Fans of all ages gathered, on Jan. 31st, to watch the Madison Symphony Orchestra live score “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” at Overture Center, transporting viewers to the wizarding world and conjuring up feelings of lost optimism.
The Harry Potter franchise has captivated audiences since 1997 with the release of the first book, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” (Americans need to get over “Sorcerer’s Stone”). Almost 30 years, seven books, 11 movies, three theme parks and a handful of video games later, the Madison Symphony Orchestra provided a live score of the final film in Harry’s journey at Hogwarts.
The music, composed by Alexander Desplat, is full of leitmotifs, iconic sounds and themes from the entire 8-film franchise. When the film was originally released in 2011, I was never able to watch it in a theater. Seeing the finale of “Harry Potter” on the big screen alone made the experience worth it.
The conductor started the show with a smile, inviting the audience to react and be a part of the film alongside the orchestra. After a short introduction to Harry’s seventh year at Hogwarts, he waved his baton to cast a musical spell, entrancing me for two hours and an intermission.
I was pleasantly surprised by how many scenes were enhanced by a live performance. Smaller-scale scenes like Ollivander reviewing wandlore and Harry’s return to student refugees in the Room of Requirement had more impact with the gusto of the orchestra. Going into the show, there were three moments that I most anticipated being scored by a live orchestra — the fortification of Hogwarts, Snape’s death and the final duel between Harry and Voldemort.
Shortly after McGonagall defeats Snape in a duel in front of the student body, she casts a spell that activates the castle’s forces for defense. She gives a rousing speech, against enchanting violins, to students and faculty to protect the school against Voldemort’s forces. It was enough to inspire me to take up arms with the witches and wizards.
Harry’s final faceoff with Voldemort was carried by eerie strings and bountiful drums. The pulsing strings made me fear Harry was going to die (again!), even though this was my umpteenth time viewing the film. Voldemort’s unnatural magic was made even more unsettling by the orchestra’s cues. I was impressed by how the musicians used their instruments to convey the feeling of flying around the castle. When Harry cast his final disarming spell alongside a timpani drum roll, the entire room held its breath, waiting for the fall of Voldemort.
The best moment came during one of the series’ most iconic scenes. After Snape’s death at the hands of Voldemort, Harry takes his memories to Dumbledore’s Pensieve and witnesses Snape’s perspective of Harry’s life. The reveal of Snape’s history with Harry’s parents — his contempt for Harry's father, James, and love for Harry’s mother, Lily — and the reveal of his true allegiances after questionable actions, lives on forever in the minds of Potterheads.
The orchestra swelled with “Severus and Lily,” bringing some of the audience to tears. My eyes are glued to the film during other viewings of this scene, but I couldn't help but be entranced by the MSO’s performance. I almost swore each musician had their eyes closed, performing their part from memory.
There were slight timing inconsistencies throughout the show. Some musical cues that needed atomic timing were missed, a downside to the live performance. This often happened during scenes that required complete silence for sudden reveals. However, the emotion conveyed by the musicians vastly overshadowed these inconsistencies.
During the show, I couldn't help but think of a recent op-ed from British journalist Louise Perry. She attributed Millennial politics to their experiences growing up reading Harry Potter in the 90s. The essay explains a positive worldview that Gen Z no longer identifies with due to years of jaded political events, like being born around the Great Recession and coming-of-age during Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency. When I was asked to take a picture of a family of four with their two boys, holding their wands high and grinning from ear to ear, I couldn’t help but note that this performance of The Deathly Hallows Part 2 brought back that feeling of lost optimism.
Cameron Schneider is the video director of The Daily Cardinal. He previously served as photo editor, and writes for the state and art desks as a staff writer.
