Yesterday I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on the big screen at Abravanel Hall as the Utah Symphony played the score by Alexandre Desplat, one of my favorite movie composers, live. This was so much fun for me because I have seen all of the previous movies in the franchise in this format and I have loved experiencing them all in such an immersive way! As with all of the other concerts, many members of the audience came in costume (I was representing House Ravensclaw) and cheered out loud when all of the characters made their first appearance on screen. There was thunderous applause when Professor McGonagall protects Harry from Snape and then fights a duel with him (my favorite scene in the movie) and when Neville kills Nagini. In this final installment Harry must face Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts and it has the darkest tone with the highest stakes in the franchise and the score reflects this with lots of powerful themes featuring the brass and timpani. I especially love "Dragon Flight" as Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape from Gringotts on the back of the dragon guarding the vaults, "Panic Inside Hogwarts" when McGonagall fights the epic duel with Snape, "Statues" when the professors cast spells of protection over Hogwarts, "Broomsticks and Fire" as Harry, Ron, and Hermione escape from the Room of Requirement, "Courtyard Apocalypse" when Voldemort and his minions attack Hogwarts, and "Showdown" when Harry finally confronts Voldemort. There are also some really beautiful and haunting themes played by the strings, such as "Severus and Lily" when Harry looks into the pensieve and learns from Snape's memories that he has been protecting him all these years and "The Resurrection Stone" when Harry asks James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus to be with him when he surrenders to Voldemort (this scene made me cry the first time I saw it because it is such an emotional moment). I also really loved that a variation of "Hedwig's Theme," originally composed by John Williams, is used multiple times because it is so iconic and reminds us of everything Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been through during their years at Hogwarts! I have loved every performance in Utah Symphony's Films in Concert series but the Harry Potter concerts have been my favorite because I love these movies so much! If you have not attended one I highly recommend it (go here for the remaining concerts in the series).
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