Music of Final Fantasy VIII

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The music of Final Fantasy VIII was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all music in the game, was released on four Compact Discs by DigiCube in Japan, and by Square EA in North America. A special orchestral arrangement of selected tracks from the game — arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi — was released under the title FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC Final Fantasy VIII, and a collection of piano arrangements — performed by Shinko Ogata — was released under the title Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII.

The game's soundtrack is best known for two songs: "Liberi Fatali," a Latin choral piece that is played during the introduction to the game, and "Eyes On Me," a pop song serving as the game's theme, performed by Chinese singer Faye Wong. Reviewers were generally pleased with the music, although several cited issues while comparing the score to previous games or looking at individual tracks.

Contents

[edit] Creation and influence

Nobuo Uematsu's usual influences include Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Simon & Garfunkel, and Elton John.[1][2] In regard to Final Fantasy VIII, Uematsu did not prefer to use multiple sources to find MIDI instruments — "I could be coming up with a great melody in the very moment" — instead using a Roland SC88 synthesizer for the entire score. Uematsu wrote notes based on character designs and screenplays, creating a general picture of the songs' moods. He could not express a character's emotions solely with plot, instead using images of appearance and attire — "It's important to know when their emotions are at their height, but it usually takes until a month before release for them to finish the ending dialog...!"[3] In response to a question by IGN music stating that the music of Final Fantasy VIII was very dark and perhaps influenced by the plot of the game, Uematsu stated "the atmosphere of music varies depending on story line, of course, but it's also my intention to put various types of music into one game".[2]

Uematsu enjoys writing lyrical songs, but tries not to be genre-specific. He asserts that expressing the emotions he desires is more important than improving skills. "I think it will be a shame if we won't be able to cry as we play our own game." The absence of character themes was due to him finding those of Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII ineffective. Uematsu considers it reasonable to have character themes if each character has a "highlight" in the game, but he found Final Fantasy VIII only focused on Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly as a couple, resulting in the "Eyes On Me" theme.[3]

Near the end of Final Fantasy VII's production, the developers suggested to use a singer, but abandoned the idea due to a lack of reasoning based on the game's theme and storyline. However, Nobuo Uematsu thought a ballad would closely relate to the theme and characters of Final Fantasy VIII. This resulted in the game's developers sharing "countless" artists, eventually deciding on Faye Wong, a Chinese vocalist. Uematsu claims "her voice and mood seem to match my image of the song exactly," and that her ethnicity "fits the international image of Final Fantasy." After negotiations were made, "Eyes On Me" was recorded in Hong Kong with an orchestra.[3]

[edit] Musical pieces

[edit] Eyes On Me

"Eyes On Me" is a pop song that serves as the game's theme, performed by Chinese singer Faye Wong. It was released as a CD single in Japan and sold more than 400,000 copies,[4] placing it as the best-selling video game music disc ever released in that country until "Hikari" by Utada Hikaru for Kingdom Hearts. "Eyes On Me" was the first song in video game history to win an award at the 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards, where it won 'Song of the Year (Western Music)" in 1999.[1] The song's lyrics, written by Kako Someya, unveils the love story between a singer and one of the members of her audience. It was also covered by Angela Aki for release on her "Kokoro no Senshi" single.[5]

Within the game, the song is written by Julia Heartilly, a pianist who is the love interest of Laguna Loire.[6] It is heard repeatedly throughout the game in various incarnations as an instrumental piece, including a verson entitled Julia. Its full version is heard during a moment between Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly — the main protagonists — onboard the Ragnarok. It is played once more during the game's ending.

[edit] Liberi Fatali

"Liberi Fatali" is a choral piece sung in Latin that is played during the introduction of the game. The song was played during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens during the women's synchronized swimming event.[7][8] It was arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi and the original Japanese lyrics were written by scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, being translated into Latin for the game by Latin translator Taro Yamashita. Liberi Fatali translates to "Fated Children."

"Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" is an additional song in the game, which is heard during the parade sequence. It is named after the recurring lyrics in Liberi Fatali. A similar track, "Succession of Witches", is featured on Uematsu's Piano Collections album. This track is essentially Liberi Fatali transcribed into a piano score.

[edit] Albums

[edit] Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack

The cover of Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, which displays a montage of scenes from the game.
The cover of Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, which displays a montage of scenes from the game.

Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack of the music from Final Fantasy VIII; composed, arranged and produced by Nobuo Uematsu. The soundtrack spans four discs and 74 tracks, covering a duration of 4 hours and 9 minutes. It was first published by DigiCube on March 10, 1999, and subsequently published by Square Enix on May 10, 2004.[9]

The Music Collection cover
The Music Collection cover

The soundtrack has sold at least 300,000 copies in Japan.[10] Adam Corn of SoundtrackCentral.com claims the score shows similarities to previous Final Fantasy games, but asserts he is "not overly impressed with this one."[11] A reviewer from Square Enix Music Online claims the soundtrack is "unique and very special" due to its contrasts — "When signs of age of the Final Fantasy franchise are shown, Uematsu counterbalances this by creating something weird and wonderful. When the soundtrack becomes too serious, Uematsu suddenly inserts a light-hearted number to lighten the mood." — he adds — "When the soundtrack is showing signs of consistent high quality, Uematsu randomly plunges into the depths of direness."[12]

Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack was also released in North America under the title Final Fantasy VIII Music Collection: Music From The Final Fantasy VIII Video Game. It features changes such as packaging design, translation, and additional images.[13] In addition, a limited edition was produced, which has a beige background instead of a full motion video montage.

