Quidditch, Third Year

[Xander Harris 9,680]

John Williams' absolute best action music since the early 90s, Duel of the Fates aside?

It's completely phenomenal.

[Datameister 2,586]

It's great, but he's done a lot of great action since the early 90s. (And some generic stuff, too, of course.) I wouldn't rank it as his best from that period, I don't think. Not sure what I would pick, though.

[Hlao-roo 390]

John Williams' absolute best action music since the early 90s, Duel of the Fates aside?

It's completely phenomenal.

Nah. Opens in terrific fugal fashion -- and then Jango Fett crashes the party.

[Demondm810 473]

John Williams' absolute best action music since the early 90s, Duel of the Fates aside?

It's completely phenomenal.

Nah. Opens in terrific fugal fashion -- and then Jango Fett crashes the party.

LOL

I actually prefer "Anderton's Great Escape"

[Datameister 2,586]

Nah. Opens in terrific fugal fashion -- and then Jango Fett crashes the party.

Nicely put. (Although I actually really like that music in AOTC, for what it is.)

[Muad'Dib 2,060]

Personally, I enjoy this track a lot more than the Jango Fett one. And for someone like me who prefers JW modern action style, it's an excellent piece. I always find it curious how it starts very similary to Dvorak's 3rd movement from his New World Symphony.

[John Crichton 4]

It starts superbly but fizzles out. ONE of the best still, yes. Personally I prefer the more thematically rich The Quidditch Match.

[indy4 160]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, because this cue develops fantastically, and my favorite part is the climax of the cue. Right at 2:23 is one of Williams' best action passages...period. I don't know if I'd say it's the best since the 90s, because he has written some other really really terrific cues. But it's definitely up there.

[Datameister 2,586]

Personally I prefer the more thematically rich The Quidditch Match.

As do I. The TLW ripoff is unfortunate, but it's still excellent music in and of itself, and since I heard it before TLW, it didn't bother me one bit for a long while. And sure, "The Quidditch Match" has its fair share of overused Williams 2000s action music techniques, but it still sounds fresh and appropriate to my ear. And as you said, it's pretty thematically rich - it can't match "Quidditch, Third Year" for fugal, motif-based writing, but it sure packs a wallop when it comes to exciting uses of the film's various leitmotifs.

[Naïve Old Fart 13,032]

John Williams' absolute best action music since the early 90s, Duel of the Fates aside?

It's completely phenomenal.

I actually prefer "Anderton's Great Escape"

He's right: "Everybody Runs!"/"Anderton's Great Escape", beats it...just.

[Josh500 1,620]

John Williams' absolute best action music since the early 90s, Duel of the Fates aside?

It's completely phenomenal.

It's great, yes. However, there are some that are even greater or equally great!

Anderton's Great Escape

Everybody Runs!

The Quidditch Match

Star Wars and the Revenge of the Sith

Zam the Assassin

On the Conveyor Belt

A Whirl Through Academe

The Jungle Chase

Escape from the City

[Marian Schedenig 11,698]

Q3 is certainly at least one of Williams' very best cues of the 00s. Any film score cue these days that starts out with a fugato would get massive bonus points from me anyway (this might be the only one from the last 10 years I've heard, actually). I also love how the Sirius motif is built into the middle bit.

[Xander Harris 9,680]

I think I prefer it to most action cues of the 2000s. The Star Wars, Indiana Jones and War of the Worlds tracks referenced aren't even close. I definitely prefer it to the Minority Report stuff, although I like that too.

[Ollie 1,375]

It's a good cue but it's not even the best track from POA.

And it's not even close to Williams' best action track from the past two decades.

[John Crichton 4]

It's a good cue but it's not even the best track from POA.

It's higher than Buckbeak's Flight.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,110]

The Werewolf Scene is the last truly great action cue Williams wrote.

[Josh500 1,620]

The Werewolf Scene is the last truly great action cue Williams wrote.

I think

Buckbeak's Flight > Qudditch, Third Year > The Werewolf Scene > Snowball Fight (although this may not be an action cue) > The Whomping Willow

[Docteur Qui 1,581]

The Dementors Converge > Quidditch Third Year > Rescuing Sirius > Buckbeak's Flight > The Whomping Willow

[indy4 160]

I wouldn't call "Buckbeak's Flight" an action cue.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,400]

It has drums....

[Josh500 1,620]

I wouldn't call "Buckbeak's Flight" an action cue.

No? I would.

"Action" doesn't always mean fighting, shooting, or explosions.

[Datameister 2,586]

How would you define action music then? To me, "Buckbeak's Flight" isn't action music at all, with the exception of that initial percussion feature.

[Josh500 1,620]

How would you define action music then? To me, "Buckbeak's Flight" isn't action music at all, with the exception of that initial percussion feature.

It's graceful and awe-inspiring action music, but action music nonetheless. At least, IMO. If you have your own definition of action music, by all means, good for you!

with the exception of that initial percussion feature.

How do you figure that? Just because of the drums, and because Harry almost gets thrown to the ground?

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

It starts superbly but fizzles out. ONE of the best still, yes. Personally I prefer the more thematically rich The Quidditch Match.

Comparing the two is a bit like comparing Tie Fighter Attack to Battle of Yavin.

[Datameister 2,586]

That's a good comparison, yep. One is more tightly focused on a single motif, the other flows freely from theme to theme, with gripping non-thematic music in between.