Tried something new again with the “structure map” - this time to highlight the pitch transformations of the main motif, as well as the changes in instrumentation and dynamics over time. I felt like these were the most relevant aspects of the piece to highlight in this way, but of course that can change across different compositions. Let me know if this was helpful or confusing for you. If you enjoyed this video and want to support the channel, then consider becoming a member by clicking “JOIN” above. Membership grants you access to downloadable PDFs, exclusive members-only analysis videos, as well as immortality, and the ability to transform any metal into pure gold. ✨
I like the new additions to the structure you made. They are very helpful. It would be awesome to have something like a red line that moves along the notes so you know where you are exactly. Keep up the good work!
I love your new approach with these "structure maps" it really helps to understand the big picture, while still beeing able to focus on details on the score in real time. I'm so excited to see that you intend to highlight different things depending on what seems the most relevent with this new tool. Hope to see more of these soon. Thank you for the quality of your videos !
The structure map is cool. There’s so much on screen info now. It almost makes me wish for a multi-screen setup for the video so each part can be large and easily readable. I’d like to see a separate video with score, and one with the structure map you put up personally, allows for each element to get the focus it deserves
I love the structure map! Out of curiosity, how do you build the pitch-time graph? Is any software helping with this automatically? Just wondering whether Finale would be able to turn a melody into this continuous line. Keep up this excellent job!
I was really waiting for this one - it's such a little-known cue amongst all of the other music John Williams wrote for the first three Harry Potter films, but I think it demonstrates a lot of brilliance in its simplicity. The ominous harmonies, the minimalism, the eerie orchestration...it's all brilliant. I was recently studying this in the Signature Edition, and putting that all together...it's just a magnificently creepy track. Your structure maps also really help make your already technical videos even more technical (in the name of learning how the masters of film scoring progress their songs). Thank you so much!
This owes so much to Bernard Herrmann. The simple figure, the build, yet it's all JW. especially the use of chromaticism and delayed use of functional harmony. Love the presentation...please do more !
This is super awesome, and it’s also one of my favorite scores! Visually, I think the graph at the bottom really captures the intensity of the excerpt, so good job! Aside, something that y’all might find interesting is that the three note motif is pitch-class set (014) which occurs a lot in Serialism & 12-tone music. It’s not necessarily in the order that it appears in this William’s excerpt but some examples are: Schoenberg’s Op. 11, No. 1 where he takes (014) and expands the intervals. And in Webern‘s Op. 25 “Wie bin ich froh”, where basically the whole song is based on (014). And upon further analysis in this vein, Williams uses all 12 tones by the end of measure 7. I don’t know for sure, but I wonder if he took inspiration from Serialism and 12-tone music. It would definitely explain the eerie sound one might typically get from listening to this piece.
I've personally always thought this motive was an allusion to Schoenberg's Op. 21 no. 8 ("Nacht" from Pierrot Lunaire). The poetry also seems to be appropriate!
Still not really sold on this being the stone theme. It's just too menacing and dissonant to me for it to represent nothing but a mcguffin. Plus it's not just "occasionally" used in Chamber of Secrets, it's used everywhere, and even expanded with new variations and orchestrations. I prefer to look at it as a theme for Voldemort's presence, and the influence his evil has to the characters' lives. I think this is demonstrated particularly well in the second film and the first time its used in the 1st film, when Harry recieves his parents' fortune (which he wouldn't even need if they weren't dead). I mean, it's used to represent the stone too, but so is Hedwig's theme. So I interpret that as Harry and Voldemort's influences on it colliding.
Yeah I think it makes more sense to look at it as the motif for Voldemort trying different ways to come back to life and/or gain strength. If Williams scored the last 2-3 films I imagine this motif would at some point make a comeback in some scenes with or referencing the horcruxes and/or the deathly hallows. IMAGINE THO OMG
I still think it's the "something's odd" motif. The proof is when Harry meets Tom Riddle in the Chamber. The three-note motif keeps going on and on right until Tom rearranges the letters of his name to reveal that he's Voldemort. Then we hear a full statement of the _real_ Voldemort's Theme (the same theme we hear in Ollivanders shop when he talks about Voldemort). John Williams also has a similar motif in the Star Wars prequels whenever the Jedi are talking about weird and unexplained things happening. It's a tension builder tool, not really a theme.
I've never been this impressed looking at an analysis, there's such an intense amount of information here that I spent just as long with the video paused as I did with the music playing. Seriously, the amount of info you've packed into the chart alone at the bottom is staggering, I wish that was more standard because it's super useful to get a quick overview of the piece.
You know dude, your job is amazing, and I asking myself, why only filmscore music? You could easily do that to any kind of score, from great classical music to jazz big-bands, whatever, you're just amazing. Think about that!
What's your analysis process? Or at least a general summary. Do you have perfect pitch that you use to break down the chords and notes, or specialized software. I find your analysis videos super informational, by the way!
Wow! Thank you for sharing this. How long does it take you to produce these ? :) And I'm curious, having analyzed so much, do you also compose your own music?
Look, I'm sure people have been telling you this since you began making the "score analysis" videos, but... where's the Lord of the Rings? So much Harry Potter, so much Star Wars, the third big fantasy franchise seems to be missing and I'm not sure why - I always much preferred it over Harry Potter, especially in terms of the music.
Not the same notes (though the flute intro line at the beginning of Throne Room is pretty close) but always thought there was some similarity in character here to the Emperor's Theme/Throne Room track from Return of the Jedi ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8H26Hdv3i0U.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FvMtMfIr-sU.html
Incredible. I hope in the future you will look at the third and second movie. Wow. So much is going on here John Williams is an amazing composure and you do an excellent score analysis.
Not yet... only realized after uploading that there was a +12db increase on the audio for some reason, which was causing a lot of distortion. Should be fine now, sorry for the trouble... 😬
