Music of Final Fantasy XI
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The music of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI was composed by Naoshi Mizuta along with regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu and Kumi Tanioka. The Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by DigiCube in 2002, and subsequently re-released by Square Enix in 2004. Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack was released by DigiCube in 2003 after the release of the Rise of the Zilart expansion for Final Fantasy XI, and re-released by Square Enix in 2004. Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack was produced by Square Enix in 2004 after the release of the Chains of Promathia expansion, and in 2005 Square Enix published Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel, a collection of arranged tracks from the game performed by The Star Onions, a group composed of Square Enix composers including Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka and Hidenori Iwasaki. Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack was released by Square Enix in 2006 for the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion. In 2007, Square Enix released the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box, a collection of all of the previously released albums, as well as the as yet unreleased Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks and Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI, an album of unreleased music from the game and its expansions and an album of piano arrangements of music from the game, respectively. After the release of the fourth expansion for the game, Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack was released in 2008 by Square Enix. Additionally, in summer 2008 another Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI album, completely separate from the previous piano collections album, will be released by Square Enix.
The music has received mixed reviews; while reviewers have praised some of the associated albums such as Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack and Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack, other albums, such as Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack and Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel, were not as universally liked. Several songs, especially "Distant Worlds", remain popular today, and have been performed numerous times in orchestral concert series, as well as been published in arranged and compilation albums by Square as well as outside groups.
[edit] Creation and influence
The music of Final Fantasy XI was scored by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka.[1] Composer Yasunori Mitsuda was also asked to contribute, but he was busy scoring Xenosaga.[2] The expansion packs were scored by Mizuta alone after Tanioka left to pursue other projects and Uematsu left Square Enix, although their names remain in the credits for those albums due to the inclusion of versions of songs they had previously composed for the game. The opening of the game features choral music with lyrics in Esperanto.[2] According to Uematsu, the choice of language was meant to symbolize the developers' hope that their online game could contribute to cross-cultural communication and cooperation. He also noted the increased difficulty of scoring a game for which there was no linear plotline, a major change from the previous Final Fantasy games. It was the first game in the series for which he composed while he was no longer a Square employee.[3] New music has been employed for special events, such as a holiday score titled Jeuno -Starlight Celebration- which can be heard in the city of Jeuno each mid to late December since 2004. Some of the game's music has been released on iTunes for download, such as the vocal "Distant Worlds", which was released on the Japanese iTunes Music Store on September 13, 2005, having been put in the game in a July 2005 patch.[4]
[edit] Albums
[edit] Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack
| Final Fantasy XI: Original Soundtrack | ||
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| Studio album by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka | ||
| Released | June 5, 2002 May 10, 2004 (re-release) |
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| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | Disk 1: 56:01 Disk 2: 55:56 |
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| Label | Digicube Square Enix (re-release) |
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| Producer | Nobuo Uematsu | |
Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of Final Fantasy XI. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka. The soundtrack was released on June 5, 2002 by DigiCube with the catalog numbers SSCX-10069-70, and re-released on May 10, 2004 by Square Enix with the catalog numbers SQEX-10017-8. The album spans 51 tracks over two disks and covers a duration of 1:51:57.[5]
Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack mix
Track listing[6]
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[edit] Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack
| Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack | ||
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| Studio album by Naoshi Mizuta | ||
| Released | May 21, 2003 September 23, 2004 (re-release) |
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| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 70:12 | |
| Label | Digicube Square Enix (re-release) |
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Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of the Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart expansion. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Naoshi Mizuta and Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Naoshi Mizuta. The soundtrack was released on the May 21, 2003 by DigiCube with the catalog number SSCX-10093, and re-released on September 23, 2004 by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10034. The album spans 19 tracks and covers a duration of 70:12.[1]
| Track listing[6] | |
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[edit] Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack
| Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack | ||
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| Studio album by Naoshi Mizuta | ||
| Released | November 17, 2004 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 78:20 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of the Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia expansion. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka, and Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka. The soundtrack was released on November 17, 2004 by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10041. It covers a duration of 78:20 over 24 tracks.[7]
