Lifting the Veil/Vide, the Wicked

Track 6-11: Lifting the Veil

We’re down to the last few tracks for this analysis series now. This one is a prelude to the fight with Vide, who occupies what you might call the true “final boss” position, being the foe you fight in the extra story after defeating each traveler’s individual nemesis.

Musically, it takes its basic motifs from “Invitation to Darkness,” which the player has just heard in the dungeon, and acts as a transition to the next track, “Vide, the Wicked.”

Track 6-12: Vide, the Wicked

This track plays over the final boss battle in the game, which in a sense makes it the counterpart of the battle with Galdera in the previous game.

In the analysis of “The One They Call the Witch,” the music that plays over the battle with Galdera, I described it as expressing the idea of a life-or-death battle against a being beyond human comprehension. This track is similar, with a starkly different feel from the other battle pieces. I composed it as music for a showdown with a being of overwhelming vastness and power.

Like Galdera, Vide takes two forms over the course of the battle. This piece, which is the soundtrack to the battle’s first half, is played by a symphonic ensemble. To consider a few musical aspects, a string riff starts at 0:06 (a “riff” is a musical term for a repeated phrase or pattern of notes), soon followed by a melody on male tenor. The same chord is held the whole time, which builds tension that is finally released at 0:42, when the chords change and the strings are freed to play a melody.

The resonant, ringing tenor part at 2:09 is in a very high register. Singing like this is difficult and requires a great deal of technique, but that also adds a hint of tension, in a good way. With exceptions like the piano, each musical instrument can only produce sounds within a certain range, and that is naturally true of the human voice as well. In the case of the voice, however, the available range depends on the individual singer, and can be expanded by training. High notes are what you might call a chance for professionals to show what they can do.

The sung A note here is high, but not astonishingly so. In terms of register, it is ideal, creating just enough tension and also letting the vocalist demonstrate his abilities.

However, ending things there would be boring, so at 2:53 the melody rises to the C above that A, wrapping up the vocal showcase section with a bang.

You might find it interesting to listen out for these showcase moments, which are a unique feature of vocal music. 👌

Translation: Matt Treyvaud