The Harry Potter Soundtrack Of all the elements of a muggle film, nothing, many argue, is as important as music. While the written script provides the foundation for the story, the music is often seen as providing the foundation for the film. Music that seems out of place, overly done or non-existent can often send an otherwise brilliant movie to the bottom of the box-office barrel. Luckily, the muggle vision our own Mr. Potter’s story does not go off-key. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Soundtrack features many of the elements which made the first two soundtracks very enjoyable. But unlike the first two, this rendition has a musical verve all its own—a feature that allows it to far overshadow its predecessors. Written and scored by highly acclaimed composer John Williams (whose previous credits include Star Wars, E.T., and Schindler’s List, just to name a few), the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack emerges from the scores of the previous installments. Unlike its predecessor soundtrack, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, however, POA forays into new worlds of musical composition, creating motifs and sounds unlike anything Potter fans have heard before. Opening the tracks is “Lumos!”, a rehashing of the most recognized Potter motif, “Hedwig’s Theme”. But the subtly different, more upbeat version of the classic fan fave introduces how unique and enjoyable the rest of the tracks will be. Particular standouts are “Aunt Marge’s Waltz” which adds a strange, dance-like quality to life with the Dursleys’; “The Knight Bus” which throws listeners for an absolutely fantastic loop with its jazz and percussive based rhythms, and “A Window to the Past”, the primary example POA’s newest motif. As Williams is apt to do, almost every character or embodiment of character has its own sound (and they all make their appearance in this soundtrack, even Voldemort’s theme), but this particular motif—a composition that is both wistfully sad and amazingly beautiful—has an ethereal quality that is unmatched by any of its cohorts. It also draws many of its introductory elements from the music of the Celts, something for which UK fans should be pleased. There are also the requisite amount of vocal tracks on the score; “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble,” heard in the first POA trailer, is based upon the famous spell chanted by the infamous Witches in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, (who, of course, reside in our libraries as some of the most gifted, albeit troublesome, sages in the history of wizards). And “The Patronus Light”, which is purely non-lyrical vocal, is an amazing standout to the much darker sounds on the rest of the score—a perfect silhouette to its visual twin, who, if its backdrop music is any indication, is certain to be spectacular. Much is expected of this film version of the Harry Potter saga, and the music lives up to the reputation that the rest of the film seems to be garnering. That the score is almost completely instrumental, and yet still popular, is quite a feat for a children’s movie, and like he always seems to do, John Williams creates tunes both hummable and enjoyable. What makes this score the best of the best is that he experiments with newer elements, drawing from the ancient to the modern, yet still creates a musical success that is as pleasing to the ears as the actual film will, hopefully, be to the eyes. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Soundtracks can be purchased at any muggle retail store, or online at sites such as Amazon.com. Double Trouble The fifth track on the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, “Double Trouble” is not just a unique song meant to welcome Harry and his friends back to Hogwarts. It is also an homage to one of the most famous scenes of muggle playwright William Shakespeare’s acclaimed tragedy MacBeth. "Double Trouble" is taken from the Witches’ speech in Act IV, scene 1, a scene which features the trio of hags brewing a rather foul potion. Borrowing from their spellcasting, the creators of the soundtrack composed “Double Trouble”, whose lyrics are as follows: Double Trouble Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble; Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Something Wicked this Way Comes. Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog, Wool of Bat and Tongue of Dog; Adder’s fork and Blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s Leg and Owlet’s Wing; Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble; Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Something Wicked this Way Comes. In the Cauldron Boil and Bake Fillet of a Fenny Snake; Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolf, Witches’ Mummy, Maw and Gulf. Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble; Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble, Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. Something Wicked this Way Comes! |