[edit] Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII

The cover of Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII
The cover of Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII

Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII is a collection of orchestrated pieces originally from Final Fantasy VIII, arranged and conducted by Shiro Hamaguchi. It also includes three unchanged tracks from Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack; "Liberi Fatali," "Eyes On Me," and "Ending Theme." The album spans 13 tracks, covering a duration of 64 minutes. It was first published on November 19, 1999 by DigiCube, and subsequently published on July 22, 2004 by Square Enix.[14][15]

Adam Corn of SoundtrackCentral.com claimed "the superior instrumental quality, well-done arrangements, and tasteful selection of themes boost the OST's [Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack] qualities while hiding its flaws," elaborating that "even people such as myself who are not fans of the original will be impressed by its prowess, and fans will simply be enamored."[16]

[edit] Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII

The cover of Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII, a drawing by Yoshitaka Amano depicting Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly.
The cover of Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII, a drawing by Yoshitaka Amano depicting Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly.

Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII is an album of piano arrangements from Final Fantasy VIII, arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi and performed by Shinko Ogata. It was by published by DigiCube on January 21, 2000 and subsequently re-published by Square Enix on July 22, 2004.[17][18]

Robert Steen of SoundtrackCentral.com commended the performance, claiming "Shinko Ogata seeems to be a very capable player" and noted that although the arrangements are similar to the original pieces, they "breathe new life into the songs."[17] A total of 11 user-created reviews on Amazon.com reached an aggregate of 95.5%.[19]


[edit] Reception and legacy

New Zealand PlayStation magazine claimed Final Fantasy VIII has "one of the most memorable scores you will ever hear."[20] Reviewers from multimedia news website IGN stated that much of the game's impact is owed to its "terrific" musical score, but were disappointed by "yet another" variation of the traditional battle theme.[21] IGN later named the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack as 4th best in its Final Fantasy Soundtrack Countdown feature.[22] GameSpot considered the game's sound its weakest point, but still commended it, claiming it has "more 'quality' songs than Final Fantasy VII."[23] Lastly, Game Revolution stated that "there are only a few tracks that really stand out," including "Eyes on Me," which it deemed a "cliched, but beautiful love song.".[24]

The music of Final Fantasy VIII has appeared in various official concerts, such as Dear Friends in Los Angeles, where "Liberi Fatali" and "Love Grows" were conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya.[25] 20020220 music from FINAL FANTASY, a live recording of an orchestra performing music from the series, performed several pieces from the game.[26] Additionally, Tour de Japon performed one song from the game, entitled "The Oath".[27]

The Black Mages, a band that arranges music from Final Fantasy video games into a rock music style, has arranged three pieces from Final Fantasy VIII. These are "Force Your Way" (The Black Mages, published in 2003), "The Man With The Machine Gun", and "Maybe I'm A Lion" (both The Skies Above, published in 2004).[28][29]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Walt Disney Concert Hall - NOBUO UEMATSU. Walt Disney Concert Hall. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
  2. ^ a b IGN music:Twelve Days of Final Fantasy XII: Nobuo Uematsu Interview. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  3. ^ a b c Maeda, Yoshitake (1999). Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack (Limited Edition). DigiCube.
  4. ^ Square Enix USA site staff. Nobuo Uematsu's Profile. Square Enix USA. Retrieved on March 17, 2006.
  5. ^ Angela Aki/Kokoro no Senshi. Neowing. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  6. ^ Raine: "Then the first song she released was 'Eyes On Me'?" / Laguna: "H-How does the song go?" / Raine: "You don't know?" / Laguna: "Well, you never let me hear it!" / Raine: "I didn't think you listened to music. The song's about being in love... I really like it." (Final Fantasy VIII)
  7. ^ Suds (2004). Video Game Music In the Olympics!. Video Game Music Archive. Retrieved on 29 August 2006.
  8. ^ Empire arcadiA site staff (2005). The Culture of Videogame Music. Empire arcadiA. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
  9. ^ Nobuo Uematsu (2005). "FINAL FANTASY VIII Original Soundtrack". SQUARE ENIX MUSIC. Retrieved April 18, 2006.
  10. ^ PSquaresoft Online Store Opening in Early December. Business Wire. Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
  11. ^ Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack. SoundtrackCentral.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  12. ^ Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  13. ^ Final Fantasy VIII Music Collection. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  14. ^ Daryl (2002). FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC Final Fantasy VIII. Daryl's Library. Retrieved on 2005-07-14.
  15. ^ Gann, Patrick (2000). Final Fantasy VIII Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
  16. ^ Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec: Final Fantasy VIII Orchestra Version. SoundtrackCentral.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  17. ^ a b Final Fantasy VIII Piano Collections. SoundtrackCentral.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  18. ^ Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  19. ^ Reviews for Final Fantasy VIII: Piano Collections. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  20. ^ Cheung, Kevin (1999). New Zealand PlayStation. Next Gaming, 53.
  21. ^ Lundigran, Jeff (1999). IGN: Final Fantasy VIII Review. IGN. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  22. ^ Sullivan, Meghan (2006-09-01). Final Fantasy Soundtrack Countdown. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  23. ^ Vestal, Andrew (1999-02-24). Cast all fears aside: the latest Final Fantasy is the greatest game ever to bear the name.. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
  24. ^ Liu, Johnny (1999). Game Revolution Review Page - Final Fantasy VIII. Game Revolution. Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
  25. ^ Schneider, Peer (2004). Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy. IGN Music. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
  26. ^ 20020220 - Music from FINAL FANTASY. RPGFan.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
  27. ^ Album Information - Tour de Japon: Music from Final Fantasy DVD. SquareEnixMusic. Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
  28. ^ N/A (2003). The Black Mages. DigiCube
  29. ^ N/A (2004). The Black Mages II: The Skies Above. Universal Music

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Final Fantasy VIII

Characters • Music • Triple Triad • Chocobo World
Squall Leonhart • Rinoa Heartilly
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