My top four picks
Find Your Way Based on a series of arpeggios, this easily could have been musically bland, but the composition is layered in such a way that the more I listen the more it enchants me. There is something sinister about this melody, yet it remains peaceful, almost hypnotic...
Movin' This really does get me fired up and ready to take action. The percussion drives the song along, while variations in the melody indicate a growing and subsiding threat. This song carries an air of confidence and readies the listener for a display of great strength.
Eruyt Village In case it's not self-evident, I'm a lover of dark ethereal melodies, and this is the most accomplished of the group. I like this little review:
http://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/group/ff12.shtml said:
The piece is very atmospheric, though there is a certain melodic and instrumental ethereal charm which connects itself to earlier Sakimoto works and establishes the track on the path of the road less travelled. The instrumentation is totally appropriate. The flute slowly and sadly coincides with a flowing harp to create an absolutely enchanting effect. It's unfortunate that Sakimoto is often not regarded for the intimate passages of music that he can often write, often overlooked in lieu of more complex, domineering efforts. In the case of "Eruyt Village" it is not hard to see that Sakimoto is quite comfortable in allowing more subtle roles in his musical exploits to play their cues efficiently. Within the theme's role in the actual course of the game, it supports every nuance of the emotional quality that is issued forth while exploiting a deeper more contemplative side which contributes great contrast to the Final Fantasy XII soundtrack as a whole.
Saber's Edge This is so damn good. The melody builds and builds to an almost unbearable level of tension. Composer Masashi Hamauzu lays a live orchestra over a programmed orchestral piece to great success, combining both a hard-edged artificiality with beautifully arranged live instrumentation.
I've listened to this about 50 times and I've just found out it's the boss theme for FFXIII. I think I would never want boss battles to end if I played that game just so I could listen to this song.
Honourable men--
Reunion There's something utterly mesmerising about this melody. It's peaceful yet shrouded in a sense of darkness that makes me feel rather unnerved. Sonically speaking this is quite similar to Find Your Way (see above). First the plucked strings are underlaid with a string melody reminiscent of Secrets of the Deep Sea (also from FFVII), then a choir and flute are layered on for a fully bewitching effect.
A Place To Call Home An interesting choice of musical mode and two overlapping harmonic melodies lend this song a renaissance feel that is hard to resist. My ex-girlfriend and I used to play this song on flute together. Fond memories...
Kingdom of Burmecia The organ in 'Burmecia' evokes the tortured wailing of the people wiped out at Kuja's hand. This melody is used in a more subtle and devastatingly effective way in Freya's Theme, and so I almost didn't vote for this, but ultimately I think 'Burmecia' is highly successful at conjuring a sense of past tragedy and for that I am unwilling to overlook it.
Vivi's Theme And this one is just too cute to ignore. This description says it very well:
TheShroud13 said:
Vivi is characterized through an ornamented melody supported by an accompaniment from pizzicato strings. The use of percussion at somewhat unexpected places emphasizes Vivi's awkward character and adds humour to the piece.
The Wildlands I love those vocal oohs and aahs. ^^ The variation in this composition is charming: it steadily builds a sense of adventure, then grows into a march and eventually eases almost into a lullaby
The Warrens Talking of lullabies, I could (and almost did) fall asleep listening to this. How is it that the themes for icy locales are always so pretty?
I LOVE this group.
