Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [Soundtrack]

John Williams (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 30, 2001)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B00005OWIU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (252 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,080 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Halloween

Track Listings

1. Prologue

2. The Arrival of Baby Harry

3. Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts

4. Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault

5. Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters and The Journey to Hogwarts

6. Entry into the Great Hall and The Banquet

7. Mr. Longbottom Flies

8. Hogwarts Forever! and The Moving Stairs

9. The Norwegian Ridgeback and A Change of Season

10. The Quidditch Match

11. Christmas at Hogwarts

12. The Invisibility Cloak and The Library Scene

13. Fluffy's Harp

14. In the Devil's Snare and The Flying Keys

15. The Chess Game

16. The Face of Voldemort

17. Leaving Hogwarts

18. Harry's Wondrous World

19. Hedwig's Theme

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

You needn't see the film of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to appreciate the wonder, magic, and fearful chills of J.K. Rowling's phenomenal bestseller in John Williams's outstanding score. Williams typically avoids the source material for the films he scores, but he reportedly derived great pleasure and inspiration from Rowling's first Harry Potter adventure, and created a perfect motif (fully expressed in "Hedwig's Theme") to dominate his score. It's first heard as a dreamy celesta waltz and embellished through myriad incarnations and moods, often with a sinister edge befitting the darker tones of Chris Columbus's direction. Evident are fantastical allusions to Saint-Saëns and Tchaikovsky (among others), and Williams's epic track is "Quidditch Match," a breathtaking frenzy to accompany the film's dazzling highlight. And while Williams occasionally flirts with self-plagiarism (with inevitable variants of his Hook and Star Wars themes), this is nevertheless a richly regal score that brilliantly evokes the mystery and magic of Harry Potter's world. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another John Williams Classic, October 30, 2001

By 

JediMacFan (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is extremely well done. John Williams sets the tone for each part of the movie by defining it with its own, independent theme. Harry's theme is the most "magical" sounding and stands apart from the rest of the soundtrack. It's a very soft and mellow tune that's both mysterious and innocent at the same time. The Quidditch scene has the loudest and most rambunctious music. Much like the sport itself, the music is fast-paced. Voldemort's theme is very soft and dark sounding, with very subtle changes. Though it's no "Imperial March", it's one of Williams' most successful villain themes. It's very obvious that Williams has borrowed certain elements from his past scores, but at the same time manages to change it and add enough new material for a completely original sound. At times, there is a choir in the background providing vocals that tends to sound more like the work of James Horner than John Williams. This is not to say, however, tht Williams is unsuccessful. The mix of instrument and voice is superb. Overall, I would say this is one of John Williams' most successful scores, especially in recent years. It's my favorite since Jurassic Park and well worth the price.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars That Little Bit Of Magic That Remains In This World, December 3, 2001

By 

The Fingers On My Keyboard - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

I believe that the power of a truly great composer is that which enables him or her to come up with a simple tune - a hook - that complements itself effectively with every other suite or piece of music that runs through the soundtrack of a work of art. John Williams powerfully proves that he has that skill. So, whether or not you feel Chris Columbus did a good job directing "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", you cannot surpass his wise choice of having Mr. Williams piece together this truly spellbinding score.

Yes, now and again he indulges in self-plagiarism, but all that is conveniently covered up with the playful running theme that materialises most compellingly in "Hedwig's Theme", and pops in as daintily as it sounds in the rest of the music against appropriately spine-tingling and triumphantly composite compositions. The entire soundtrack - as track-listed here - builds up in a wicked crescendo that easily sweeps one of his feet and transports him back to the magic of Harry's world. From the dark and ominous "Harry's Wondrous World", sprinkled cleverly with a tinge of hope, to the orchestral climax in "The Face of Voldermort", which erupts in musical irony when it sets "Hedwig's Theme" against cold, bombarding strings, John Williams creates his very own original (well, almost) rendition of J. K. Rowling's meticulously imaginative dimension - all embodied in every single likeable piece.

A feature which proves comforting for the listener - especially younger children who could go crazy over everything "Harry" - is that almost every piece is a suitably short, three to four-minute long opus. But even the longer pieces, such as the exhilarating "The Quidditch Match" that spans some eight minutes long, fleet by as enjoyably as the movie does in its unbelievably "short" 2½ hours. This piece, in particular, is one of my favourites, as it regenerates the majestic memory of the Arthurian-styled Quidditch setting, and the pure intensity of the game.

The soundtrack springs up a few surprises here and there. For example, in "Christmas at Hogwarts", you can actually hear caroling ghosts! And "Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Vault" is considerably varied from what is heard in that sequence of the movie, though it retains its good cheer. But it is sad that some of the music from the movie has been left out in this soundtrack (it appears to be a trend many composers and producers are following nowadays). For example, the original music for the Diagon Alley sequence had more "oomph" to it, and gave it a sense of jolly enthusiasm remarkably symbolic of how Harry must have felt visiting that venue for the first time. The light-hearted flutes that you hear instead on the soundtrack cannot beat the former, which initially created the right atmosphere so well. And also - I'm not sure if anyone noticed this - during the part of the movie before Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco went off into the woods with Hagrid for detention, there was a Celtic-sounding tune being played with a very ghostly feel in the background while they were all huddled around the fire, and Filch asked Hagrid to "keep his wits about". I was looking out for that tune, hopefully in a piece that accompanied The Forbidden Forest sequence, but even such a piece wasn't included at all.

There's quite a bit to miss out on listening to this soundtrack, and it's a pity that not all of John Williams' work could be included here, especially being the first movie on the teenage wizard and all. But still, Mr. Williams rightfully boasts that he can recreate and bring life once more to the little bit of magic that remains in this world. Very hopefully, he will continue with the rest of the movies in the "Harry Potter" series, and remain masterful in evoking the power of magic, music and the emotion they bring about in the life of the world's most beloved teen wizard.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely magical!, October 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Audio CD)

John Williams score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone almost immediately draws listeners into a world where magic not only exists, but flourishes. Many of the tracks feature music in the same vein as music Williams composed for Hook, especially the Prologue and Hedwig's theme. The music for the Quidditch match features the brass instruments, and conveys the soaring competition of this popular wizarding sport. "The Face of Voldemort" contains music entirely appropriate for a young boy confronting his greatest fear. All in all, Williams has composed a score that is almost as magical as J. K. Rowling's book. I can't wait for the movie!