Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows − Part 2 is a motion picture soundtrack to the 2011 film of the same name
written and conducted by the French film composer Alexandre Desplat
.
and the London Symphony Orchestra
on 27 May 2011 at Abbey Road Studios
, as stated on Pope's official Facebook page.
The main theme of the film, Lily's Theme was performed by Mai Fujisawa, daughter of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi
. In the film, several tracks are re-used from previous Harry Potter films, which are not included in the released soundtrack: a variant of Hedwig's Theme, originally composed by John Williams
, which plays during a scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, is used twice in Part 2. The first time is when Harry, Ron and Hermione meet with their friends in the Room of Requirement. Critics have claimed that this has added strongly to the deep, moving feelings made and the sense of hope given to the audience. The second time is when Snape is sent out of the castle and the Order of the Phoenix takes over control. This has been put in to add to make the movie more epic. Dumbledore's Farewell, composed by Nicholas Hooper
for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
, is connected to Desplat's Severus and Lily track which plays during The Prince's Tale sequence. The final scene of Part 2, set nineteen years into the lives of the trio, features Leaving Hogwarts composed by Williams
followed by the suite of Hedwig's Theme for the end credits.
Desplat spoke of the use of Williams' theme in Part 2, saying, "Well, we all know there's one theme, which has become iconic, Hedwig's Theme from John Williams. This theme is crucial to the success of the story, and it would have been disrespectful and stupid for me not to use it at the crucial moments where we need to refer to these ten years of friendships that we've all had with these characters and kids, so Hedwig's Theme does reoccur a lot more [than] in Part 1 where loss of innocence was the main theme of the film [...]"
gave the soundtrack an overall rating of 4/5, the music as heard on the album 3/5, and rated the score in the context of the film a 5/5, and commented, "Desplat finally proves that his style can transcend his obvious technical mastery of an orchestra and reach levels of tonal majesty that can be summed up in a single word: epic."
Danny Graydon from Empire Online gave the soundtrack a 5/5 rating, and said "Just as John Williams created Harry Potter’s musical language, Alexandre Desplat succeeds magnificently in completing it. Desplat crafts a highly emotional thematic anchor with its strings and solo vocalist."
Another review came from Allmusic.com; James Christopher Monger gave the soundtrack a 3/5 and commented, "Bombastic, sinister, and triumphant, the appropriately dark and apocalyptic Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2 may sit near the bottom of the Potter soundtrack pile, but it can hardly be called a failure." Later, a review came from Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK, who rated the score 5/5 stars, and commented, "I can’t speak highly enough of Desplat’s achievement in concluding the Harry Potter franchise the way he has..., Harry’s story was always about death, and Desplat’s decision to build his score around a musical motif representing those departed souls was a perfect one. This is one of the scores of the year." Evening Hour rated the soundtrack 4.5/5, commenting, "Desplat has proved to be a formidable force in the success of the Deathly Hallows films, seamlessly blending emotional nuance with action-packed grandeur. He has, in short, created a satisfying and richly layered aural landscape that I will always love coming back to."
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 epic fantasy film directed by David Yates and the second of two films based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David...
written and conducted by the French film composer Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
.
Development
It was confirmed on the Warner Bros. website that Part 1 composer, Alexandre Desplat, would return to score Part 2. In an interview with Film Music Magazine, Desplat stated that scoring Part 2 is "a great challenge" and that he has "a lot of expectations to fulfill and a great deal of work" ahead of him. Desplat started writing the music in early 2011 and finished recording with orchestrator Conrad PopeConrad Pope
Conrad Pope is an American film composer and orchestrator. He has collaborated with acclaimed composers such as John Williams, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman and Alexandre Desplat.-Background:...
and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
on 27 May 2011 at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, as stated on Pope's official Facebook page.
The main theme of the film, Lily's Theme was performed by Mai Fujisawa, daughter of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a composer and director known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981.While possessing a stylistically distinct sound, Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, including minimalist, experimental electronic,...
. In the film, several tracks are re-used from previous Harry Potter films, which are not included in the released soundtrack: a variant of Hedwig's Theme, originally composed by John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, which plays during a scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
, is used twice in Part 2. The first time is when Harry, Ron and Hermione meet with their friends in the Room of Requirement. Critics have claimed that this has added strongly to the deep, moving feelings made and the sense of hope given to the audience. The second time is when Snape is sent out of the castle and the Order of the Phoenix takes over control. This has been put in to add to make the movie more epic. Dumbledore's Farewell, composed by Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper
Nicholas Hooper is a British film and television composer. He has scored the award-winning BBC productions Land of the Tiger and Andes to Amazon, as well as the TV movies The Girl in the Café and My Family and Other Animals among others...
for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
, is connected to Desplat's Severus and Lily track which plays during The Prince's Tale sequence. The final scene of Part 2, set nineteen years into the lives of the trio, features Leaving Hogwarts composed by Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
followed by the suite of Hedwig's Theme for the end credits.
Desplat spoke of the use of Williams' theme in Part 2, saying, "Well, we all know there's one theme, which has become iconic, Hedwig's Theme from John Williams. This theme is crucial to the success of the story, and it would have been disrespectful and stupid for me not to use it at the crucial moments where we need to refer to these ten years of friendships that we've all had with these characters and kids, so Hedwig's Theme does reoccur a lot more [than] in Part 1 where loss of innocence was the main theme of the film [...]"
