The Music of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two in Four Contemporary Suites

by Imogen Heap

Overview

In July of 2016, the two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opened in the West End. An official spin-off of the J.K. Rowling franchise, it's set 19 years after the seventh and final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows. During early rehearsals, the production used songs from Imogen Heap's 2014 album Sparks as a stand-in before deciding to approach the alt-pop singer/songwriter about composing the score for the show. Though she borrowed heavily from her own existing songs, Heap's themes were newly arranged, recorded, and generally repurposed for the stage. (Elements of her song "Tiny Human," for instance, can be heard in the very different "Dragon!") Two years after the play's London premiere, Heap presents a reworked version of the score "in four contemporary suites," which piece together over 100 music cues from the live production. Consisting of offbeat, partly electronic chamber music with (mostly) wordless singing in the mix, it drifts in and out of new agey keyboard atmosphere; sparkling, drum machine-driven electronica; and dramatic, plot-inspired score. An example of the latter can be heard on the brisk "Anything from the Trolley, Dears?" It conveys a fantastical trolley ride via melodic and staccato strings, mallet percussion, ethereal vocals, crescendoing cymbals, and wind effects. In a similar vein, Suite Two's "Dragons!" makes playful use of horns, plucked strings, keys, and marching and rock-style drums. Later, Dumbledore is introduced with plucked harp and airy female voice, and Moaning Myrtle is represented by muted, vibraphone-like tones. Rare lyrics are delivered choral-style on "Edge of the Forest," also from Suite Two. Suite Three opens on a darker, more rock-edged note, while a track like Suite Four's "Something Written" is led by more pastoral arpeggiated piano. Like the rest of the album, however, both of the latter are anchored in an otherworldly, part-mechanical atmosphere. Whimsical and relatively bright throughout despite the lurking threat of high-stakes danger, Heap captures the magical spirit and energy of the Harry Potter world on Four Contemporary Suites with a synthy palette quite distinct from the familiar John Williams film scores. To her credit, it's just as fitting and effective. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/05/2024
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262032637
Rank:	50353

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Imogen Heap   Primary Artist,Cello,Drums,Piano,Vocals,Celeste,Clarinet,Percussion,Vibraphone
Diego Romano   Violin
The Docklands Sinfonia   Orchestra
Evie Hilyer-Ziegler   Violin
Hannah Brock   Guzheng
Imogen Ridge   Harp
Nuns at Penjor Choling Nunnery   Choir/Chorus
Hoang Nguyen   Cello
David Juritz   Violin
Leo Abrahams   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Jeff Beck   Guitar
Mich Gerber   Bass,Double Bass
Metro Voices   Choir/Chorus
Ian Burdge   Cello
London Contemporary Voices   Choir/Chorus
Vicki Matthews   Cello
A Aziz   Percussion
David Horwich   French Horn
Scout Heap-Lebor   Percussion
Simon Minshall   Trombone
Stephanie Appelhans   Violin
Yasin Guendisch   Viola
A. Aziz   Percussion
Love the Earth   Orchestra
Nitin Sawhney   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Arve Henriksen   Trumpet
B.o.B   Vocals
Chris Laurence   Bass,Double Bass
Rachel Robson   Viola
Richie Mills   Drums,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Linda Neil   Violin
Laura Samuel   Violin
Holst Singers   Choir/Chorus
Rolf Wilson   Violin
Vicky Matthews   Cello
Vince Sipprell   Viola
Reiad Chibah   Viola
Laurence Love Greed   Violin,Vocals
Vishal Dadlani   Vocals
Vicci Wardman   Viola
Chris Vatalaro   Percussion
Tom Pigott-Smith   Violin
Magnus Johnston   Violin
Emma Smith   Violin
Oliver Langford   Violin
Steven Hoggett   Director
Kheng Sonam Dorji   Dranyem
Vishal & Shekhar   Co-Producer

Technical Credits

Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr.   Composer
Ben Henretig   Engineer
Peter Stoddard   Engineer
Diane Benjamin   Project Manager
Gareth Fry   Sound Design
Meg Massey   Project Manager
Rene Bergeron   Arranger
Simon Heyworth   Mastering Engineer
Imogen Heap   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Interviewee,Mixing Engineer
Beth Miller   Music Business Affairs
Rob Thomas   Programming
Fiona Cruickshank   Engineer
Neil Austin   Lighting Design
Alexis Michallek   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Aka   Artwork
Arve Henriksen   Composer
Linda Neil   Composer
Jennifer Liebeskind   Product Development
Christine Jones   Set Design
Mark Cavell   Project Executive
Jenny Anderson   Photography
John Prestage   Assistant Engineer
Martin Lowe   Arranger,Composer,Music Supervisor
Tris Penna   Consultant
Laurence Love Greed   Programming
Shekhar Ravjiani   Composer
Vishal Dadlani   Composer
Manuel Harlan   Producer
Tom Pigott-Smith   Leader
Scott Farthing   Project Executive
Clarence Montgomery III   Composer
Vishal & Shekhar   Producer
Katrina Lindsay   Costume Design