Game:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

Duration: 2:45

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18

Music: End Credits - Staff Roll (Part 1)
Composers: Koji Kondo
Platform: Nintendo 64 / Nintendo 3DS

Music theory analysis and piano cover visualization project made with the actual audio tracks from the original Nintendo 64 game. Extracted with a specialized audio software, we can now dig inside the score for the first time; offering us a glimpse for how each instrument contributes to the whole.

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♫ Media files and support for future interactive tools:

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Musical Analysis:

Structure: Section 0 / Section 1 / Section 2 / Section 3 / Section 4 / Section 5 / Section 6
Time Signature: 3/4
Tempo: 88 (dynamic from 88 to 35)
Melodic and Harmonic Profiles: G Ionian/Major; C Ionian/Major; A Ionian/Major; D Ionian/Major

Koji Kondo and his knack for encapsulating nostalgia in sound form is always called to give the finishing punch to many Nintendo adventures; his expertise at crafting melodies that balance happiness and sadness in almost equal fashion always seem to give a bittersweet touch to any game regardless of what happens on the story being told.

In Ocarina of Time's case, it was just a matter of reprising the main theme of the game at its most melancholic fashion, coupled with a brand new sweeping intro—two intros, in fact—, stronger, more nuanced dynamics and a more symphonic arrangement and orchestration; interludes included.

Malon, the songstress of this adventure, makes an appearance to sing her own rendition of Zelda’s Lullaby, she is complemented by the female choir singing in an unbelievable celestially high register, these are definitively voices that do not belong to the human realm.

The song starts in a time signature of 3/4 but played so rubato that it could perfectly fit with measures in 7/4. The harp playing caries most of the bittersweet feeling with effective use of voice leading and well placed chromaticism. The second intro moves elegantly through the harmony with pedal notes, with the bass notes descending in true Kondo-esque ending theme fashion.

The accompaniment part of the harp can be heard here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-989158403/end-credits-harp?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The intro and the post-intro

After that long overture, Princess Zelda’s theme is released unto the listener in majestic fashion, with the melody carried by the harp, the true instrument of the princess, initially and then doubled by the fiddle. Both of them are relieved by the string section shortly after; clarinets and horns reinforce the harmony.

The track starts to create a build off with increasing rhythmic density and exchanging sustained chords for repeatedly sounding ones, suspending in the air the listener with a short rallentando interlude that prepares the key change just a moment before the catharsis of listening Malon voice sing the lullaby at the top of her lungs a whole tone higher. This classic technique of transposing the song a tone higher to cheat emotional release is well earned after the tense final battle the players had to overcome and all the variations and reprises of Zelda’s Lullaby The player has already encountered; it marks a significant culmination; the page can be turned now

The music is accompanied by the landscapes of Hyrule, making the player reflect on the adventure that just took pace. Celebrations and final contemplations are also in order for the inhabitants of Hyrule. From all corners of the world, the people gather together to honor the Hero of Time.


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What? But if it doesn't sound anything like the original track!
- There are a couple of reasons that make it impossible to get a perfect conversion between the music from inside the game and the audio files. First, there is the fact that the audio inside the cartridge uses a music sequence format called Music Macro Language, a format that has additional information for the playing in-game; then there is the problem of reproducing the particular reverb effect that the N64 used–even the team behind the sound for the 3ds remake had trouble replicating the effect!– and third we have the audio compression that is absent here and helped to glue the instruments together, affecting the final mix.

#ZeldaLullaby #zeldamusic #ocarinaoftime

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