Critical reception
The soundtrack has been well received by critics. Jorn Tillnes of Soundtrack Geek gave the soundtrack a 9/10 and noted, "Part 2 ends in anything but tears. It is a joy to listen to just like Part 1 and using the Hedwig's Theme by John Williams, which is the ultimate Harry Potter theme after all, is a brilliant touch." Christian Clemmensen of FilmtracksFilmtracks.com
Filmtracks.com is a leading modern film score review website created and maintained out of Missoula, Montana by its sole reviewer, Christian Clemmensen...
gave the soundtrack an overall rating of 4/5, the music as heard on the album 3/5, and rated the score in the context of the film a 5/5, and commented, "Desplat finally proves that his style can transcend his obvious technical mastery of an orchestra and reach levels of tonal majesty that can be summed up in a single word: epic."
Danny Graydon from Empire Online gave the soundtrack a 5/5 rating, and said "Just as John Williams created Harry Potter’s musical language, Alexandre Desplat succeeds magnificently in completing it. Desplat crafts a highly emotional thematic anchor with its strings and solo vocalist."
Another review came from Allmusic.com; James Christopher Monger gave the soundtrack a 3/5 and commented, "Bombastic, sinister, and triumphant, the appropriately dark and apocalyptic Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2 may sit near the bottom of the Potter soundtrack pile, but it can hardly be called a failure." Later, a review came from Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK, who rated the score 5/5 stars, and commented, "I can’t speak highly enough of Desplat’s achievement in concluding the Harry Potter franchise the way he has..., Harry’s story was always about death, and Desplat’s decision to build his score around a musical motif representing those departed souls was a perfect one. This is one of the scores of the year." Evening Hour rated the soundtrack 4.5/5, commenting, "Desplat has proved to be a formidable force in the success of the Deathly Hallows films, seamlessly blending emotional nuance with action-packed grandeur. He has, in short, created a satisfying and richly layered aural landscape that I will always love coming back to."
Release
Amazon.com announced the release date for the soundtrack as 12 July 2011. It was released on iTunes the same day.Track listing
The track listing for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 soundtrack was released on 16 June 2011. All cues are produced, conducted and composed by Alexandre Desplat. Previews of the tracks were released on 23 June 2011.Credits and Personnel
Personnel adapted from the album liner notes.- Piers Adams – Recorder
- John Barrett – Assistant Engineer
- David Barron – Executive Producer
- Jean-Pascal – Beintus Orchestration
- Clive Bell – Shakuhachi
- Paul Broucek – Executive in Charge of Music
- Peter Clarke – Music Editor
- Paul Clarvis – Ethnic Percussion
- Peter Cobbin – Mixing, Recording
- Charles Cole – Choir Master
- Alexandre Desplat – Composer, Conductor, Flute, Liner Notes, Orchestration, Percussion, Piano, Producer
- Ninon Desplat – Score Coordinator
- Terry Edwards – Choir Master
- Xavier Forcioli – Score Coordinator
- Rebecca Gilliver – Cello
- Mark Graham – Music Preparation
- David Heyman – Executive Producer
- Robert Houston – Score Editor
- Allan Jenkins – Music Editor
- Lewis Jones – Pro-Tools
- Jill Kemp – Recorder
- Gabriella Kitto – Soprano (Vocal)
- Annabel Knight – Recorder
- Carmine Lauri – Concert Master
- Jakob Lindberg – Theorbo
- Jason Linn – Executive in Charge of Music
- London Oratory – Junior Choir Choir, Chorus
- London Symphony Orchestra – Orchestra
- London Voices – Choir, Chorus
- Mai Fujisawa - Solo Vocalist
- Sue Mallet – Music Contractor
- Lisa Margolis – Music Business Affairs
- Gerard McCann – Supervising Music Editor
- Eoghan McNelis – Soprano (Vocal)
- David Miller – Lute, Theorbo
- Stuart Morton – Music Editor
- John Parricelli – Guitar
- Patrick Phillips – Assistant Engineer
- Conrad Pope – Producer, Supervising Orchestrator
- Paul Pritchard – Assistant Engineer
- Katie Reynolds – Post Production Supervisor
- Sam Okell – Mixing, Recording
- Schola Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School – Choir, Chorus
- Nan Schwartz – Orchestration
- Sandeep Sriram – Art Direction
- Alison Stephens – Mandolin
- Marc Stevens – Music Contractor
- Clifford Jay Tasner – Orchestration
- Katie Trethewey – Soprano (Vocal)
- David Walter – MIDI Programming
- Kirsty Whalley – Score Editor
- John Williams – Original Composer of Hedwig's Theme
- Nicholas Hooper - Original Composer of the cue Dumbledore's Farewell
- David Yates – Executive Producer, Liner Notes
Charts
| Charts (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
51 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 64 |
| Swiss Music Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
58 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
25 |
| US Top Independent Albums | 4 |
| US Top Soundtracks | 2 |
| US Digital Albums | 10 |