Soundtrack Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Video Game (2007)
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This is a review of the video game score Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by James Hannigan.
“The inserts of film themes will make one say ‘now THAT’S a Potter score’”
With Nicholas Hooper’s score for Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince being met, for the most part, by indifference from fans of both film scores and the series (yes, I realize both sides do mingle), I feel the lack of stronger scores for both that film and its predecessor (which admittedly had a charming score) has to climb to the top of the list for “most missed scoring opportunities”. On the bright side, the assignment had the unintended byproduct of pushing soundtrack lovers into the realm of Harry Potter video games. Had Jeremy Soule still been producing his acceptable but unexceptional works for the game franchise, this may not have been a worthwhile pursuit, but the assignment of relative newcomer James Hannigan to the franchise proved enticing and worthwhile enough.
Improvements
If one is operating off the commercial download release, then you already have three improvements over Soule’s material. The first is a much richer sound, due both to a more vibrant performance and more expansive orchestrations. The depth and dedication in the writing and performance is (oddly) most evident in the 10-minute stretch of “Exploring The School Today” and “Magic All Around Us”, two cues that are resonant and lush despite their constantly light nature. Second, Order of the Phoenix shows a decided effort towards thematic development. A romantic theme for strings and woodwinds, heard in the “Main Titles” and “Owl Chase/First Love”, is a graceful, soaring beauty in every performance and would have been a perfect fit in any of the films. A driving action motif creates plenty of furious, choir-chanting awe in the “Main Titles” and “The Phoenix and the Snake”, though its brassy dominance of the “Rebellion Begins” is thrilling as well. The Umbridge Theme is a conniving motif for strings and low winds, a far more appropriate embodiment of the character than the Hook rip-offs in Hooper’s Phoenix score. The score could have used more secondary motifs and a definite main theme, but the release still constitutes a well-rounded tapestry.
Styles of John Williams
The third improved area is Hannigan’s nods to the styles and orchestrations of John Williams’ scores for the series. On the whole Soule did a capable job of imitating the maestro’s works in bits and pieces, but outside of Quiddtich World Cup he failed to emulate the style in a refreshing, extended fashion. With Phoenix, Hannigan manages to capture much of the spirit and intricacy Williams put in his scores while also putting his own original stamp on the material, similar to what both Michael Giacchino and Christopher Lennertz accomplished for the Medal of Honor series. The first four minutes of “Exploring the School Today” bounce with the same joy as the lighter moments from Williams’ Sorcerer’s Stone Score, while “Fred and George” shows that the composer’s comedy style for the series doesn’t always have to ape “No Ticket” (it has a nice nod to “Aunt Marge’s Waltz” to boot). For the most part, the frenetic action material exudes the technicality and energy of Williams’ modern material perfectly, with “The Phoenix and the Snake” being the bombastic standout thanks to its addition of a Silvestri-like choir.
Conclusion
If you add all that up you have a definite improvement on all of Soule’s works, not to mention Hooper’s score for the concurrent Phoenix film. However, for those who really want the score to sit comfortably in the Potter universe, the full bootleg/game rip/promo (I have no idea which one it is) is the way to go. Due to some idiotic licensing issues, none of the references to the themes from the films can be included on any commercial releases, a crying shame considering how many highlights were left off. Hedwig’s Theme receives numerous strong variations, with the “Main Titles” use with militaristic string rhythms from Revenge of the Sith backing it up and the hauntingly beautiful choral performance to open “The Inquisitorial Squad” being notable. The undoubted highlights are the theme’s powerhouse brass statements during “The Phoenix And The Snake” that are a memorable addition to what had already been a powerful cue from the commercial album. The racing Nimbus motif is another playful addition, although it only pops up a handful of times. These inserts are the kind of expansion that makes one say “now THAT’S a Potter score”, and they are almost enough to completely atone for absence of a primary theme or memorable secondary themes. It’s a royal shame that Hannigan was kept off the series until this point, for if this is how he starts off the saga, I can’t wait to hear where he takes it next.
