Soundtrack Album VS Film cue

Williams combines the Christmas music from the film into a suite on the OST. This consists of the Christmassy music of 6M1 Hagrid’s Christmas Tree (0:33-end), 6M1A Cast a Christmas Spell and edited down version of the 6M2 Christmas Morning which omits the Invisibility Cloak music (the music running from 0:00 to 1:22 of the film cue)and contains different ending chords, editorially inserted to finish the piece on a resolved note.

On the soundtrack album Williams has truncated this cue considerably. This version omits the opening renditions of the Invisibility Cloak and Philosopher’s Stone motifs and begins at 1:19 into the cue. There is a small edit in the middle section which cuts out the brief Hedwig’s Theme rendition of celesta and the choral interlude for the Mirror of Erised is edited out as well (3:39-4:15 of the cue), the music returning with the Harry’s/Family Theme and plays to the end as written.

In the Making

In the film the quick vibraphone, celesta and string motif after Harry has evaded Ms. Norris (at 2:35 of the cue) is followed by rumbling ominous basses, celli and brass, which is tracked from elsewhere in the score as sneaking invisible Harry witnesses the exchange of professors Quirrel and Snape. This celesta, vibraphone and string idea that underscored the previous ethereal escape appears again when Snape senses something intruding on his discussion and makes a suspicious grope in the dark but the rendition is tracked from that previous section of this same cue. More tracked music follows (among it dramatic tubular bells from 8M1 The Chess Board) as Filch appears to alert the teachers and they go off to find the student in the library. The cue as written would have proceeded with the ghostly synthesized music for the Invisibility Cloak at 2:35 after the teachers and Filch left. Harry's/Family Theme in front of the Mirror of Erised is also shortened slightly in the film to conform to the cut.

The opening seconds with the subtle quote of the first notes of Hedwig's Theme on oboe for Ron's amazed question and the following brief grim passage for Harry's sorrow are dialed out of the film, the music coming in as we see Harry in front of Mirror of Erised again.

It can be deduced that the first version of the music for the scene might have been considered too lively and whimsical by the film makers, the A Phrase of the Flying Theme indeed quite suitable to underscore Hedwig’s flight but somewhat too light and playful for the tone of the scene. Williams’ second version captures the heart and emotion, the warmth and sense of lyricism inherent in the images on screen, focusing purely on Harry’s character and emotional content rather than the magic and whimsy.

свернуть