Yeah! Episode 10! I’m really excited that “Into the Score” has survived such trials as the last year at University, last big student-teaching block, job-hunting and then having two jobs this summer - spot on, podcast 
Because we’ve reached double-digits, I decided to tackle a bigger score than usual - one that everyone would know and one to which most people have a sort of… emotional connection. This bi-monthly episode, the podcast focuses on Nobuo Uematsu’s brilliant score to Square Enix’s “Final Fantasy VII.”
The episode is quite huge - not going to lie to you, and it talks about a lot of big parts of the work - particularly regarding development, Cloud’s relationship to the Overworld theme and the character of Sephiroth (both musically and historically). There were a few things that I wanted to talk about in the episode, but to be honest, I simply forgot. The biggest one was the myriad of plot themes and macrocosmic ideas that get played out through the game.
There’s just so much! Abuse in power, the environment, love, loss… but not everyone takes away ALL of those themes, it’s as though the game speaks to everyone in a different way… that’s what’s really magical about it. I’ll let the music speak for itself, enjoy Episode 10!
Also, the addition to this episode, 10-2 (ha!) is the full performance of Jeremy Robson’s “Final Fantasy VII Philharmonic Suite,” which is unbelievably clever, crafty and beautiful. Definitely check this out after you catch this episode!
Awesome review covering nding a Song into the Universe at Into the Score! I enjoy your view.
Kenley,
I’m not sure if anyone else picked this up already, but Aeris’s Theme plays twice, and neither times are particularly cheerful. Once in that heart-wrenching scene you mentioned, but also once earlier in the game. In Midgar, after Tseng kidnaps her and you return to her house to see Marlene. It plays while Aeris’s mom relates her story to you.
Good find, definitely noted. That actually didn’t get picked up on my radar… I have to play that game again.
Thanks for the note, Josh!
Kenley
Awesome analysis! I actually just recently completed the game, and was really impressed by the score. I am extremely excited for your Crisis Core episode.
By the way, what is this pirate game you’re composing for? It would be awesome to hear a little sample from your score!
Quite a bit on this one:
I think that the “Melodies of Life” from FFIX are related to the FFVII Main Theme: the melody that is sung while “A voice from the past”- in the japanese version this is just one note in place of the identical two at “a voice”, being the “A” in “Afureru sono namida o”)- with the same note progression but without the accented dissonance. What’s more, the material at 2:30-2:41 reminds me distinctly of the “Melodies of Life” bridge, and is followed by the Main Theme. So: similar bridge leading to a melody starting the same way. Is this just my ear making up connections, or is this intentional? Anyway, it is in any case a good example of where a motive fragment can lead.
Different topic: if I am not mistaken, Cait Sith’s theme uses the ‘clapping’-ish percussion we otherwise hear in the Turks’ theme (but also Gold Saucer, I think it is)- how fitting as he is controlled by one. That would be a method we know about from Magus in disguise hinted at by the music in Chrono Trigger (as was noted in one of the Chrono Episodes)
I also wonder why the character is called “Sith”. Were they not afraid of copyright issues or is Sith a word older than Star Wars? (But this of course has only limited relevance to the score- or does it?)
The last thought related to Turks: what is a “Turk”, and what is the source for their musical and visual style? It appears that the concept does not related to Turkey, although that is what the word normally means. I also noticed that the “Blue Turk” from Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” has (to me) a similar feel to the Turks’ Theme (or is that just ‘cos I expect it to?).
On the section that dealt with One-Winged Angel: now, is there a specific relationship of the material of Orffs or not?
In retrospect, I wonder if anybody has missed a Dies Irae in the score, as we- supposedly- hear one when the upper city collapses (its water) on the “slum” in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, which is an event portrayed similarly in FFVII.
An afterthought: next time you do an FFVII podcast, don’t forget to give a people a bit of “World Crisis”, which I think is a wonderful expansion of the material of the game; I prefer such a think to the medley-style endings we hear e.g. in FFVI.
About One Winged Angel…
Sorry, Kenley, I’m an FFVII buff. The Birth of a God actually seems, to me, to serve as a link between Those Chosen by the Planet and One Winged Angel. If you listen carefully, there’s a riff in Birth of a God that is exploited after the “Sephiroth motive” and in One Winged Angel is after the chorus. I may be just making an aural connection…but that’s what I think.
Hi there,
I just stumbled across your podcast and have been enjoying it tremendously. I’ve just discovered that there’s in fact a third time that Aeris’ Theme plays (my motivation for another play-through was at least in part from this episode!) - right at the end of Disc 2 when the characters are all discussing why they’re staying to fight the final battle.
I’ve loved FFVII’s music since the first time I played it almost 12 years ago now, and it was great to see someone out there devoting a podcast solely to game music
Eric