Soundtrack Teaser and Music Video for “Hogwarts Legacy” Released

With just a couple of months before the worldwide launch of Hogwarts Legacy, Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software have released a song from the game’s soundtrack and an accompanying music video.

 

 

“Overture to the Unwritten,” from composers Chuck E. Myers, J. Scott Rakozy, and Peter Murray, features the Seven Springs Symphony Orchestra & Choir bringing the sounds of Hogwarts Legacy to life with some familiar melodies while debuting something wholly new and unique to the video game. In a press release from Hogwarts Legacy, “Overture to the Unwritten” is described as a composition that “conjures a magical melody reminiscent of the Wizarding World fans are accustomed to while evoking an older descant from ancient lore.” Portions of the piece are cheery and inviting, while other parts foreshadow the mystery and darkness that come with the shady side of magic.

The music video for “Overture to the Unwritten” features the orchestra and choir members as they perform the piece in its entirety, with authentic gameplay footage projected around them. More detailed cutscenes offer viewers a closer look through the grounds of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and other areas of interest that players will eventually be able to explore. 

 

Screenshot of Hogsmeade from "Hogwarts Legacy" "Overture to the Unwritten" music video.

 

A second video accompanied the release of the “Overture to the Unwritten” music video, titled “Hogwarts Legacy – Making the Music,” detailing the production of the musical piece. Peter Murray commented that nostalgia played a significant factor in creating the song.

I wanted to hearken back to the nostalgia factors. That was the biggest thing for me, was I feel like today’s game scores, it’s a lot of texture-based scores. And so I wanted to bring back the heroic fanfares of trumpets or melodic elements with the violins and bring back the magic and the childlike awe and wonder.

Chuck E. Myers applauded composer John Williams, who is known for writing the music of the Harry Potter films, for his brilliance in writing “Hedwig’s Theme” and said the classic tune was a jumping-off point to composing a new musical piece “that might have been an earlier version of ‘Hedwig’s [Theme].'”

Murray delved into the complex shifts in tone that can be heard throughout “Overture to the Unwritten.” Given that parts of Hogwarts Legacy will dabble in Dark magic, Murray said it could be “tricky to know what to write” for those moments musically.

Some of these darker moments [are] balanced with some real beautiful music, and so the music does go through quite a shift. It goes from big, powerful combat music to very slow, very emotional strings.

 

 

“Overture to the Unwritten” is now available to stream online or purchase digitally. The remainder of the Hogwarts Legacy soundtrack album will be made available with the game’s release on February 10. For music lovers all around, a second album, Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack), is also being released and will focus “on more ambient, chill, relaxing music that is ideal to listen to while studying for classes at Hogwarts or any school.” 

Hogwarts Legacy is now available for preorder on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S and One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. An official release date for the Nintendo Switch has yet to be confirmed.

Press Release – "Overture to the Unwritten (Music Video)"

New Hogwarts Legacy Music Video Features 54-Piece Orchestral Performance

Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software released today an orchestral music video to "Overture to the Unwritten" set over original gameplay footage from the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy game, which is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2023. Players will experience life as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like never before, as they live the unwritten and embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world.

"Overture to the Unwritten" features local studio musicians from Avalanche Software's home state, Utah, including choir and orchestral members from the University of Utah, BYU, [and] Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra and featuring renowned recording artists Nicole Pinnell, Nicole Klossner, Ryan Shupe, Abe Kaelin, Bart Olson, John Knudsen and Dune Moss. The video, filmed on location at big idea music studios in Sandy, Utah, and Media Grabbers in North Salt Lake City, Utah, features the original composition by composers Chuck E. Myers "Sea," J. Scott Rakozy and Peter Murray and performed by a 54-piece orchestra conducted by Nathan Hofheins.

Projected behind the orchestra and interspliced throughout the music video, the original gameplay footage traverses throughout the Hogwarts [c]astle and the expansive surrounding areas, including Hogsmeade, to reveal the vastness of the world. The orchestral song conjures a magical melody reminiscent of the [w]izarding [w]orld fans are accustomed to while evoking an older descant from ancient lore.

As of today, fans are now able to stream or digitally purchase "Overture to the Unwritten." All of the additional music from Hogwarts Legacy will be available on launch day on the Hogwarts Legacy [o]riginal [v]ideo [g]ame [s]oundtrack[.] Additionally, songs from Hogwarts Legacy will be featured on a second album, titled Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes [f]rom the Original Video Game Soundtrack), an album focusing on more ambient, chill, relaxing music that is ideal to listen to while studying for classes at Hogwarts or any school. Both albums will be released by WaterTower Music and will be available [on] all digital streaming services.

To view and share the Hogwarts Legacy [o]rchestral [m]usic video, visit [...] YouTube.

To download the Hogwarts Legacy – Orchestral Music video, visit [Hogwarts_Legacy_Music_Video_]1080.
Hogwarts Legacy is available for pre-order on PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4 via the PlayStation Store, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles via the Microsoft Store, and PC via the Steam and Epic Games Store. The Nintendo Switch pre-order date will be revealed soon.
For more information on how to pre-order Hogwarts Legacy, visit www.hogwartslegacy.com.

