Harry Potter / Goblet of ..

For the first three "Harry Potter" movies, John Williams ("Star Wars" and numerous other films) composed the music and it awesome. Poignant, touching, entertaining, everything that you could want. John Williams didn't do the music for this movie. Patrick Doyle was called to the task and personally, I think that he performed admirably.

"Goblet of Fire" is a far different film from the first three "Potter" movies. There are some big things happening, which you almost certainly know about if you're reading this. These demand strong themes and music and Patrick Doyle delivered.

I'm not going to give a blow-by-blow track review, but I will touch on some of my favorite tracks. These are "The Quidditch World Cup," "Golden Egg," "Neville's Waltz," "Underwater Secrets" "Hogwarts' March" and "Magic Works."

Some thoughts on a few of these pieces --- "The Quidditch World Cup" evokes the passion of this great sport and has wonderful Irish music in it as well. There's also the chanting --- "Krum... Krum... Krum," it really works. "Golden Egg" is a partly vocal piece encompassing the song about the mermaids' task and they got a nice female singer to perform it. "Neville's Waltz" evokes a classical feeling and is also just funny. And then there's "Magic Works," a sort of ballad that was played during the closing credits. After listening to it a few times ("Believe, that magic works / Don't be afraid / Of being there / Don't let this magic die...") you too might just believe that magic works --- if you didn't already! :)

I couldn't end this review without mentioning the soundtracks two other vocal pieces --- "Do the Hippogriff" and "This is the Night." "Do the Hippogriff" is a wild punk rock theme with crazy lyrics like "I spin around like a crazy elf, dancin' by himself / I put me down like a unicorn..." As long as you don't mind this sort of song, it's good fun. "This is the Night" is another sort of rock/metal theme and it's decent too. I read that Daniel Radcliffe is a fan of this style of music, so I'm sure he was pleased by those tracks (although, unfortunately for him, I also read that they filmed his scenes separately from all that.)

I buy a soundtrack when I'm sitting enthralled by a movie but keep perking my ears for the music. That's why I bought this soundtrack. I know my John Williams, and I could tell without being told that he had not done the score. While Williams has created the most memorable themes in movie history (even my sixth graers who were born in the nineties know "Superman" and "Star Wars" when they hear them), I haven't heard this kind of passion from him since "Jurassic Park." Patrick Doyle has done wonders during a time when, honestly, soundtracks fail to be fun anymore, with rare exceptions ("Lord of the Rings").

If you search for the movies Doyle has composed music for, you'll find a common thread--"Henry V" (1989); "Great Expectations"; "Quest For Camelot"; "Hamlet" (1996); "Much Ado About Nothing." His resume is, for me, what makes him perfect as the scorer of the latest Potter music. Witchcraft and wizardry will always be linked with the ancient, and the medievel, and you can hear that style in this soundtrack, and it lends a timelessness and greater sense of maturity to the movie.

Because the movie itself has so many dark moments, much of the soundtrack is that way as well. The beginning track "The Story Continues" sets the stage for recurring themes that have their origins in Doyle, not Williams. He slips in more heaviness in tracks like "The Quidditch World Cup" for the arrival of the Bulgarians, but we can't overlook the whimsy of the start of the same track, which heralds the Irish. There is exquisite beauty in "Harry in Winter" and its theme finds its way into "Hogwarts' March." "Neville's Waltz" and "Potter Waltz" provide more relief from the darkness; however, tracks like "Golden Egg" and "Voldemort" manage wonderful transitions from light to dark and vice versa.

It seems that the majority of listeners enjoyed the soundtrack from the last movie; I can't comment on that, as I have not heard it, nor the two that came before it. I was never moved during the movie to purchase them, the way I was with GOF. Perhaps it is just that I am partial to the grandeur of music that is made to fit all the marvels of things of a time past. But isn't that what the Harry Potter books do, too? A mixture of ancient spells and wisdom with modern day inventions and slang. Doyle, it is evident, understands that synthesis.

A last note: each track is separate, which is indeed nice when you like a beginning and end to your music. There was a small trend in soundtracks for a while, like that of "Gladiator," in which all the tracks ran together, and it was annoying. Nothing to worry about here.

I have read all the reviews of the soundtracks, and I would like to say that many of the reviewers here who hated the soundtrack didn't see the movie and haven't read the books. Just how do you expect to know what the music is about unless you put it with the movie? Yes, listening to the music first can help you prepare, but ultimately, you won't have a clue until you read the books/watch the movies.

For those of you who didn't like the soundtrack and actually had good reasons, I have nothing against you. After all, we all have our opinions. It is only certain people that aren't using common sense.

About the rock music on the soundtrack, of course if you haven't seen the movie or read the books you would be appalled. "It isn't Harry Potter" you say? In the Harry Potter books/movie, there is a popular rock group called the Wierd Sisters, and they DO play at the Yule Ball. The music absolutely belonged on the soundtrack. But you wouldn't know that without seeing the movie and reading the book would you?

Yes, it's not John Williams. But I see it this way, this movie is unlike the other movies, it is darker, less like the children's books earlier in the series. Having a new composer helps to reflect that. Sure I'd love to see John Willimas back, but now not at the expense of Patrick Doyle. This soundtrack has earned it's place in my CD rack.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 153 reviews  3.8 out of 5 stars