TheRemembrall.org and others interview Alexandre Desplat

Our staff member Becky had the privilege of asking Alexandre Desplat a couple of questions, along with some folks from other fansites like Mugglenet, the Leaky Cauldron, Harry Potter Fan Zone, Snitch Seeker, and Fiction Alley. Alexandre Desplat composed the musical score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2. We found out a lot about his writing process for the final film's score.

Desplat said that he wrote the scores of Deathly Hallows 1 and 2 separately, because when he first started composing for Part 1, he was not yet signed to compose for Part 2. However, he said some motifs that were established in the first part are continued in the second part, like the memorable piece "Obliviate." Desplat took about four months to write each part of Deathly Hallows. He had to wait to see the film edited before composing. He said the work was hard, but inspiring. Desplat knew the high expectations for the movies and was very careful, always checking all the notes. It was a challenge to approach the talent of John Williams, but he tried not to dwell on that, and created his own sound. Desplat said that he revisited one of Nicolas Hooper's previous themes in the final film, but it is a surprise. He said Williams' "Hedwig's Theme" is crucial, and it was respectful to use it, since it refers to all those years of friendship. The films feature a theme of the loss of childhood, and since the return of Hogwarts is in Part 2, the piece reminds the audience of how those three kids are now adults. Since death is very present in the series, Desplat created pieces that were very sensitive and emotional to show the passing of characters. On the other side, though, there are duels were people are fighting death, and those pieces sound epic and lyrical. The battle scenes were fun but challenging, and feature a big orchestra rolling, and show some distance. Desplat's favorite piece in the movie is "Lily's Theme," which is the first piece he wrote, and it opens final film. It is gentle, sweet, and kind as a lullaby, with a Celtic touch. The track features a singer with a pure voice, like liquid gold. Ron's theme shows Ron's shy and goofy personality, but it also shows his heart. It is used when Ron and Hermione are reunited. Desplat said he normally finds it difficult to listen to his work, but he thought that he might listen to Part 2 again one day. Desplat became a fan of the Harry Potter series before the film, when he read the books with his daughter. He said the books are very smartly, greatly written. He saw the films, and since he is John Williams fan, he always bought the soundtracks. As a film composer, he said that he is inspired by visuals; moving images are easier to composer for than books. Desplat said that director David Yates was very involved in the process of creating the score. He saw him almost every day to play electronic demos, and he worked with Yates to focus the music.