We’ve been discussing all the products that the Wizarding World franchise has been putting out of late. It’s something like the order of the day as we await the rollout of the WizardingWorld.com website that has swallowed PotterMore and will charge a subscription fee for access to Gold Status members’ material. See ‘The Problem with Monetizing Harry Potter.’
Yesterday I learned that the ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ stage production company has produced a soundtrack album. And I mean ‘album.’ It’s a pair of long playing 33 1/3 vinyl records that comes in a real record-album. Check out the article on TheaterMania.com.
I love analog recordings. I have a collection my wife is currently cataloging that covers 47 shelves in our bookcases and we guesstimate includes more than 7,000 records, 33 1/3, 45, and 78s. All of it classical and opera except for the 78s. I have more records than books, and, frankly, that’s saying something. [If you want this library, all Near Mint or better, make an offer!] The resurgence of LPs, consequently, is something of a thrill to me.
But why would Rowling, Inc., decide that vinyl was the way to go for their Cursed Child soundtrack? LPs make up an increasing percentage of music sales every year; some estimate it is more than 10% of dollars paid for recorded music. Has it become such a big deal, though, that the Potter marketers decided it was worth the risk of a fail? Or does this medium mean maximizing profits on gift-purchases especially in theaters? Very few presents are as fun to hold and look over again and again as a new record album.
I have read plenty of reviews of this play-as-staged and been part of podcast discussions with Potter Pundits who are Broadway zealots and attended the productions in London and New York. Not once has anyone I can remember mentioned the music. And yet now we have a soundtrack of just that. Who has been asking for this? Is it just fodder for collectors and souvenir Nifflers?
Let me know what you think. I’m still scratching my head over this news.
It strikes me as (one way or another) a part of an interesting longer history, going back before recordings to the treatment of ‘incidental music’ for plays, and (I’m guessing) the publication of music for works like Purcell’s Fairy-Queen, Gay and Pepusch’s Beggar’s Opera, and Mozart Magic Flute where not everything is sung, or even accompanied by ‘background’ music. But it certainly is a part of recording history, too. For example, I have a curious LP with (I’m not quite sure exactly how much of) Beethoven’s music for The Ruins of Athens on one side and for King Stephen, Hungary’s First Benefactor on the other. And I can remember how delighted I was when an LP appeared, not with Grieg’s Peer Gynt suites, merely, but the Peer Gynt music (complete? – again, not sure, but lots more). If a play (or film) has a pre-recorded score, that could be released, or Something Else could be Done With It. Will this LP set be ‘purely the music’? If so, will ‘the music come into its own’ when you can attend to it more simply and directly? Or might you have to remember or read along to see how its virtue is in supporting dialogue? Will they also release digitalized versions, on disc or downloadable, for those agonized by waiting for the pops and ticks to appear in repeated vinyl play? Do please update us!
It’s pretty simple! Vinyl has made the biggest comeback it’s crazy how rare some records are I have about 70 records with a value of +7000$
The only thing I am kinda bummed about is that the records isn’t colored like a nice sunshine burst and black fades in it.
If you have already listened to the soundtrack on YouTube you would know it’s absolutely amazing. I only listened to 5 songs and I pre ordered it!
There is nothing to be confused about, I’m pretty sure all the other Harry Potter movies got various vinyl pressings, so it’s only natural they would press The cursed child on vinyl.
Like I said simple!
Btw: They should add the book with the record as a bundle.