Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I can still remember hearing "Hedwig's Theme" for the first time. It was opening day of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" eight years ago, and when the music came up under the film's title card, I remember thinking "Thank goodness for John Williams." The soundtrack he composed for that film (and its first two sequels) was perfection. With what seemed like alchemical magic, he captured in music the essence of what JK Rowling had created in words: a mysterious, whimsical world that set our imaginations soaring and immediately captured our hearts. As much as the film looked like what I imagined Rowling's universe to look like, it sounded that way as well.Williams opted not to score the fourth Harry Potter film, and things took a decided downturn. Patrick Doyle's work for "Goblin of Fire" was, in my opinion, all atmosphere, with very little melody to it; and what melody there was - "Neville's Waltz" for example - was simplistic and bland. Moreover, there was little about it that distinguished it as a "Harry Potter" score; the action music could have accompanied any number of fantasy films, and it lacked genuine wit.The music (and much of the magic) returned to Hogwarts when Nicholas Hooper took over for the fifth film. Hooper's melodic score for "Order of the Phoenix" was exciting, suspenseful, heart rending, playful, magical; in short, everything the film itself turned out to be. Now Hooper's returned for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," and he's come up with an even better soundtrack than his previous effort. A brief overview:The score starts strongly, with a variation of "Hedwig's Theme" that becomes darker and more dramatic as it progresses. (My guess is that it underscores the series of Muggle attacks with which the film opens.) A haunting choral piece follows, one that, according to Hooper, is not in the actual film, but was written for a certain character's funeral. (No spoilers, here, although if you don't know what I'm referring to, I'd be awfully surprised.)"The Story Begins" is a track that seems to anticipate the listener's eagerness for...well, the story to begin. It has movement and mystery to it, yet ends on a light, bright note (literally), which hints at the film's emphasis on comedy and romance.The track entitled "Ginny" is, unfortunately, a missed opportunity to my mind; why write another variation on "Hedwig's Theme," when Harry's emerging love and longing for Ron's sister warrants its own treatment?More tense, apprehensive music follows with "Snape and the Unbreakable Vow," followed by the infectious "Wizard Wheezes." As you might expect, it's brash, rambunctious, a little sly, and utterly delightful - much like the Weasley twins themselves.The atmospheric tracks continue, all quite successful, although I'm curious as to why "Living Death" is so reminiscent of the "Professor Umbridge" track from Hooper's "Order of the Phoenix" score. One can only imagine it's intentional, and I'll be interested to see how it fits into the actual film.One of the smartest tracks is "The Slug Party," with its 60s vibe and inspired use of percussion, particularly the bongo. It brings to mind nothing so much as the wild cocktail party in Blake Edwards' "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and it's a blast.Hooper moves into full-blown action mode with "Into the Rushes," a superb track that builds with intensity, followed by "Farewell Aragog," a Scottish-sounding dirge that, as authentic as it is, could have benefited from some bagpipes. More dramatic scoring follows, broken up by the oddly contemplative "When Ginny Kissed Harry" and the melancholy "Slughorn's Confession." (The music here ideally matches the ruefulness and sorrow of the scene in the book.)"Journey to the Cave" begins the inexorable slide towards the film's tragic conclusion. (The track titles may give it away, but I never will!) Here Hooper expertly conveys, in ever more complex musical terms, the fear, anxiety, confusion, loss and despair of the story's final scenes.Things wind down with a forlorn goodbye that incorporates some of the material from the soundtrack's opening, and a track entitled "The Friends," which seems to foreshadow how important - and severely tested - friendship will be to the final two "Deathly Hallows" films. Finally, we get "The Weasley Stomp," a bright celebratory piece that, logically, echoes back to the "Fireworks" track from "Order of the Phoenix."All in all, Hooper has done a marvelous job, writing what is very much a "Harry Potter" score, yet one that retains its own musical point of view.That said, I still wish he (and Doyle before him) had taken a page from Williams's book and thought on a slightly grander scale, particularly in his use of themes. In the "Chamber of Secrets" score alone, Williams produced significant musical illustrations of Fawkes the phoenix, Dobby the house-elf, Gilderoy Lockhart and the Chamber itself. These themes exist as superb stand-alone tracks that make the soundtrack one of my favorites to listen to again and again. The last three Harry Potter films could have used more of these. (Imagine what William's could have come up with for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Rita Skeeter, Professor Umbridge, or - most dramatically - Voldemort himself. Darth Vader has his own immortal theme, why not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?)I have been hoping, in my heart of hearts, for Williams to return for the "Deathly Hallows" films. Listening to this evocative, energetic, intelligent score for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," however, I can honestly say that I'm much more comfortable with the idea of Nicholas Hooper finishing up the series.

This soundtrack, and the Order of the Phoenix also by Nicholas Hooper, suffer in some people's minds from the lack of soaring theme music like on the first Harry Potter CD.But the theme song is already written, and these movies require more subtle sounds and songs. Which they deliver.Both are darker, less childlike songs, also as required by the increasing dark and depressing world of the Harry Potter series. It's no longer a child's world of school tests and jumping candy frogs. Evil has been released, and is winning.Highlights here include Opening, a dark and foreboding introduction, In Noctum, with a haunting chorus, Into the Rushes, a prelude to battle with evil, and my favorite, the haunting Slughorn's Confession. A silly name, through accurate. It perfectly fits the mood of Slughorn's confession - sorrow, loss, and guilt.

The range in volume for this CD is from almost inaudible (opening) to much louder. Unfortunately, Mr. Hooper still finds it impossible to grasp some fabulous situations and run with them. Ginny and Harry need a love thime for heaven's sake. I haven't seen the movie yet, so we'll have to see how any of this plays with the action.But my even larger complaint is about the packaging. The print is somewhere around a size 1 or 1/2. I have never seen anything smaller in my life on any CD. Some of us can't read that small of print - that includes lots of people! I'm fine down to about 3, but this hardly looks like writing. Come on. Get real.The basic score establishes atmosphere rather well, but so many scenes, once a mood is established, go no where. The best are those themes given to Weasleys, the Aragog funeral (quite Irish), and Dunbledore's farewell - where the chord progressions Hooper seems to relish actually build to a great climax.

I really like the ambient nature of the music in Half Blood Prince (sorry John Williams snobs). It's great to hear the subtleties in the music that are inaudible in the movie due to interfering dialogue or distracting noises. The sound quality here is crystal clear.My only complaint is that two pieces of music were left off that I was really looking forward to hearing. Missing is the tense music played when Harry, Ron and Hermione are pursuing Draco and his mom in Nocturn Alley. Also missing is the haunting music played just after Dumbledore is killed. Really!!!?There was plenty of room on the CD capacity to have included them, and they did include plenty of musical pieces that were rather less memorable, so I don't get it. Minus one star from Gryffindor, I mean, this soundtrack.

The music is good..of course..if you like soundtrack music...classical how can you not at least like it, BUT....so this soundtrack is good music, but the potential that was missed here is HUGE!! I believe that the soundtrack and movie was one big missed opportunity for those involved. This was what I would call a underachiever soundtrack. There was so much potential in the story line of the half blood prince. The goofiness of Lavender Brown and Ron romance....how could there have not been a original theme/love song for Ginny and Harry. What about Dumbledores death...what about Faux and the music for his song after Dumbledores death. There was SO much that could have been done with this soundtrack that wasn't..sure it is good, but not what it could have or should have been. I also thought the soundtrack was much darker sounding that the film was...I thought the film was brighter and funnier than I thought it would be. Like I said..when I was watching the movie I don't even ever remember hearing any of the music..it was more background than a partner bringing out the flavor and meaning.