Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score for the 2004 film of the same name, the third and final score in the series to be composed and conducted by John Williams. The soundtrack was performed at Abbey Road Studios in London with session musicians, with the London Voices and the London Oratory School Schola providing vocal performances. The score was orchestrated by Conrad Pope and Eddie Karam. The soundtrack is a significant departure from the previous two, since the director, Alfonso Cuarón, wanted the music to take a different approach. It introduced three major themes: "Window to the Past", "Double Trouble", and "Buckbeak's Flight". Other repeating new motifs were composed for the Time-Turner, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black's hunt for Harry. It was released on 25 May 2004 and charted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 and also charted at No. 3 on the Top Soundtracks Chart.[1]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Released25 May 2004 (2004-05-25)
RecordedMarch 2004
StudioAbbey Road Studios
GenreSoundtrack
Length68:37
Label
ProducerJohn Williams
John Williams chronology
Catch Me If You Can
(2002)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2004)
The Terminal
(2004)
Wizarding World soundtrack chronology
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2002)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2004)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Empire
Filmtracks
Movie Wave
SoundtrackNet

The album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score, the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and the World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Score of the Year. In 2018, the soundtrack was released by La-La-Land Records as a 2-Disc CD set encompassing the complete score of the film as part of a limited-edition box set featuring the scores for the first three Harry Potter films.

Track listing edit

Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 6 edit

The Film Score
No.TitleLength
1."Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme)"1:43
2."Aunt Marge's Waltz"2:18
3."Parents' Portrait and The Empty Playground"1:02
4."The Knight Bus [Extended Version]"3:56
5."Monster Book and Discussing Black"2:00
6."Apparition on the Train [Film Version]"2:18
7."Double Trouble"1:38
8."Trouble Takes Many Forms"1:52
9."Rainy Nights, Dementors and Birds"1:03
10."The Courtyard and Sir Cadogan"1:23
11."The Hippogriff Lesson"1:31
12."Befriending the Hippogriff"1:45
13."Buckbeak's Flight"2:10
14."The Grim / The Newspaper"1:11
15."The Boggarts"3:01
16."On the Bridge - Remembering Mother"1:47
17."The Portrait Gallery"2:08
18."The Big Doors and The Great Hall Ceiling"2:15
19."Page 394 and Quidditch, Third Year"4:02
20."A Walk in the Woods and Bird's Flight"2:53
21."The Snowball Fight"1:05
22."The Three Broomsticks"3:51
23."Summoning the Patronus"3:26
24."Buckbeak's Fate and The Marauder's Map"3:15
25."About Pettigrew / The Crystal Ball"3:22
26."The Executioner"0:46
27."The Walk to Buckbeak"0:46
28."The Sentence"2:44
29."Chasing Scabbers"1:08
30."The Whomping Willow"1:30
31."Confrontation in the Shrieking Shack"6:31
32."Sirius and Harry"1:54
33."The Werewolf Scene"4:29

Harry Potter - The John Williams Soundtrack Collection: Disc 7 edit

The Film Score [continued]
No.TitleLength
1."The Dementors Converge [Film Version]"3:10
2."Time Past / Saving Buckbeak"9:57
3."Lupin's Transformation"2:05
4."Buckbeak Saves the Day / Watching the Past"2:43
5."The Rescue of Sirius"1:22
6."Sirius Says Goodbye / Turning Time Back"2:16
7."Lupin's Departure"1:22
8."The Firebolt and End Credits Suite"7:22
Source Music
No.TitleLength
9."The Wizards' Consort (Source Music)"2:48
10."Hogsmeade Candy Box (Source Music)"1:21
11."A Winter's Spell (Source Music)"1:14
Additional Music
No.TitleLength
12."Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme)"1:40
13."Aunt Marge's Waltz [Alternate]"2:34
14."The Knight Bus [Alternate]"3:58
15."Apparition on the Train"2:20
16."More Grim and Boggarts"1:37
17."Quidditch, Third Year"3:54
18."Window to the Past"3:58
19."Saving Buckbeak [Alternate Segment]"4:24
20."Lupin's Transformation [Alternate]"2:05
21."Watching the Past [Alternate]"2:21
22."The Dementors Circle"0:46
23."The Patronus Light"1:16
24."The Patronus Power"0:47
25."The Dementors Converge"3:15
26."The Firebolt [Alternate]"1:30
27."Teaser"1:27
28."Trailer"1:52

Track details edit

Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme) edit

This is the final movie in the Harry Potter series to use Hedwig's Theme in its original, gradually building form during the opening (until the credits of Deathly Hallows Part 2). This version includes a slightly more ominous celeste melody, and retains the woodwind melody, but features a short harp motif at the end.

"Double Trouble" edit

"Double Trouble" was composed by John Williams during the film's production since he felt it to be a warm welcome back to Hogwarts. The song was sung by the London Oratory School Schola, and its lyrics are taken directly from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, in which they are spoken by three witches.

"Forward to Time Past" edit

"Forward to Time Past" is heard when Hermione and Harry use the Time-Turner to go back in time. During the whole piece a ticking sound is heard, indicating that time is running out. Loads of flourishing strings overlap the four-note motif that the brass repeats rhythmically, and lastly, the little bursts of woodwind throughout enforce the sensation of movement.

"The Dementors Converge" edit

"The Dementors Converge" is heard when Harry is attempting to save Sirius Black from the Dementors. The piece mainly consists of discordant wavering strings at the beginning, but as it progresses, Williams weaves punctuating piccolos and long notes of brass that gradually build up the menacing tension. This rises to a climax where thunderous clusters of timpani and hair-raising choir are introduced only to die back down, followed by an atmospheric flutter from the harp. The strings then lead into another extremity that uses bits and pieces from Williams' "The Patronus Light", interjected by harsh grating brass. The music appears to die off again instantly; however, the familiar sound of lush strings and celesta (so prominent in Williams' earlier scores for these films) subdue the tension afore.

Responses and ratings edit

The album was well received among film music critics. Archie Watt of MovieCues highly praised the score, calling it "One of the best albums of 2004, and well worth a listen by any film music or John Williams fan."[2]

References edit

  1. ^ Trust, Gary (24 November 2010). "Weekly Chart Notes: Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Beatles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (John Williams) « MovieCues". www.moviecues.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011.