Hogwarts Legacy composers are looking forward to achieving the same level of success with their soundtrack as Harry Potter‘s “Hedwig’s Theme” did. In fact, Harry Potter‘s opening soundtrack is so popular most Potterheads can still hum or try to mimic its tune.
If fans are going to be having a Hogwarts experience, what’s keeping them from having a song, or a couple of songs, to make it more wholesome? That’s what the team of composers behind Hogwarts Legacy game compositions is here to provide.
The “Making the Music” video, released by both Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche software, featured snatches of compositions like “Overture to the Unwritten” and others. It also showed fans what goes into composing a Harry Potter-related score because according to the team, they want the new music to be nostalgic and kind of touch on “Hedwig’s Theme.” You can check out that behind-the-scenes featurette below:
WARNER BROS. GAMES RELEASES BEHIND-THE-SCENES ‘MAKING THE MUSIC’ FEATURETTE FOR HOGWARTS LEGACY GAME
“I’ve been lucky to have been working on it for about four years now,” Chuck E. Myers, the lead composer, says at the beginning of the behind-the-scenes video. He also called the project “the pinnacle” of his life’s work. Myers praised the genius of John Williams, who hadn’t even watched the movie when he wrote the amazing Hedwig’s Theme score.
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“Every time I play a video game the sound enhances the experience so much,” Nathan Ayoubi says of the reason they painstakingly created orchestral pieces that’ll feel like something that could be played in an 1800s wizarding world. He also shared his gratitude to get to be part of the audio team at Avalanche that helped to enhance the gaming experience for players through music.
But the one thing that the team did not neglect is making the game’s music remind fans of the original score from the movies. Apart from paying homage to the scores from the Harry Potter franchise, composers Peter Murray and J. Scott Rakozy also breathed their unique taste into the compositions.
Rakozy also wanted to bring back “the heroic kind of fanfares of trumpets… and melodic elements,” which, according to him, is rarely used in game scores these days. The reason? He wants gamers to feel the magic and the childlike awe and wonder.
HOW HOGWARTS LEGACY COMPOSERS CREATED THE ANCIENT MELODY OF HOGWARTS
The music used in the game is made to shift in order to create different emotional responses in gamers, like going from “big powerful combat music to very slow very emotional strings.” To finish up this “ancient melody of Hogwarts,” the team actually brought in unique instruments such as the “thunder sheet” – a giant piece of sheet metal. A waterphone was also involved in creating the magic we feel in the music.
The composers, however, had a tough time coming up with the kind of music that will define the movements of the characters in the game, especially since they were also tasked with finding a way to balance the darker side of the game with character introductions. All this and more were done to improve gamer satisfaction and create an overall experience that’s unlike any other.
Another place where the composers worked their magic was when they infused different feelings through the use of sound in the common rooms in each of the Hogwarts houses. In fact, it was so expertly done that you can even think of the music score as an additional character in the game, leading the player on and driving excitement through the roof in the complex 1800 wizarding world.
As of right now, fans can stream or digitally download “Overture to the Unwritten.” The rest of the soundtrack from Hogwarts Legacy will be available on launch day on the Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack). In addition to this, songs from Hogwarts Legacy will be featured on a second album, Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack).
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The album will focus on more ambient, chill, relaxing music that you can listen to while you study. Both albums will be released by WaterTower Music and will be available on all digital streaming services. The game will be released on Feb. 10, 2023.
What do you think of the theme Overture to the Unwritten for Hogwarts Legacy? Do you think it fits into the general mood of the game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, and check back with the Illuminerdi for more amazing Warner Bros. content.
KEEP READING: HOGWARTS LEGACY: NEW HARRY POTTER VIDEO GAME DELAYED UNTIL 2022
SOURCE: Warner Bros. Games, YouTube
