Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 film score composed by John Williams for the film directed by Chris Columbus, with additional music adapted by William Ross from Williams' 2001 score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The score was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ross. The film was released on November 15, 2002, with an original soundtrack release the same week. Further music from the score leaked online in 2012.

The composing process
Williams composed new cues and themes for the film, but due to his busy schedule, he approached William Ross to help with the scoring process. Ross was credited with "adapted" music in the film and on the soundtrack album.

Williams described his task as "a labor-intensive process, because both Harry Potter films are almost completely scored from one end to another."

"I believe I was there to take some of the workload off of John due to his schedule," Ross said. "In those areas where he would be using material from the original film, I think he felt it would be expedient to have someone else adapt the music to the new film, etc. That, in addition to conducting the score, was my job."

Themes and motifs
Unlike the musical themes from the first Harry Potter film, Williams' themes for the sequel are strictly associated with individual characters or entities. Each major new character receives a theme, including Gilderoy Lockhart, Lucius Malfoy, Dobby the elf, Fawkes the phoenix, and Moaning Myrtle. The themes tend to appear alongside the characters they represent. Williams also composed new themes for the Chamber of Secrets, the spiders that live in the dark forest, the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia, and the owl post, all of which are used in similarly straightforward fashion.

Despite the large number of new themes, most of them appear only a handful of times each, due in part to Williams' lessened involvement in the scoring process. Many of the major themes from the first film reappear, often in the same arrangements. A few of the new themes recall previous themes in Williams' oeuvre, which might also be attributed to the limited time he was able to devote to the film.

Primary themes

 * The Chamber of Secrets: A theme for the Chamber and the mystery surrounding it. The theme typically appears in the score whenever the characters discover fresh atrocities, such as petrified victims, committed by the Basilisk or other dark forces. The theme appears often in the score, but always inconspicuously; nevertheless, Williams composed a dark and dramatic concert arrangement that appeared in the film's end credits (the track "The Chamber of Secrets" on the album).
 * (Listen to the OST track "The Chamber of Secrets" from 0:12 - 0:27)


 * Fawkes the Phoenix: A theme for Dumbledore's phoenix companion. The theme appears during a scene in Dumbledore's office, and several times during the film's finale. It is often heard in a tender, gentle setting, and occasionally in a soaring arrangement to accompany Fawkes' heroics. Williams developed the theme further with a concert arrangement in the end credits (the album track "Fawkes the Phoenix").
 * (Listen to the OST track "Fawkes the Phoenix" from 0:15 - 0:32)


 * Dobby the House Elf: This theme has a breezy, congenial feel and underscores a few of Dobby's brief scenes. Williams composed a longer arrangement for the album ("Dobby the House Elf").
 * (Listen to the OST track "Dobby the House Elf" 0:10 - 0:29)


 * Gilderoy Lockhart: A halting theme for Lockhart, the celebrity-turned-professor. Heard in Lockhart's class and during the Dueling Club scene, this theme is stylistically similar to the cue "No Ticket" from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
 * (Listen to the OST track "Gilderoy Lockhart" 0:10 - 0:26)

Secondary themes and supporting motifs

 * The Spiders: A brief, descending motif for the spiders that lead Harry and Ron into the forest.
 * (Listen to the OST track "The Spiders" from 0:00 - 1:02)


 * Moaning Myrtle: A motif for Myrtle, the ghost.
 * (Listen to the OST track "Moaning Myrtle" from 0:00 - 0:31)


 * The Flying Car: In both scenes featuring the car, a short, ascending motif is heard.
 * (Listen to the OST track "The Flying Car" from 0:09 - 0:33)


 * Lucius Malfoy: Draco Malfoy's father has an ominous theme that is reminiscent of the Separatists Theme from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, composed the same year. The theme is not heard on the original soundtrack.
 * (Listen to the cue "Harry Meets Lucius" from 0:54 - 2:02)


 * Mail Delivery: Heard twice in the film, this brisk motif underscores the arrival of the owl post. It may also be interpreted as a theme for the Weasleys' owl, Errol. It cannot be heard on the original soundtrack.
 * (Listen to the cue "Introducing Colin / Mail Delivery" from 0:35 - 0:56)

Original Soundtrack
The original soundtrack was released by Warner Music on November 12, 2002.



A bootleg with further music from the film leaked online on October 22, 2012.