Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (soundtrack)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
General information
Released	14 July 2009
Recorded	2008
Genre	Soundtrack
Label	New Line Records
Artist	Nicholas Hooper

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Empire
Filmtracks
Movie Music UK
Movie Wave

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2009 film of the same name, written and composed by Nicholas Hooper. The score was conducted by Hooper and Alastair King. It is the second Harry Potter film to be scored by Hooper, who also composed the score for the previous film in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The soundtrack was released on 14 July 2009, a day before the film's release, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture.

Marketing

On the Harry Potter website a preview of one of the tracks (Ginny Weasley) is played in the background. On 17 June, a preview for three tracks was played in the background of film's updated official site. A 15-second audio preview for 13 tracks from the soundtrack was released on 19 June via Virgin Mobile's website. The soundtrack runs over 60 minutes in length.

On 30 June, AOL Radio previewed the whole soundtrack online.

Reception

On the Billboard issue dated 1 August 2009, the album debuted at number twenty-nine on the Billboard 200 chart, thus making it the highest charting soundtrack among all the six movie soundtracks released. The soundtrack also charted at three on the Top Soundtracks Chart.

Track listing

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Opening"	2:53
2.	"In Noctem"	2:00
3.	"The Story Begins"	2:05
4.	"Ginny"	1:30
5.	"Snape & The Unbreakable Vow"	2:50
6.	"Wizard Wheezes"	1:42
7.	"Dumbledore's Speech"	1:31
8.	"Living Death"	1:55
9.	"Into The Pensieve"	1:45
10.	"The Book"	1:44
11.	"Ron's Victory"	1:44
12.	"Harry & Hermione"	2:52
13.	"School!"	1:05
14.	"Malfoy's Mission"	2:53
15.	"The Slug Party"	2:11
16.	"Into The Rushes"	2:33
17.	"Farewell Aragog"	2:08
18.	"Dumbledore's Foreboding"	1:18
19.	"Of Love & War"	1:17
20.	"When Ginny Kissed Harry"	2:38
21.	"Slughorn's Confession"	3:33
22.	"Journey to the Cave"	3:08
23.	"The Drink of Despair"	2:44
24.	"Inferi in the Firestorm"	1:53
25.	"The Killing of Dumbledore"	3:34
26.	"Dumbledore's Farewell"	2:22
27.	"The Friends"	2:00
28.	"The Weasley Stomp"	2:51
Total length:		62:40

Not included on the soundtrack were "Friends and Love" (a compilation of "When Ginny Kissed Harry" and "Harry and Hermione" that came with purchasing a ticket for the movie on Fandango), "Big Beat Repeat" (heard in the Gryffindor common room after the Quidditch match) by Josh Powell, and a track that could be named "Murder & Escape" (the music that can be heard when Dumbledore falls from the Astronomy Tower and Harry pursues Snape).

Track details

The score for Half-Blood Prince was conducted by Hooper and Alastair King and performed by the Chamber Orchestra of London, the orchestra that performed the score for Order of the Phoenix, with orchestrations provided by King, Jeff Atmajian, Simon Whiteside, Daryl Griffith and Bradley Farmer. The score featured a more significant role for light choir. Thematically, Hooper referenced his own ideas from the previous score and several elements from Williams' work.

Hooper stated that "Placing John Williams' themes became obvious as we went along. The beginning of the film has to have at least a hint of 'Hedwig's Theme'."

• "Opening": After a brief quotage of "Hedwig's Theme", in which Hooper lifts one note by semi-tone, elements of light choir are introduced. The use of Hooper's choral theme throughout the score is a reference to Dumbledore and the events that would entail, regarding his character and the climax of the film. A driving theme that reoccurs in "Into the Rushes" is used here to represent the Death Eaters and the havoc that they inflict in this sixth film. Hooper extends his use of percussion, with violent off-beat anvil that cuts through the repetitively propulsive, galvanic string figure.
• "Ron's Victory": Hooper uses several variations on themes from Williams' piece "Quidditch, Third Year".
• "Inferi in the Firestorm": Hooper utilises not only whirls of dissonant strings but also an orchestral sound that Williams used previously in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, particularly in the tracks "The Dementors Converge" and "Finale".
• "Dumbledore's Farewell" is reused by Alexandre Desplat in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 theme "Severus and Lily", which is used in the scene where Harry views Snape's memories in the Pensieve.

