HARRY POTTER SET TO RAISE THE ROOF AT SONY CENTRE

It seems like it was only yesterday when we saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert take place at the Sony Centre.  Things will be a lot more different this time around when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert premieres at the Sony Centre this fall.  In terms of the film, Harry Potter will be in his fourth year where he will be tested against student representatives from three wizarding schools to compete in a TriWizard tournament.  Even though Harry has some recurring nightmares, he still must find his way to the top.  For the music junkies, legendary composer John Williams is out of the picture for this instalment of Harry Potter and composer Peter Doyle picks up the pace.  Is there much a difference according to the musical score of the film?  FERNTV could only figure that out by interviewing the beloved conductor Evan Mitchell who makes his debut in conducting a Harry Potter film.

FERNTV:  So most of us know that Patrick Doyle has done the score tor this Harry Potter where John Williams did the last three.  Do you feel that there is a big difference and if so can you comment on that?

Evan:  It’s most certainly a shift, but what’s great about the music from the Harry Potter film series is that each film has its own feeling, its own atmosphere. Consider that the third film was Prisoner of Azkaban, which has a very different overall sense than the prior films as if moving in a new direction. Then with Patrick Doyle taking over, particularly for so serious a chapter in the series, it’s like everything is always changing, always growing. From a musical perspective, that’s always a good thing.

FERNTV:  A lot of people criticize or comment that Patrick Doyle is not as good as John Williams but many people say that this score is just as good maybe even better.  Can you comment on that?

Evan:  They’re certainly very different composers, with completely different outlooks on how to set a scene. Williams is absolutely a grandmaster, but Doyle is very deft, there’s a lot of power when necessary, a lot of restraint where it’s called for, and I’m struck by his sense of humour which is evident all throughout the film. A welcome aspect of his scoring, considering that things get a bit dark in this film.

FERNTV:  Do you hear a lot of Tchaikovsky influence in many of the songs in the film?

Evan:  Personally I don’t, but there is a sense of majesty and power, fitting to the film, and that’s a hallmark of Tchaikovsky’s music. The flavour is different but I think many of the goals are similar.

FERNTV:  The last Harry Potter film was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert at the Sony Centre, does the number of people in the orchestra increase or decrease for this film. Or does it remain the same?

Evan:  This is actually my first Harry potter film conducted live in concert. But I will say that each score has a different number of musicians to represent different musical colours which the composers craft into their scores.

FERNTV:  Can you maybe explain why everyone likes the song Harry in Winter in this film?

Evan:  It’s a memorable melody, scored with beautiful orchestral colours. Very expressive and lovely. There’s a lot to like!

FERNTV:  What is your favourite part of the film?

Evan:  I look forward to the Tri-Wizard cup competition scenes, I think they’re excellent adventures.

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