| Other things |
| Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis ligula lorem, consequat eget, tristique nec, auctor quis, purus. Vivamus ut sem. Fusce aliquam nunc vitae purus. |
|
| 1: The Music of Escaflowne |
| Wednesday, June 20, 2007 |
I've decided to start with an essay I wrote for class some time ago. It's about the soundtrack of one of my favorite shows. Honestly, it has to be one of my favorite soundtracks too. But... for the record, I don't own Escaflowne or their music or the cd covers ^^.
"Tenkuu no Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaia OST" CD cover
Released in the year 1996, the 26-episode animé, The Vision of Escaflowne, has taken the hearts of fantasy-seekers, aside from animé-devotees, on a ride that seems to have yet to stop. The storyline of the TV series, however, pales in comparison with the collection of wonderfully written music by renowned Japanese composer Yoko Kanno (Ghost in the Shell, Card Captor Sakura, Gundam). The soundtrack contains vocals sung as the opening and ending themes, although most are symphonic scores performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and members of the Rome Union Orchestra.
The first track on the CD is – only fittingly – the opening theme of the series. “Yakusoku Wa Iranai” (“No Need for Promises”) is a delightful mix of traditional Japanese music – high-pitched offbeat singing and all – along with modern touches of pop (and oddly enough, Scottish bagpipes!). Sixteen-year old Maaya Sakamoto, who also happens to be voicing the series’ female protagonist, Hitomi Kanzaki, finishes off the vocals like an expert songstress – definitely, a dramatic way to launch her singing career.
Translated into English, the song speaks of a love-struck youth and her far-away lover being strong despite the distance between them. The optimism in the tune itself mirrors the lyrics that say something about being happy even when the one she loves is not there because she knows that their feelings bring them together, if not physically. Overall, this love theme narrates the silent and hidden emotions presented by the heroes in this animé classic.
Probably the only song not composed by Yoko Kanno is “Mystic Eyes”, the song which plays during the credits. Performed by Wada Hiroki, “Mystic Eyes” has an upbeat rhythm and the standard romantic lyrics you would find in any boy band single – nothing different from what one would expect from a boy band these days.
The list of scores, on the other hand, is long with each one having its own special gimmick and feel.
Tracks such as “Country Man”, “Machine Soldier”, and “Market Place” are rather rare types of music for a soundtrack. However, The Vision of Escaflowne does not deny their presence. The instruments used in those tracks hardly seem like musical devices at all. It is difficult to tell whether the use of syncopated beats, claps, and folk-like chants would take you back a couple hundred years or push you farther into the future.
Specifically speaking, “Country Man” and “Market Place” openly suggest a busy bazaar of sorts, where notes are hardly used. Voices, however (styled as a capella or in no real fashion at all), are a major factor in these two tracks.
The sweet melodies of “Memory of Fanelia”, “Sora’s Folktale”, and “Tree of Hearts”, on the other hand, are your typical mellow scores that underlie the most sentimental scenes in the series. The mellifluous tunes of the three tracks reflect an atmosphere of warmth of a distant fantasy, echoing the type of song perfect in a paradise or dream. The tracks’ effortless approach illustrates the delicate style reminiscent of classical music from the times of the great composers like Debussy or (as far as “Memory of Fanelia” is concerned) the Arthurian and Shakespearian bards and instrumentalists.
However, it is not surprising that Yoko Kanno should infuse such an ancient concept into “Memory of Fanelia” since the name “Escaflowne” could incidentally have come from Escaflown, brother to the Fisher King and Uncle of Percival, from the Arthurian Legend.
Not to be outdone by the classics the “Escaflowne” chant is evocative of ancient rituals and prayers like those from the Gregorian chants. So natural are all the elements in this track, you have to pay careful attention not just to the foreground of the song. In the distance, the soft thunderclap along with technological advancements in music orchestration give “Escaflowne” a sense of medieval times as well as present day music magic.
Then there are the pieces like “Charm”, “A Far Cry”, and “Revenge” that suggest the scheming and evil scenes of the series. Yoko Kanno has magnificently interpreted the music of malevolence so much so that it stands out and is immediately identifiable. The sudden crescendos formed by the blaring of horns and strings signal tensions almost immediately in “A Far Cry” and “Revenge”, while a simple tick-tock of a clock marks the intro and fin of “Charm”.
The musical compositions, “Fatal” and “Deja Blue”, are two of the simplest tracks in the CD. The first involves a person whistling an almost ominous tune, making such an unpretentious melody magically eerier that it should be. The latter invokes childlike dreams with its modest music box rendition of the main theme. However, despite their uncontrived nature, these two tracks belie themselves as Yoko Kanno arranges them for the most crucial of scenes – With “Fatal” playing during the hero’s epiphany of how his brother had escaped death and “Deja Blue” when the heroine discovers the truth about her object of affection’s former affair.
My personal favorite, “Shadow of Doubt”, plays along my love for the blending of instruments. It starts first with a cello soloist and soon works up to a brimming orchestra, alive with the sinister theme so passionately replayed. Taken one instrument at a time, the melodies each instrument is responsible for are nothing except repetitive notes, but as they accumulate in number, the true harmony appears, like a scheme just waiting eagerly to be deployed, growing to a climax a step at a time.
Yoko Kanno’s compositions breathe life and drama into the animé series, setting the exact mood called for by the scenes. Her compositions have a style all their own, where the scores seem to evoke such a great deal of emotion that, in a few measures. Her works could easily make your skin crawl or become an instant tearjerker, even sans the visuals. Her painstaking love for tiny details (an accent on one note, a pianissimo then sudden forte all in one measure) has turned her musical masterpieces from The Vision of Escaflowne into timeless works that are well-loved to this day. |
posted by GMDG @ 7:02 AM  |
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: GMDG
Home: Pasig, Philippines
About Me: Resident Blogger and Photographer
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
| Links |
|
|
| Powered by |
 |
|
