The Harry Potter Compendium
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File:Harry Potter 3 soundtrack.jpg
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Release information
Composer

John Williams

Format

Compact Disc

Length

1:08:26

Released

25 May, 2004

Label

Warner/Sunset

Genre

Film score

The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban original motion picture soundtrack was released on 25 May, 2004. The film's score was composed and conducted by John Williams, as was the score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It introduced two major themes: "Window to the Past" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes," although neither were used in any other films in the series. Other notable themes were the theme used to represent the Time-Turner and to represent Sirius Black's hunt for Harry. The soundtrack was performed at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score, the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and the World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Soundtrack.

Track listing[]

  1. "Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme)" - 1:35
  2. "Aunt Marge's Waltz" - 2:13
  3. "The Knight Bus" - 2:49
  4. "Apparition on the Train" - 2:13
  5. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - 1:35
  6. "Buckbeak's Flight" - 2:07
  7. "A Window to the Past" - 3:53
  8. "The Whomping Willow and The Snowball Fight" - 2:20
  9. "Secrets of the Castle" - 4:35
  10. "The Portrait Gallery" - 1:58
  11. "Hagrid the Professor" - 2:23
  12. "Monster Books and Boggarts!" - 3:44
  13. "Quidditch, Third Year" - 2:19
  14. "Lupin's Transformation and Chasing Scabbers" - 2:59
  15. "The Patronus Light" - 1:10
  16. "The Werewolf Scene" - 4:24
  17. "Saving Buckbeak" - 6:37
  18. "Forward to Time Past" - 2:31
  19. "The Dementors Converge" - 3:10
  20. "Finale" - 3:24
  21. "Mischief Managed" - 12:06

Track details[]

Double Trouble

Double Trouble was composed by John Williams during the production of the film as he felt to be a warm welcome back to Hogwarts. The song was sung by the London Oratory School Schola. The lyrics to this song are taken directly from Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Forward to Time Past

The track 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 over-lap the four note motif that the brass repeat rhythmically, and lastly the little bursts of woodwind throughout enforce the sensation of movement.

The Dementors Converge

This music 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 which uses bits and pieces from John 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[]

The soundtrack for this album is the highest rated; moviemusicuk.us rated the soundtrack 5/5 with Goblet of Fire and The Chamber of Secrets. On Filmtracks.com it is rated 4/5. Allmusic.com rated it 4.5/5, also the highest Harry Potter album rated on the site.

See also[]

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
Sorcerer's Stone novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Chamber of Secrets novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Prisoner of Azkaban novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Goblet of Fire novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Order of the Phoenix novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Half-Blood Prince novel film game film soundtrack game soundtrack
Deathly Hallows novel film 1 game 1 film soundtrack 1 game soundtrack 1
film 2 game 2 film soundtrack 2 game soundtrack 2
Other written works Other games
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Harry Potter: Trading Card Game
Quidditch Through the Ages LEGO Creator: Harry Potter/Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Tales of Beedle the Bard Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
Harry Potter Prequel Harry Potter: Find Scabbers
Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book Harry Potter DVD Game: Hogwarts Challenge/Wizarding World
Harry Potter Film Wizardry Harry Potter: Spells
Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4/Years 5-7
LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World Motorbike Escape
LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World Harry Potter: The Quest
Encyclopaedia of Potterworld (potentially cancelled) Harry Potter for Kinect
Other canon Other films/documentaries/soundtracks
J.K.Rowling Official Site Harry Potter and Me
Pottermore The Queen's Handbag
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life
Harry Potter: The Exhibition Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup (video game soundtrack)
The Making of Harry Potter Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story
Wonderbook: Book of Spells Harry Potter: Beyond the Page
Wonderbook: Book of Potions The Tale of the Three Brothers
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
IndividualsPlacesTranslations
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