| Track listing[6] | |
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[edit] Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel
| Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel | ||
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| Studio album by The Star Onions | ||
| Released | August 24, 2005 | |
| Genre | Smooth jazz | |
| Length | 53:21 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel is an arranged album of tracks from Final Fantasy XI and its expansions, performed by The Star Onions, a group composed of Square Enix composers, including Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka and Hidenori Iwasaki. The album was released by Square Enix on August 24, 2005 under the catalog number SQEX-10050. The album consists of newly arranged versions of songs from Final Fantasy XI and its first two expansions. The album contains 10 tracks and covers a duration of 53:21. The majority of the tracks are smooth jazz, with the exception of Awakening and Blessed in Her Glorious Light - The Grand Duchy of Jeuno, which encompass electronica and gospel respectively.[8]
| Track listing[9] | |
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[edit] Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack
| Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack | ||
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| Studio album by Naoshi Mizuta | ||
| Released | May 24, 2006 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 64:48 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of the Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Naoshi Mizuta and Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Naoshi Mizuta. The soundtrack was released on May 24, 2006 by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10072. It covers a duration of 64:48 over 21 tracks.[10]
| Track listing[6] | |
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[edit] Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks
| Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks | ||
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| Studio album by Naoshi Mizuta | ||
| Released | March 28, 2007 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 50:43 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks is a collection of Final Fantasy XI music composed by Naoshi Mizuta that had not been released as part of any of the official albums for Final Fantasy XI or its expansions. It spans 18 tracks and covers a duration of 50:43. It has not been released as a single album, but rather can only be found as part of the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box, which was released on March 28, 2007, by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10093.[11]
| Track listing[12] | |
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[edit] Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI
| Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI | ||
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| Studio album by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka | ||
| Released | March 28, 2007 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 38:42 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI is a collection of Final Fantasy XI music composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka and arranged for the piano by Kaoru Ishikawa. It spans 14 tracks and covers a duration of 38:42. It has not been released as a single album, but rather can only be found as part of the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box, which was released on March 28, 2007, by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10094.[11]
| Track listing[13] | ||
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[edit] Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack
| Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack | ||
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| Studio album by Naoshi Mizuta | ||
| Released | April 23, 2008 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Length | 77:44 | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album of the Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess expansion. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed by Naoshi Mizuta, as well as three bonus tracks containing songs from the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion that were not included in the soundtrack. The soundtrack was released on the April 23, 2008 by Square Enix with the catalog number SQEX-10113 and spans a duration of 77:44 over 25 tracks.[14]
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[edit] Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI (2008)
| Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI | ||
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| Studio album by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Kumi Tanioka | ||
| Released | June 25, 2008 | |
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |
| Label | Square Enix | |
| Producer | Naoshi Mizuta | |
Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI is a new album of piano music scheduled to be released by Square Enix on June 25, 2008. Although it has the same name as the album from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box, it is an entirely separate album. It will span 11 tracks, covering songs from the original game and its expansions. It will have the catalog number SQEX-10117.[16] The tracks are composed by Naoshi Mizuta, and performed by Kasumi Oga and Ayumi Iga, while the arranger has not yet been announced.[17]
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[edit] Reception and legacy
Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack received mixed reviews by critics, with Ben Schweitzer of RPGFan finding it to be a "strong" album, if "slower" and "more repetitive than previous Final Fantasy scores".[5] Liz Maas of RPGFan enjoyed the album, advising any fan of the series, even if not of the game itself, to buy the album.[5] Joe Schwebke of Soundtrack Central, on the other hand, found it to be "a collection of bland melodies, dull chord progressions, and aged tapestries of musical technique" and, while praising the sound quality, termed it overall a "disappointment".[18] Chris of Square Enix Music Online, however, felt that while it was "not instantly likable" that it had "the potential to become a favorite with multiple listens".[19]
Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack was well received by critics such as Patrick Gann of RPGFan, who called it "a solid OST" of "well-developed compositions".[1] Chris of Square Enix Music Online agreed, terming it "a very well-produced soundtrack" and "a consistent and fitting effort".[20] Unlike the first expansion soundtrack, Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack was not received well by critics. Patrick Gann expressed himself as "disappointed" and said that the album was full of "boring, repetitive string-work" instead of Mizuta's usual "strong, raw instrumentation".[7] Chris of Square Enix Music Online termed it "the least accessible Final Fantasy XI soundtrack" and disliked its "grating synth use", but also termed it "an excellent in-game accompaniment".[21] Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel received widely varied reviews by critics. Mike Wilson of RPGFan termed it a "high caliber soundtrack" and said that it was full of "extremely well done" tracks.[8] Ryan Mattich of RPGFan was slightly less impressed, saying that while "each track is a masterpiece", that the album as a whole lacked cohesion.[8] Chris of Square Enix Music Online was much harsher towards the album, finding it to be "fundamentally flawed" due to a lack of coherence and disliked several of the tracks, especially the ones arranged by Mizuta.[22] Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack was well received by critics, with Patrick Gann describing it as "wonderful", and saying that "nearly every song has its own memorable feel".[10] Chris of Square Enix Music Online agreed, terming it "a solid mixture of continuity and change".[23]
Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks was well received by critics such as Patrick Gann, who said that it was an album full of "interesting pieces".[11] The Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI included with it in the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box received varied reviews by critics. Patrick Gann termed it "excellent" and praised the technical skills of the performers, though he disliked the short length of the album.[11] Jillian of Square Enix Music Online, on the other hand, was "disappointed" with the album, finding the arrangements to be "simplistic" and the performances, while good technically, to be lacking in passion.[24] Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack received mixed reviews from reviewers, with Patrick Gann saying that "It is consistently good, but rarely is it mind-blowing". He did, however, praise Mizuta, saying that "Mizuta has grown...to the point where I imagine he can take on nearly any project".[14]
The Black Mages, a band led by Nobuo Uematsu that arranges music from Final Fantasy video games into a rock music style, have arranged "Distant Worlds" in the album Darkness and Starlight, published in 2008.[25] Uematsu continues to perform certain pieces in his Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy concert series.[26] The music of Final Fantasy XI has also appeared in various official concerts and live albums, such as the Distant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy concert tour, where "Opening Theme" and "Distant Worlds" were performed as a medley by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra,[27] while "Ronfaure" was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in the Tour de Japon: Music from Final Fantasy concert series.[28] Selections of music from Final Fantasy XI also appear on Japanese remix albums, called dojin music, and on English remixing websites.[29]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Gann, Patrick. Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b Van, Tim (2007-01-01). Final Fantasy XI OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2006-02-24.
- ^ Fahey, Rob (2005-02-25). Focus On: Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
- ^ IGN Music (2005-05-10). Final Fantasy Soundtracks. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
- ^ a b c Maas, Liz; Schweitzer, Ben; Van, Tim; Winkler, Chris. Final Fantasy XI OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b c d Taken from the album's iTunes release. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
- ^ a b Gann, Patrick. Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b c Mattich, Ryan; Wilson, Mike. The Star Onions ~ Final Fantasy XI - Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ Final Fantasy XI - Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel. ffmusic.info. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
- ^ a b Gann, Patrick. Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ a b c d Gann, Patrick. Final Fantasy XI OST Premium Box. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ (March 28, 2007). Final Fantasy XI Unreleased Tracks. Square Enix. SQEX-10093
- ^ (March 28, 2007). Piano Collections Final Fantasy XI. Square Enix. SQEX-10094
- ^ a b Gann, Patrick. Final Fantasy XI Crusaders of Altana OST. RPGFan. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ (April 23, 2008). Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess Original Soundtrack. Square Enix. SQEX-10113
- ^ a b KujaFFman. FFXI Piano Collections en vue (French). FFWorld. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections Track Listings Confirmed. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
- ^ Schwebke, Joe (2003-04-02). Final Fantasy 11 Original Soundtrack. Soundtrack Central. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack: Review by Chris. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack: Review by Chris. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack: Review by Chris. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI - Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel: Review by Chris. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Chris. Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack: Review by Chris. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Jillian. Final Fantasy XI Premium Box Piano Collections: Review by Jillian. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-05.
- ^ (March 19, 2008). The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight. Sony Music Distribution. DERP-10002
- ^ Schnieder, Peer (2005-05-11). Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy. IGN. Retrieved on 2006-03-01.
- ^ Distant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy - Album Information. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Album Information - Tour de Japon: Music from Final Fantasy DVD. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Sony Playstation 2 Music - A-F. VGMusic.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
