The Harry Potter franchise once again opts for a new creative team in the fifth installment, "Order of the Phoenix." Among the new team members is composer Nicholas Hooper, who had worked previously with director David Yates on other projects leading up to this marquee assignment. While Hooper proves to be a capable replacement for the likes of Patrick Doyle, fans of the John Williams scores have been left disappointed. Whether the majority of these listeners heard Hooper's work before voicing their discontent is true or not, I think it goes to show how difficult it is to follow the legendary presence of John Williams in a movie series that he was a fixture in.
"Order of the Phoenix" allowed Hooper to work for a film that has a ready-made commercial appeal and one can say it would be difficult not to feel an immense amount of pressure going in. Personally, what I think aided Hooper in his approach was his respect for the material more than anything else. In a recent interview with ScoreNotes, Hooper stated that he was a big fan of the book and film series going in, so he was looking forward to this opportunity on a couple of levels -- one as a composer and the other as a fan.
The music for this new feature is appropriately mature. As Harry and his cohorts grow older and wiser, the music needed to represent this progression while at the same time retaining a youthful, magical touch. The darker aspects of this film also influence the writing so needless to say there is quite a bit to take into account before the first note is even played.
The soundtrack begins splendidly, with energetic renditions of music that offer a lot of charm and enthusiasm. The colors which are painted by Hooper early on introduces the listener to a new, symphonic world of Harry Potter music. I was immediately captivated. I was quite impressed by the literal clean, appealing sound of the score as well. Hearing a pristine recording of orchestral music is like drinking a refreshing glass of water on a warm day and this score was indeed quenching my thirst. The first two tracks alone offer some of the finest music the franchise has featured, with an affectionate tip of the cap to the
Professor Umbridge theme. Bouncy and fun, it's a treat to hear.
The music offers plenty of melodic passages that border on the darker edges of the fantasy world. While the score is coherent, there isn't really a strong main theme that binds it together. This might be due to the fact that a strategic approach was employed to distance the score from the notable Harry Potter themes that were established in the first 3 movies, and to an extent, Doyle's contribution in the 4th. In Potter 5, only brief references remain. This decision, at least from what's heard on the album, comes back to hurt the overall product during the latter stages. I am unsure as to how the music concludes within the film itself, but I was hoping for more of a resounding finale on the CD. In short, the momentum seems to trail off, specifically when the final track is reached. Had an extended end credits suite been assembled here and the album's themes expanded on, than I think that Hooper's score album would have been a grand success. This is a situation where the preceding material is so enjoyable and vibrant that it deserves an improved closure than what is offered.
In my final note, I would encourage each of you to take on this new music with an open mind. It is probably best to forget about the Williams material in this new context and embrace the direction of the franchise. If you do, I think you will find a worthy successor to the Potter franchise with Nicholas Hooper's score.
