Wrapping up our third and final part of our Chrono Triple Tech, this episode unifies and explains the musical relationship between CT, RD and CC and we learn about “the motive!”
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Wrapping up our third and final part of our Chrono Triple Tech, this episode unifies and explains the musical relationship between CT, RD and CC and we learn about “the motive!”
The quality goes without saying, so just some random small comments:
What is up with the empty comments? Are/were they at songofthefates? I just want to avoid writing too much you have already heared, but http://www.songofthefates.com seems no longer available.
You note that Lucca’s Theme is the Fanfare in Chrono Cross. But I am pretty sure that it was already in Chrono Cross, so the link is the simliarities of the fanfares. Other than that, I agree with the connections you showed between the scores.
The motive I was first doubtful about, but you are making your point indeed quite convincingly by showing so many occurences.
By the way I used to be wondering forever what is a tripple tech, but just now as I was about to ask, I remembered, as I have played some Trigger
Looking forward to the Colossus episode, as I just come tok now the soundtrack , so it will be intersting to see what I get or miss.
Thanks again, maelkashishi! (I just finished commenting on your first comment)
http://www.songofthefates.com was the first website for ITS, before intothescore.com got started. “Song of the Fates” was a project that I had been working on and already had the site for, so ITS was just a small project then. Eventually, I realized that the show could really be something, so I started intothescore.com, ported everything over and started up here. Sorry for the weirdness, I should point that out in my next show…
With regards to Lucca’s theme in CC, her theme is both fanfares (”Triumph ~ Gift of Spring” and “Victory ~ Call of Summer”), just rearranged. Both start with the boisterousness of her CT theme, but then “Triumph” is softer and more delicately set up as the fanfare for everyday battles, whereas “Victory” is more like her original theme and takes place when boss battles are taken care of.
Talk soon!
Kenley
Well, I feel a bit silly commenting on a post thats over 3 years old, but alas it was only yesterday that I stumbled upon this fantastic podcast (Suffice it to say consider this to be the greatest discovery I have ever made on the Internet!).
Well, having seen the quality of your later episodes I decided it necessary to listen to the podcast in its entirety beginning with episode 1. Having gone past episode 3 I was ecstatic to find 3 whole episodes (thats over 3 hours) dedicated to two of my absolute favourite games and gamesoundtracks, so naturally I must comment regardless of the posts age.
Those were some fun 3 hours! Especially the 7-1-5 motiv you mentioned was an eye opener. I had kind of noticed it before playing through both piano arrangement books, but I had never thought of it as something the composer did conciously to provide continuity to the series, but now suddenly it all makes so much sense.
But enough of the praise (though I could continue endlessly), what I really wanted to comment on is something I missed in the thematic comparison between both Chrono games: Chronopolis.
When I was playing through Chrono Cross, THIS was the point when I first really felt a connection between the two games, in part because of the story and the scenery (I don’t remember the details, but there were some artifacts from the future that were clearly identifyable as coming from Chrono Triggers future), but mostly because of the music.
Until Chronopolis the Chrono Cross Soundtrack has a very “worldy” feel to it, which is different from Chrono Trigger. Chronopolis is the first to have a more “synthy” feel to it (excuse the laymans terms…), reminiscent of Chrono Triggers future music. Aside from the overall feel I can see a few direct burrowings from Chrono Triggers future:
1. I believe that strange percussion that plays throughout Chronopolis to be a direct quote of the distant bell-kind of sound in Chrono Triggers Ruined world. The sound is similar and the rythm identical
2. This may be a bit far fetched, but its actually the first similarity that really struck me when I heard it for the first time: I think the base line in Chronopolis that enters around 1:35 is a variation of the base line in “Remains of Factory”
3. Of this one I’m not so sure, but I have the feeling the harmony of Chronopolis is similar to the harmony of Remains of Factory. The piano score doesn’t provide any chords in Remains of Factory and I think it would be tough to figure out an chords that make sense (at least I couldn’t do it), but there is a kind of downward progression with 5 chords in both pieces (part “B” in Chronopolis, part “D” in Remains of Factory according to the piano score)
4. Another similarity that I discovered after listening to your analysis is the galloping shaker in both pieces
5. My last Point has nothing to do with Chrono Triggers future, but the piano ostinato containing the 7^1^5 motif(0:50 in Chronopolis) is similar to the one in “Memories of Green”. Actually, forget the harmonic similarities to Remains of Factory, I’m noticing right now that the two ostinatos are indeed identical as are the harmonies of Memories of Green and Chronopolis. How exciting!
I think Chronopolis is one of the most remarkable pieces concerning the musical Trigger/Cross similarities: Chronopolis is the only PLACE that burrows elements from Chrono Triggers future, thus Chronopolis is also the only PIECE that burrows elements from Chrono Triggers future. That way the music complements these suprising plot connections to Trigger in a very effective way (at least that’s how I percieved it)
Anyway, just wanted to throw my point of view into the mix. In any case I’m looking forward to the hours upon hours of informational entertaining videogame music analysis ahead of me, thanks a lot for that!
By the way, I know its a two year old argument (over in the comments to episode 5), but I’ve also always heard the bell/piano ostinato in Life as Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak. Perhaps the 4/4 notation in the score is just to improve readabilty?