Williams is often credited with virtually single-handedly resurrecting these classical scoring practices, in part because of a happy series of accidents that occurred in the 1970s. The music soon fades away to nothing, and we hear a barrage of sound effects through the entire adventure-filled opening sequence, when monsters called Dementors descend from the sky and attack Harry and his cousin. They transformed and disguised their themes, using tried-and-true procedures. Classic film composers adopted this approach to the needs and requirements of cinema. The seriousness of the debate just shows how sophisticated filmgoers have become about the musical staging of a movie, and how much cultural weight rests within the fantasy world of mainstream Hollywood cinema. The debate whether Williams’ or Hooper’s approach best serves the Potter franchise reprises many of the arguments about musical taste in the 20th and 21st centuries. For the last couple of weeks, a musical debate has been raging on MuggleNet, the self-appointed “ULTIMATE Harry Potter Fansite.” Nicholas Hooper, the composer who scored the last two Potter films, announced to If Magazine on July 23 that he will not work on the final productions of this now multi-billion-dollar franchise. As Harry enters the subway station of the Magical Ministry, a rocking repetitive string line begins, around which long held notes soar on top and bottom while those rotating figures move at various rates of speed. Steiner endured the dictates of numerous, unmusical, studio heads throughout the 1930s. Steiner and the other pioneers of this early period didn’t abandon the principle of borrowing from the great moments of operatic and symphonic music, however. Also in the game, when Griphook opens Vault 712, goblins are discoing to a remix of the song. Not until a full half-hour into the film do we hear the famous Potter/Hedwig theme presented in full, and it doesn’t last long — only about 40 seconds. The Classic Film Score ResuscitatedWell, what happened to it was John Williams. It is better known for being the main theme of every Harry Potter film and is iconic for the wizarding world in general. And the next extended musical cue is equally modern. How does Williams squeeze in so many motives? Empty playground equipment squeaks in the wind, and we see Harry, sitting alone on a swing, being taunted by his oafish cousin and his bully friends. That magic is so frequently orchestrated with “special effects instruments” like the celeste and glockenspiel that these timbres, along with the French horn, continue to echo in my ears long after the final credits rolled. The familiarity of these musical idioms helped ensure “universal” emotional response. There’s no magic in the opening to The Order of the Phoenix. Unlike Williams, who drew on a lush orchestral palette within a unified Romantic musical style, Hooper has employed multiple sound worlds to convey the richly textured story, with its contrasting hues of hopefulness and dark despair. There, Harry lives in a joyless world without magic, without hope, and without music. Community content is available under. Now the soundtrack is filled with creative design: the characters’ panicked breathing, thunder, traffic, a flickering fluorescent lightbulb. That wasn't always true. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Hooper himself, in his If Magazine interview, indicated that his style better reflects the more “adult” themes of the new film: “Having looked closely at John Williams’ writing I decided that I would be better to find my own route rather than try to imitate such a master. 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