The Final Fantasy Soundtrack: A Reflection
It was during my birthday in 1999. My father asked me which game to buy. Then, I only knew Final Fantasy VII by one of the games on the box of my PlayStation. Little did I know that it would be the start of a love affair with a whole game franchise. Being a trained classical pianist, I also took note of the music in Final Fantasy VII. I never paid attention to video game music before, but this game changed it. The emotion, the complexity and the recognisable leitmotifs. That's a hallmark of the music that Nobuo Uematsu composed for the Final Fantasy series. This is a personal reflection on my favourite video game soundtrack of all time - the Final Fantasy Series.
It was not until I delved in to the older Final Fantasies that I realised the prodigy he was. How could someone with 8-bit or 16-bit limitations of the consoles then, pull off such memorable and emotion-driven pieces of music? I still get chills when I hear Forever Rachel from Final Fantasy VI. I still mentally prepare for a long battle when I hear the boss battle theme for the Four Fiends in Final Fantasy IV. In the 32-bit world, I still feel a sense of freedom when I hear the airship theme, The Hilda-Garde, in Final Fantasy IX. I shed a tear when I hear Aerith's Theme, and get scared with One Winged Angel, from Final Fantasy VII. Uematsu executed perfectly what he wanted emotionally from each piece of music. I haven't come across any other video game soundtracks that give me that same feeling. I'm not denying that there are other beautifully composed video game music! I've listened to quite a few in fact. For me however, Uematsu and Final Fantasy take the cake.
That feeling was taken to the next level once Square Enix, Nobuo Uematsu and Arnold Roth teamed up to do the Distant Worlds concert. Being classically trained, I had a great appreciation to classical and orchestral music. My auditory senses went into overdrive when I first heard my favourite Final Fantasy tracks orchestrated. At the same time, because of Uematsu's skill in keeping musical complexity and integrity despite technical limitations in the video game originals, the orchestral renditions had a sense of familiarity. They weren't radically new renditions that destroyed the original soul of the video game master. Rather, they enhanced it.
If you asked me to list my Top 3 Uematsu-composed Final Fantasy piece of music, it would be like asking me to pick a favourite child (and I don't have any children!). However, the Top 3 would be as follows:
1. Those Who Fight - Final Fantasy VII
This may be a little on the sentimental side because it was my first Final Fantasy game, but Those Who Fight from Final Fantasy VII is what I consider to be a standard in JRPG battle music. The pulsating bass line, the constant semiquavers from the strings and the blast of the trumpets - all give an atmosphere of urgency and importance. There's even a small flute section, which to me, gives me a 'the hero is prevailing' kind of feeling. I even joked to friends that Those Who Fight would make the perfect news theme! Nonetheless, it would be my number one battle theme from the Final Fantasy series.
2. Dancing Mad - Final Fantasy VI
It was a fifty-fifty decision between this and One Winged Angel, but I selected this for two reasons - the circumstances in the game and the length of the piece. Where else in a JRPG where the villain momentarily wins?! Kefka, to me, is the hallmark FInal Fantasy villain. He's a pure psychopath with no mechanism of what's wrong and right. His final battle theme, equally reflects his personality. The organs and the synthesised choir contribute to the grandeur of the whole piece, or should I say, Kefka's delusion of grandeur. It's perfect. In addition, how Uematsu managed to fill this in on a SNES cartridge?!
3. To Zanarkard - Final Fantasy X
My favourite sentimental piece from Uematsu. It gives a sense of vulnerability and loss. Being a piano solo piece, it gives the said feelings justice. The feeling of a character when he realises something. (Yes, I'm trying to not give spoilers!) It's hard to describe in words how beautiful this piece is, so try to find it and you'll get what I'm trying to say.
You might want to ask me, do I like the modern Final Fantasy soundtracks? Well yes I do. The soundtrack to Final Fantasy XIII, and the spinoffs, are my favourites post-Uematsu. However, nothing can match that emotion of hearing Uematsu's work for the first time.
