Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Composed by Alexandre Desplat, released 12th of July 2011.

This soundtrack hasn't even been released for a week, and yet it is already my most listened to album of the past 3 months. I listened to it in full before seeing the film, so that my viewing would be even more emotional, as I'd know some of the music. Upon first listen, I knew it'd be one of my favourite soundtracks ever. Then I saw the film at midnight on Friday the 15th, and absolutely loved it.

I adore the Harry Potter soundtracks. In fact, the first soundtrack I ever received was for 'The Philosopher's Stone' at Christmas 2001, but back then I wasn't bothered about the music! I look back at myself in shame, but hey, I was only 7. Eventually, I became more interested in instrumental music and soundtracks, so I listened to it and loved it. And my favourite Harry Potter soundtrack prior to 'Deathly Hallows Part 2' was 'Goblet of Fire', as it features so many lovely themes. Plus, The Weird Sisters are awesome, let's not deny. 

The first track on this soundtrack is 'Lily's Theme' which sounds, as it's intended, sentimental. By listening, you can tell that it's the theme of someone who is dead, as the single vocal in it sounds somewhat ghostly. It is a bewitching theme that is later reprised in 'The Resurrection Stone'.

The next track that stands out for me is 'Dragon Flight'. It's one of those pieces of music that make you feel invincible, and it takes 'Lily's Theme' and makes it more powerful. I think this is my favourite faster-paced track on the soundtrack.

'Neville' introduces a theme that is courageous and comforting. It replicates the same reassuring feelings I got when Neville arrives in the film.

The first point in the film when I felt a lump in my throat was when McGonagall summoned down the statues of Hogwarts to protect the castle. I felt like this not because of what was happening, but because it's the first use of my absolute favourite theme of the film. In fact, I'm gonna go ahead and link you to 'Statues' because I can't describe it. 

This is similar to 'Courtyard Apocalypse', played as Harry, Ron and Hermione run through the battle taking place in Hogwarts. This was one of my favourite scenes as we are seeing Hogwarts, the magical castle we've been watching since 2001, is now the setting of this epic war. Usually, music accompanying a scene like this would be fast-paced, so to put the audience at unease, however, it is a slow track that makes it far more emotional. It really feels like it's coming to an end. 

Uh oh, now we're onto the track that I love the most, 'Severus and Lily'. The Prince's Tale scene was so perfect, I have declared it my favourite Harry Potter scene. But goodness, the tears wouldn't stop. After all these years of seeing Alan Rickman as Snape, showing little to no emotion (and I'm not meaning that in a nasty way, that's his character) to see him completely break down in tears was a truly unforgettable thing. Even listening to the music from it makes me want to burst with emotion (This is a good thing, Alexandre Desplat has done well in that sense) Today it has come to my attention that there is an extended version of this track, which features a choral section and violins, and listening to it now I can see the moment in my head. If you've seen the film, you'll know exactly which part I mean, it's the most heartbreaking thing. The extended version can be heard here.

Then is 'Harry's Sacrifice', which uses the theme of 'Obliviate' from Deathly Hallows Part 1, a piece of music which I fell in love with back in November 2010. This is a crucial moment in the film, as Harry accepts what he has to do, so this music couldn't be more appropriate.

Lastly is 'A New Beginning', used in the '19 years later' scene which personally I loved and thought was a brilliant ending to the series, although lots of people seem to be saying the opposite. A sense of contentment is very recognisable in this piece, creating the perfect end.

If you've seen the film and haven't checked out the soundtrack yet, do it now because it's honestly so good. I can't and don't want to stop listening to it. My favourite tracks are: Lily's Theme, Statues, Courtyard Apocalypse, Severus and Lily, The Resurrection Stone and Voldemort's End.

I would give this soundtrack a rating of 10/10. Well done, Mr Desplat.