Commercial Download (51:00)
1. The Story Continues (0:44)
2. Welcome to Hogwarts (2:37)
3. Dolores Umbridge (2:19)
4. A Gathering of Friends (1:06)
5. Exploring Hogwarts (1:13)
6. Cho and Harry (0:46)
7. Courtyard Frolics (1:33)
8. To Catch an Owl (2:12)
9. A Task In Hand (1:55)
10. Encounter with Malfoy (1:22)
11. The Inquisitorial Squad (1:57)
12. Stealth and Scurrying (1:46)
13. Beware Umbridge (1:00)
14. The Room of Requirement (0:33)
15. Invisibility (1:22)
16. Wand Combat (2:35)
17. Darkly Wandering (2:22)
18. Evading Filch (2:13)
19. Navigating the Grounds (1:21)
20. Darkness Falls (2:16)
21. A Sense of Urgency (1:42)
22. The Dark Acts (1:43)
23. Fred and George (1:17)
24. Climbing the Owlery (2:12)
25. The Department of Mysteries (2:20)
26. Death Eaters (4:12)
27. Occlumency (2:10)
28. Dumbledore and Voldemort (2:22)
Promo Release (72:28)
1. Main Title/Year Five (3:48)
2. Professor Umbridge (3:08)
3. Exploring The School Today (7:46)
4. Magic All Around Us (3:31)
5. The Dark Wandering (5:48)
6. The Inquisitorial Squad (4:58)
7. Sneaking In (5:01)
8. A Shadow From The Past (3:42)
9. Owl Chase/First Love (3:54)
10. Fred and George (2:40)
11. Death Eaters Arrive/Fate of Sirius (3:32)
12. Puzzle Action (2:47)
13. Witchcraft and Wizardry (4:25)
14. The Rebellion Begins (5:17)
15. The Department of Mysteries (2:21)
16. The Phoenix and the Snake (2:13)
17. The Phoenix and the Snake (Album Version) (2:23)
18. Harry Vs Voldemort/The End (5:20)
Listen to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by James Hannigan below:
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(9 votes, average: 8.56 out of 10)
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Comments
I really like both Jeremy Soule and James Hannigan. Both are a cut above the bulk of game composers if you ask me. I think the guy who said Hannigan’s order of the Phoenix was forgettable needs his head examining though as it was highly memorable IMHO. I also loved Soule’s Prisoner of Azkaban. Both great composers. Overall, just very sad all these scores got overlooked because belonging to a licensed game not taken very seriously by gamers at large.
I love this score, and I think “To Catch An Owl” may musically sum-up the soaring magic of the Potter books better than any piece from any other Potter score. Now, how can I get my hands on a copy of this promotional score?
i dont know about you guys but i love the harry potter games with the exception of goblet of fire where you cant explore hogwarts at all compare to the other games
Soundtrack Seek
Hannigan’s score for Half Blood Prince is a significant improvement over his previous effort on Order of the Phoenix, which was utterly forgettable. I have to disagree with your remarks disparaging Jeremy Soule’s wonderful and superior contributions to the franchise. Perhaps Soule’s talents might have been better utilized on the actual films, as the games themselves will unfortunately fade away into obscurity. Anyway, you direct comparisons between Hannigan’s work and Soule’s work is unprofessional and rather off-putting. Hannigan did an exceptional job this time and I’ve been enjoying his score for the Half Blood Prince quite a bit, though I’d hardly say that he achieved John Williams-leve heights in his compositions. That’s more Soule’s forte, as he’s proven countless times in the past with a phenomenal resume that simply doesn’t seem to quit.
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Jon Blough Reply:
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I reject the notion that I’m unprofessional or out to get Soule. I think all but one of his scores for the series were acceptable but underwhelming. Outside of a few bits of Quidditch World Cup I couldn’t recall what any of them sounded like if my life depended on it. Pointing out the differences between Soule’s work and Hannigan’s work is no different than saying I like sausage pizza from one pizza place more than cheese pizza from another place.
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