Terra’s Theme - Final Fantasy VI (1994)
By: Nobuo Uematsu
Arr. Jamin Morden
Final Fantasy VI also has an iconic opening cinematic, albeit with graphics a few generations older. The game opens with narration about the legendary War of the Magi, as well as the machinations of the evil empire currently attempting to conquer the world. We first hear “Terra’s Theme” accompanying an opening title crawl as two empire soldiers and a “witch” pilot their magically infused Magitek armor mechas towards the snow-covered town of Narshe. It’s a long march. The credits appear almost exactly as they would in a movie opening title sequence, and the player sees the cliffs on which Narshe is nestled come closer and closer, as snow falls and a blizzard howls. Moments like this that invite us to so completely focus on the music are somewhat rare in video games as a medium-though the arranger thinks that Final Fantasy in general does well on this front-and this opening (and thus, “Terra’s Theme” itself) is quite striking. Although this arrangement features material from the more complete version of the tune found later in the game, it’s this ominous trek over the tundra that was the source of inspiration. Rather than heighten and elaborate the determination and hopefulness the music naturally
evokes, the arrangement seeks to recreate the opening scene as though from the perspective of a bystander watching this fateful march from the sidelines.
At first, there’s only the faintest hint of what’s to come in the whistling wind. Vague shapes and fragments of melody are passed from section to section, implying but never quite coalescing into the theme proper. This changes with a crash as the trio and their Magitek armor come fully into view. The music gains a frightening clarity at times during our observation, culminating in a somewhat disquieting reharmonization of the second motif. The ensemble rights itself for only a moment before the trio are lost in the blizzard, continuing their march. Though we, as the audience, may be in the know, any observers of this march would have no concept
that they were simultaneously witnessing the Empire’s most fearsome new weapon, as well as that world’s single greatest hope for peace.
Audio Recorder: Josh Haas
Audio Editor: Elias Schwartzman
Video Editor: David Werner
Graphics: Brana Rose
Recorded video provided by the Prince George's Community College Center for the Performing Arts
#finalfantasymusic #videogamemusic #finalfantasyvi
5 сен 2024