Published by Warner Bros. Games under the Portkey Games label and developed by Avalanche Software, Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, action, open-world role-playing-game [sic] set in the 1800's [sic] wizarding world. Beginning as a fifth year, players will embark on a journey through new and familiar locations, explore and discover magical beasts, craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents and customize their character to become the witch or wizard they want to be.

Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to launch worldwide for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on February 10, 2023. The Nintendo Switch release date will be confirmed at a later time.

Join the Hogwarts Legacy conversation on Facebook (https://facebook.com/HogwartsLegacy), Twitter (https://twitter.com/HogwartsLegacy), Instagram (https://instagram.com/HogwartsLegacy) and YouTube (https://youtube.com/HogwartsLegacy).

Website: http://www.hogwartslegacy.com

Press Release – "Making the Music"

Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software Release Behind[-]the[-]Scenes Video, "Making the Music" for Hogwarts Legacy

Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software released today a behind[-]the[-]scenes video, "Making the Music," for "Overture to the Unwritten" and other compositions featured in the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy game, which is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2023.

In "Making the Music," the team of composers and audio producers for Hogwarts Legacy take fans behind the scenes into some of their decision-making process [sic] and the complexity of creating new orchestral pieces set in the 1800s wizarding world. Composer Chuck E. Myers "Sea" describes his experience working on Hogwarts Legacy over the last four years as a project that was truly a [sic] once in a lifetime. Audio [p]roducer Nathan Ayoubi discusses how the music in Hogwarts Legacy enhances the overall experience for the player, being simultaneously new and fresh while also nostalgic. Composer Peter Murray shares how the team balanced this new original composition with the music of the films, while composer J. Scott Rakozy describes the music as childlike awe and wonder.

To create the ancient melody of Hogwarts, the team brought in unique instruments such as the "thunder sheet"—a giant piece of sheet metal—and a waterphone to make the sounds of magic. Since music accounts for every movement the player makes in the game, the composers were challenged to balance the darker side of the game with slow emotional strings to help guide the player and enhance the overall experience. Exploring the common rooms in each of the Hogwarts [H]ouses, the team infused different dynamic personalities through their use of music. The original score serves as an additional character in the game, immersing the player in the complex 1800s wizarding world.

Choir and orchestral members for "Overture to the Unwritten" were comprised of [sic] students from the University of Utah, BYU and the Salt Lake Symphony Orchestra, as well as featuring renowned recording artists Nicole Pinnell, Nicole Klossner, Ryan Shupe, Abe Kaelin, Bart Olson, John Knudsen and Dune Moss. Filmed on location at big idea music studios in Sandy, Utah, and Media Grabbers in North Salt Lake City, Utah, the behind-the-scenes video features "Overture to the Unwritten," the original composition by composers Chuck E. Myers "Sea", J. Scott Rakozy and Peter Murray, performed by a 54-piece orchestra conducted by Nathan Hofheins.

As of today, fans are now able to stream or digitally purchase "Overture to the Unwritten." All of the additional music from Hogwarts Legacy will be available on launch day on the Hogwarts Legacy [o]riginal [v]ideo [g]ame [s]oundtrack[.] Additionally, songs from Hogwarts Legacy will be featured on a second album, titled Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes [f]rom the Original Video Game Soundtrack), an album focusing on more ambient, chill, relaxing music that is ideal to listen to while studying for classes at Hogwarts or any school. Both albums will be released by WaterTower Music and will be available [on] all digital streaming services.

To view and share the Hogwarts Legacy – [b]ehind[-]the[-s]cenes [o]rchestral video, "Making the Music," visit ["]Making the Music["] on YouTube.

To download the Hogwarts Legacy – [b]ehind[-]the[-s]cenes [o]rchestral video, "Making the Music," visit Behind the Scenes Orchestral video, "Making the Music" 1080p.
Hogwarts Legacy is available for pre-order on PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4 via the PlayStation Store, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles via the Microsoft Store, and PC via the Steam and Epic Games Store. The Nintendo Switch pre-order date will be revealed soon.
For more information on how to pre-order Hogwarts Legacy, visit www.hogwartslegacy.com.

Published by Warner Bros. Games under the Portkey Games label and developed by Avalanche Software, Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, action, open-world role-playing-game [sic] set in the 1800's [sic] wizarding world. Beginning as a fifth year, players will embark on a journey through new and familiar locations, explore and discover magical beasts, craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents and customize their character to become the witch or wizard they want to be.

Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to launch worldwide for PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on February 10, 2023. The Nintendo Switch release date will be confirmed at a later time.

Join the Hogwarts Legacy conversation on Facebook (https://facebook.com/HogwartsLegacy), Twitter (https://twitter.com/HogwartsLegacy), Instagram (https://instagram.com/HogwartsLegacy) and YouTube (https://youtube.com/HogwartsLegacy).

Website: http://www.hogwartslegacy.com

 

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