he would have been able to compose new stuff for the trailer(s).

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I remenber all of us trying to guess what that theme was before we had the track titles.Hermione's theme, Hagrid's theme, new Harry's theme I think I heard just about anything. I don't recall if anyone predicted it was indeed Fawkes' theme.

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Was overcome by euphoria and happiness. I don't quite remember if I cried. Perhaps as it's not unusual for me, listen to plenty of emotional composers like Williams, Mahler, North, Morricone. ;)

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I too was overcome by euphoria and happiness. It was a similar feeling to when I first heard the love theme from Attack of the Clones. Right now, I'm hoping that this "Buckbeak's Flight" is going to deliver on a similar level of Fawkes, flooring me the same way that amazing piece of music did back in October of 2002, which was the last time I was so moved by a new JW piece on first hearing.

Ted

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Yep, that's the cue I'm looking forward to most as well. Flying, magical creature, Harry Potter . . . what a combination for Williams to be inspired by!

Ray Barnsbury

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Fawkes' theme was absolutely amazing. Uplifting and noble so full of wonder and just the kind of magic tha is rare in a movie score.I think I was happily exstatic when I first heard it. One of Williams' best themes in the last few years along with themes for Monica and Blue Fairy from A.I.

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I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me.

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I remenber all of us trying to guess what that theme was before we had the track titles.Hermione's theme, Hagrid's theme, new Harry's theme I think I heard just about anything. I don't recall if anyone predicted it was indeed Fawkes' theme.

I can't find the original tread, but I said it was Fawkes' theme. :D

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Yeah, that cue has more intimate renditions of the theme and is ultimately more moving. Really, I've never heard anything that sounds quite like this theme. It's so completely Williams and yet somehow so unique. I just love it.

Ray Barnsbury

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