Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software have released a behind the scenes video, “Making the Music,” for “Overture to the Unwritten” and other compositions featured in the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy game which is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2023.
The world of Harry Potter is renowned for its music. John Williams composed the iconic score for the first two Harry Potter films, and in a way, the music of Harry Potter is synonymous with Harry Potter himself. Now, we don’t have just Williams to thank. Some of the other greatest composers in the film industry began building upon this magical world. You had greats like Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat, and then for Fantastic Beasts you had the brilliant James Newton Howard. They all contributed to the world and helped make Harry Potter what it is today. The Wizarding World is nothing without the music, and Hogwarts Legacy recognises that.
In “Making the Music,” the team of composers and audio producers for Hogwarts Legacy take fans behind the scenes into some of their decision-making process and the complexity of creating new orchestral pieces set in the 1800s wizarding world. Composer chuck e. myers “sea” describes his experience working on Hogwarts Legacy over the last four years as a project that was truly a once in a lifetime. Audio Producer Nathan Ayoubi discusses how the music in Hogwarts Legacy enhances the overall experience for the player, being simultaneously new and fresh while also nostalgic. Composer Peter Murray shares how the team balanced this new original composition with the music of the films, while composer J. Scott Rakozy describes the music as childlike awe and wonder.
To create the ancient melody of Hogwarts, the team brought in unique instruments such as the “thunder sheet”—a giant piece of sheet metal—and a waterphone to make the sounds of magic. Since music accounts for every movement the player makes in the game, the composers were challenged to balance the darker side of the game with slow emotional strings to help guide the player and enhance the overall experience. Exploring the common rooms in each of the Hogwarts houses, the team infused different dynamic personalities through their use of music. The original score serves as an additional character in the game, immersing the player in the complex 1800s wizarding world.
Choir and orchestral members for “Overture to the Unwritten” were comprised of students from the University of Utah, BYU and the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra, as well as featuring renowned recording artists Nicole Pinnell, Nicole Klossner, Ryan Shupe, Abe Kaelin, Bart Olson, John Knudsen and Dune Moss. Filmed on location at big idea music studios in Sandy, Utah and Media Grabbers in North Salt Lake City, Utah, the behind-the-scenes video features “Overture to the Unwritten,” the original composition by composers chuck e. myers “sea”, J. Scott Rakozy and Peter Murray, performed by a 54-piece orchestra conducted by Nathan Hofheins.
As of today, fans are now able to stream or digitally purchase “Overture to the Unwritten.” All of the additional music from Hogwarts Legacy will be available on launch day on the Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack). Additionally, songs from Hogwarts Legacy will be featured on a second album titled, Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes From the Original Video Game Soundtrack), an album focusing on more ambient, chill, relaxing music that is ideal to listen to while studying for classes at Hogwarts or any school. Both albums will be released by WaterTower Music and will be available at all digital streaming services.
You can check out the full behind the scenes look below:
Hogwarts Legacy is available for pre-order on PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4 via the PlayStation Store, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles via the Microsoft Store, and PC via the Steam and Epic Games Store. The Nintendo Switch pre-order date will be revealed soon.
The upcoming game is scheduled to launch worldwide for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on February 10, 2023. The Nintendo Switch release date will be confirmed at a later time.
For more information on how to pre-order Hogwarts Legacy, visit: www.hogwartslegacy.com
