Harry Potter & Prisoner Of Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban Soundtrack CD

Director Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN) takes up the HARRY POTTER reins (from Chris Columbus) on THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, the third installment in the series. The music of composer John Williams proves to be a welcome and consistent carryover from the first two films. Since both J.K. Rowling's novel and Cuaron's vision lead young Harry's magical adventures down a darker path in this film, Williams's score responds accordingly.

All of Williams's signature sounds--including dramatic strings, majestic horns, booming percussion, and elegant celeste--are present, but the overall mood tends toward the dire, with more at stake for Harry and his companions. "Monster Books and Boggarts!" is eerie fun, while "The Dementors Converge" provides a spine-chilling mood perfectly suited to the scene. Of course, not all is gloomy--"The Whomping Willow and the Snowball Fight" recalls Williams's action-oriented work on the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES films, while "Hagrid the Professor" bounces along with the lilt of medieval minstrels on parade. Ever a bastion of compositional brilliance, Williams does not disappoint on the score to HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.

Recording information: Abbey Road Studios, London, England.