The Marine Waltz (Super Mario Bros/Super Mario World Underwater themes)

[BenEmberley]

Hi there everybody!

I completed a new arrangement, entitled "The Marine Waltz".  This is an arrangement for a full orchestra; a Waltz based on two themes: The Underwater music from Super Mario Bros., and Super Mario World. It's modelled on the Waltzes of Strauss and Tchaikovsky.

I've have had plans on writing this piece for some years, as the melodies make fantastic material for a Waltz - the bouncy rhythms lend themselves to powerful and vivid orchestration. In this arrangement, I intended to evoke the atmosphere of a 19th Century Dance Hall. After a slow introduction, based on the opening line of the SMW Underwater theme, the theme is then played through in its entirety, first in the Woodwinds, then in the Strings, as the Brass provides the rhythm, before building up to the end of the section where the music modulates from F major to C major. The SMB Underwater theme is brought in, being played through three times in ever increasing thickness of orchestration, before the music comes to a radiant conclusion using a segment of the SMB Underwater theme in a Tchaikovsky-esque Coda.

 

 

[Souperion]

Stunning. Just stunning. The original underwater theme always had a waltz vibe to it, but to hear it brought out so fully and artistically is a real treat. The introduction, every single transition and ornamentation, all while clearly tied to the source, it's brilliant. I'm awed by how organically it flows, continually changing but true to it's form. Excellent, most excellent.

[GSO]

yuss....

[thebitterroost]

The instrumentation/arrangement is perfect for that grand ballroom vision. Really enjoyed it! 

Only thing I would consider for future projects of this type would be to upgrade your strings to a nice sample library to punch up that realism. They aren't cheap (generally $200-500), but even some of the free ones around now can be used to great effect: http://musicproductionhq.com/free-sample-libraries/

[soundyg]

On 9/17/2019 at 11:03 PM, thebitterroost said:

The instrumentation/arrangement is perfect for that grand ballroom vision. Really enjoyed it! 

Only thing I would consider for future projects of this type would be to upgrade your strings to a nice sample library to punch up that realism. They aren't cheap (generally $200-500), but even some of the free ones around now can be used to great effect: http://musicproductionhq.com/free-sample-libraries/

To expand on this, you could also try giving Eastwest a go. It offers a subscription service, where you can get access to tons of good samples for a monthly fee, instead of splashing out crazy amounts right out of the gate.

In any case, BenEmberly you've done a stellar job with this piece, superb instrumentation, and an obviously matured and learned approach. If you don't mind me asking, how do you go about putting something like this together? Do you jot down everything to piano, or start with a particular instrument, and prove out that entirely? I'm curious to see what approach other folks use to generate their compositions, I tend to be fairly pell-mell lol.