# John williams / Danny Elfman / Harry Potter **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766 "2002-11-20T17:35:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aka\_10003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@aka\_10003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aka_10003)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/1 "2002-11-20T17:35:08Z")
The Harry Potter score sounds eerily like many Danny Elfman creations (Batman, Edward Scissorhand), yet done by John Williams. Is this the first time Mr. williams is writing / arranging in this style? His trademark is bombastic score, not so much lushes and dark. While we are at it–what other music does this dark style remind you of? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/2 "2002-11-20T17:45:52Z")
Sounded just like John Williams to me actually. I thought HPATSS was one of his best in a while (although many are inclined to disagree with me.) Kind of reminded me of “Hook” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/3 "2002-11-20T17:48:19Z")
Mrs. Zebra noticed how the HP theme sounds like an upbeat version of the Schindler’s List theme. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/4 "2002-11-20T20:31:11Z")
While I have not heard this particular score, I must point out that John Williams has several distinct “sounds”. If you listen to something he composed before his “Star Wars” era, you might be amazed, or surprised. Ever hear the score to “The Missouri Breaks” (Jack Nicholson movie, mid-'70s)? Amazingly different—very “country” and hyper. Several years back, I recall some reviewer in a local L.A. paper praising this score. But, they wrongfully assumed that it was composed by a _different_ John Williams (not the one of “Star Wars” fame). The reviewer made snide remarks about how _this_ John Williams was _so_ much better than _that_ John Williams. But of course, the reviewer was a moron, because “The Missouri Breaks” and “Star Wars” were composed by the same John Williams! But the styles were _that_ different that the reviewer was fooled. Same goes for other Williams scores like “The River”, “The Eiger Sanction” and I forget what else. He’s definitely got more than one sound. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/5 "2002-11-20T20:35:42Z")
I watched _Sorceror’s Stone_ last night, and couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d heard parts of the main theme before. (And I don’t mean when I heard it in theater. :)) The first few notes sound striking like something I’ve heard before, then it goes off in a different direction, then comes back to something _else_ I think I’ve heard before. I know this isn’t all that unusal for movie music and John Williams in particular, I’m just wondering if anyone knows what pieces might have been his “inspirations” for the Harry Potter theme? ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/6 "2002-11-20T23:39:17Z")
I haven’t seen _Chamber of Secrets_ yet, but my brother went to the premiere and he remarked that Williams seemed to be recycling his own stuff somewhat … a lot of it sounded similar to stuff from, say, _Star Wars_. It was a telling remark, coming from my brother, who isn’t nearly as fascinated by movie scores as I am. Certainly the Harry Potter theme seems less sharply defined and “hummable” than stuff like Indiana Jones – more like Jurassic Park, maybe. (those are both Williams, right? I’m not smoking crack?) It’s a nice, eerie melody, but it won’t be popping up on cel phones anytime soon (thank the Gods). ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/7 "2002-11-20T23:52:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*The first few notes sound striking like something I’ve heard before, then it goes off in a different direction, then comes back to something _else_ I think I’ve heard before. > > I know this isn’t all that unusal for movie music and John Williams in particular, I’m just wondering if anyone knows what pieces might have been his “inspirations” for the Harry Potter theme? \*\* I don’t know if it was “inspiration” or just laziness, but Williams’ score for _Harry Potter_ has always reminded me strongly of his music for _Jurassic Park_. The main theme and many of the action sequences just seem like adaptations of the JP theme. I have to agree with **yosemitebabe** that Williams has more tan one “sound,” though he seems to break out into his non-signature styles more and more rarely. His score for _Presumed Innocent_, for example, is almost unrecognizable as his, and I’ve liked his music for _Born on the Fourth of July_ and _JFK_ for a long time (both of these remind me more of James Horner than Williams). Even his score for _Schindler’s List_ was something of a departure, though not as much as the others. Though I’m no fan of Williams’ work as a whole, these scores stand out for me as good ones, and unique. Sadly, _Harry Potter_ seems like more of the same for Williams. If anything, he’s recycling himself more and more, as _Chamber of Secrets_ seemed to have very little actually new music. My only major quibble with the movies thus far has been that they didn’t choose a better composer. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/8 "2002-11-20T23:54:00Z")
FWIW, Elfman’s distinctive _Beetlejuice_ oom-pah sounds a lot less original if you hear it next to Williams’ _Witches of Eastwick_. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-williams-danny-elfman-harry-potter/137766/9 "2002-11-20T23:54:04Z")
And no, **Dragonblink** , you’re not smoking crack. 🙂