Game:

Dark Souls (2011)

Duration: 3:55

263 views

6

Dark Souls and other FromSoftware games like it have little appeal to me, but this song interested me when I heard about it in 8-bit Music Theory’s video about it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqKxuFgzMNk). To me this song is a good example of a sort of musical horseshoe theory, because it’s an orchestral/operatic piece that has the energy of a death metal song. Ludwig’s character design is simultaneously horrifying, gross, and pitiful, and the boss music looks at it from all sides. The two parts (Ludwig the Accursed and Ludwig the Holy Blade) correspond to the two phases of the boss battle: the first one where he attacks you like a feral beast, and the second half where he shows what shred of humanity he has left. Musically, this might have the highest concentration of tritone intervals of any piece I’ve worked with. The song doesn’t really have an ending, but I wanted to bring back the solo cello from the first half. This is a huge piece and I like the way it turned out.
Based on Ludwig, the Accursed and Ludwig, the Holy Blade from Bloodborne by Ryan Amon, Tsukasa Saitoh, Michael Wandmacher, Yuka Kitamura, Cris Velasco, and Nobuyoshi Suzuki.
Original: https://youtu.be/ALbVEmzY5S4
Score used for reference: https://musescore.com/user/12491016/scores/6518642
Primary keys: D minor, E minor
Instruments: Horn in F, Trombone, Grand Piano, Timpani, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone (all Choir Aahs), Solo Cello, Violins, Violas, Cellos, Contrabasses, Lead Guitar (Feedback Guitar), Rhythm Guitar (Distortion Guitar), Electric Bass, Concert Bass Drum, Cymbal

Other Statistics