Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in concert: a music/film review by Hila Tsor
I have to admit that I’m a bit of a Harry Potter nerd. At the beginning of the year I reread all the books and got sucked into a world of wonder, friendship and adventure again.
Photo: Hila Tsor
Harry Potter is deeply nostalgic of my childhood, and I have a soft spot for it in my heart.
Therefore, I was immensely excited to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Concert. The soundtrack of Harry Potter is iconic and the in the lengthy days of my undergrad, hearing the Sydney University carillon bell churn out the theme song had always made the days seem not that long anymore.
The experience at the Sydney Opera House did not disappoint. The way the concert works is that the film plays on the big screen, while live on stage the Sydney Symphony Orchestra plays along to the score. Nicholas Hooper’s score captures the complexities of the film and conductor Nicolas Buc does a magical job of bringing it to life. The timing was absolute perfection.
Having the music played out right in front of you was a thrilling experience and deeply immersing, causing me to have goosebumps throughout and almost bringing me to tears.
Initially, It was hard to decide if I wanted to focus on the music, or focus on the film, because you are being overstimulated with so much going on. Once I became engrossed in the triumphs and downfalls of our heroes I almost forgot the orchestra was there.
The conductor encouraged interactiveness within the audience. People were cheering loudly when their favourite characters graced the screen, which was fun and entertaining at first but got tedious at intense points of the film and score.
In all, this is a brilliant way to modernise symphony to a generation that has been previously uninterested. It is also a wonderful way to retell a story that we all know and love with a twist.
I had so much fun returning to the world of Hogwarts and was blown away by the talent of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