Awards

Award	Category/Recipient(s)	Result
Grammy Award	Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media	Nominated

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)	24

References

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Media Harry Potter films: The Philosopher's Stone (soundtrack, "Hedwig's Theme") • The Chamber of Secrets (soundtrack) • The Prisoner of Azkaban (soundtrack) • The Goblet of Fire (soundtrack) • The Order of the Phoenix (soundtrack) • The Half-Blood Prince (soundtrack) • The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (production • soundtrack) • The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (production • soundtrack) Fantastic Beasts films: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (soundtrack) • The Crimes of Grindelwald (soundtrack) •The Secrets of Dumbledore Harry Potter novels: Philosopher's Stone • Chamber of Secrets • Prisoner of Azkaban • Goblet of Fire • Order of the Phoenix • Half-Blood Prince • Deathly Hallows Fantastic Beasts novels: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them • Quidditch Through the Ages • The Tales of Beedle the Bard Video games: Philosopher's Stone • Chamber of Secrets • Prisoner of Azkaban • Goblet of Fire • Order of the Phoenix • Half-Blood Prince • Deathly Hallows (Part 1 / Part 2) • Quidditch World Cup Lego Video games: Lego Creator: Harry Potter • Lego Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets • Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 / Years 5–7 Home video: Video Characters Harry Potter characters: Harry Potter • Ron Weasley • Hermione Granger • Albus Dumbledore • Minerva McGonagall • Rubeus Hagrid • Fred Weasley • George Weasley • Angelina Johnson • Alicia Spinnet • Gilderoy Lockhart • Remus Lupin • Alastor Moody • Quirinus Quirrell • Horace Slughorn • Percy Weasley • Cho Chang • Colin Creevey • Cedric Diggory • Fleur Delacour • Viktor Krum • Gabrielle Delacour • Ginevra Weasley • Neville Longbottom • Luna Lovegood • Sirius Black • Dursley family • Lord Voldemort • Draco Malfoy • Lucius Malfoy • Narcissa Malfoy • Cornelius Fudge • Dolores Umbridge • Alecto Carrow • Amycus Carrow • Vincent Crabbe • Gregory Goyle • Argus Filch • Severus Snape • Bellatrix Lestrange • Bartemius Crouch Sr. • Bartemius Crouch Jr. • Regulus Black • Pius Thicknesse • Godric Gryffindor • Helga Hufflepuff • Rowena Ravenclaw • Salazar Slytherin • Antonin Dolohov • Bloody Baron • Dean Thomas • Dobby • Edgar Cloggs • Fat Lady • Fenrir Greyback • Filius Flitwick • Garrick Ollivander • James Potter I • Lily J. Potter • Igor Karkaroff • Kingsley Shacklebolt • Lavender Brown • Moaning Myrtle • Nymphadora Tonks • Padma Patil • Parvati Patil • Seamus Finnigan • Sir Cadogan • Snatchers • Pomona Sprout • Poppy Pomfrey • Sybill Trelawney • Walden Macnair • Oliver Wood • Katie Bell • Lee Jordan • Blaise Zabini Fantastic Beasts characters: Newton Scamander • Tina Goldstein • Jacob Kowalski • Queenie Goldstein • Percival Graves • Seraphina Picquery • Credence Barebone • Mary Lou Barebon • Gnarlack • Henry Shaw Sr. • Langdon Shaw • Henry Shaw Jr. • Modesty Barebone • Chastity Barebone • Gellert Grindelwald • Leta Lestrange • Nicolas Flamel Deleted characters: Ludovic Bagman Video game characters: Peeves Creatures Cerberus • The Basilisk • The Mountain Troll • The Hungarian Horntail • Fire crab Mascots/Pets Crookshanks • Aragog • Nagini • Hedwig • Fawkes • Buckbeak • Fang • Mrs. Norris Mystical Animals Locations Hogwarts Castle: • Grand Staircase Tower • Great Hall • Gryffindor Tower • Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch • The Forbidden Forest • Forbidden Third Floor Corridor • Underground Chambers • Hospital Wing • Slytherin Dungeon • The Chamber of Secrets • Topmost Tower • Platform 9¾ Diagon Alley: • Gringotts Wizarding Bank • Ollivander's Residences: 4 Privet Drive • The Burrow • Godric's Hallow • Potter's Cottage Other Locations: Limbo • England • Azkaban • British Ministry of Magic • Department of Mysteries Objects Weapons: Godric Gryffindor's Sword Brooms/Nimbus: Nimbus 2000 • Nimbus 2001 • The Firebolt Wands: Harry's Wand • Ron's Wand • Hermione's Wand • Voldemort's Wand • Elder Wand Others: Winged Keys • The Remembrall • The Invisibility Cloak • The Philosopher's Stone • Mirror of Erised • The Sorting Hat • The Basilisk Fang • Tom Riddle's Diary • The Marauder's Map • Goblet of Fire • Deluminator • The Monster Book of Monsters Transports Powders: Floo Powder • Floo Network Vehicles: Flying Ford Anglia • Flying Motorcycle • Hogwarts Express Organizations/Groups Dementor • Order of the Phoenix • Dumbledore's Army • Death Eaters See also J.K. Rowling • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child