ReMix:Chrono Trigger "Memories from the Wind Scene" 3:44

By Christian Pacaud

piano solo

Arranging the music of one song...

"Yearnings of the Wind"

Primary Game: Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda

Posted 2005-10-11, evaluated by the judges panel

Damn Anaheim Angels... ahh, well, there's always next year... Beautiful, striking, and his first solo piano ReMix, Christian writes of his latest submission:

"CRNO TRIGGAR REEMIX !!!!111omg...
Seriously, this is an arrangement I did for the Chrono Trigger Piano Collections project on the SquareSound forums.

Those with eidetic memories or particularly firm grasps on the cumulative OCR compendium to date will note that kLuTz's 600 A.D. in Piano covered the same theme with a solo piano arrangement as well, which the judges mention in their writeups but which didn't impact their overall decisions. There's enough differences that I don't think either mix runs the risk of sounding like it's re-treading the other's tracks, regardless of chronological order. To generalize, Pacaud's mix is more flamboyant, perhaps a bit more buoyant too, as while there are softer passages, the dominant tone is up-tempo, forte stuffs, with plenty of underlying runs dotting the landscape. My favorite section is from 2'07" to 2'25", which showcases the downright nifty chomaticism and ornamentation he employs throughout, but also pays more careful attention to dynamics. The recording is such that you might have a hard time determining whether it's live or Memorex, real or Maybeline, as though it's actually sampled, the performance is human, the piano sample high quality, and the reverb clear without being too perfect. I'd be interested in which sample this is; it's one of the better emulations I've heard, especially considering the large number of held, nested sustains. Brandon brings the love early:

"There’s much to enjoy here. The arrangement is wonderfully lively, the performance is masterful and there are tons of melodic variations on the theme packed into just under 4 mins. No section feels underdeveloped, the build, climax and resolution are all very pronounced and well executed, and as a result I actually think that this mix benefits from its brevity."

But also makes some 'plaints 'bout the dynamics, and the ending as well, before indicating that even with these gripes, it's still strongsauce:

"I have to say that the final note that hangs for 13 seconds feels odd and should be faded sooner. In the end though, my gripes are not enough to warrant a NO. This mix will make a fine addition to the volumes of Chrono Trigger mixes and will add one more solo piano performance to my personal collection."

I didn't mind the ending so much; there's a boatload of notes packed into this humdinger, so I thought giving the final chord some breathing room achieved distance from the compositional fray, so to speak. Dynamics are probably the main nitpick I'd raise - there's no question that things are varied, and Christian doesn't even come close to cheating us out of a very full, pouncing fortissimo, but the quieter sections never feel like they've fully retreated from the battlefield into relative warmth and recuperation. In other words, the louds are certainly loud enough, but the softs could be a bit softer... in McDLT terms, it certainly keeps the hot side hot, but the cold side ranges from cool to lukewarm. However, there's plenty of piano arrangements that invert that balance, so this might even be a little refreshing from that perspective. At any rate, it's largely mitigated by a fantastic performance that's just plain fun to mentally follow along with, as Mr. P goes all over the place but never meanders, and shows off some impressive dexterity, both physical and compositional.

― djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
OA
on 2009-12-18 11:40:58

I think the piano sound is a little too bright, but otherwise, this is great. The are some very nice arrangement ideas here, specifically with the chord changes; it feels very natural and off-the-cuff. This would be great to see performed, or if a dude was playing this in a department store while I was christmas shopping, i'd stop to listen.

Nice work. :-)

avatar
Chitaku
on 2009-04-29 11:10:33

I really enjoy this piece. It's playful, touching on different tones throughout the piece. I don't know if you planned it, but I wonder if the name of this piece reflects the different tones. You've got happy, chaotic, relaxed, and one that sounds worried weaved in together. Kudos in this piece.

avatar
evktalo
on 2007-12-11 06:27:25

A well executed and refreshing take on a well-loved original. My favourite moment has to be 01:55-02:00 where it somehow feels that the theme is moving.. sideways. I like the long final chord too.

--Eino

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Jaybell
on 2007-08-07 23:18:20

Well, damn. I was thinking through this entire piece, "wow, what a beautiful and awesome interpretation of Wind Scene, the guys got some serious talent, no way this is sequenced." But reading this review thread, it turns out this is entirely sequenced? 8-O I can hardly believe it.

I actually prefer this one moreso than 600AD in Piano, because it's much more interpretive. It's just a whole lot more fun and energetic.

avatar
DragonFireKai
on 2007-03-04 15:30:26

Well, I think that CPac has proven himself an excellent pianist time and again. I am a big fan of his work on the Xenogears: Light album. However, I think there are points where overembellishes this song. It's still an excellent piece, but 600 AD in Piano just sounds a lot cleaner.

avatar
WolverineDK
on 2007-01-22 15:45:36

Damn, I am shocked, what a perfect way of raping a theme. That is one of the first Chrono Trigger covers, Where I don´t know what to say, without saying too much negative points.

Shit, I think I would be running screaming the other way. If you did another cover in that kind of way. But I envy your talent, in playing an instrument. So that is the most positive thing, I can say about your version of that theme. Since I don´t have much positivity about this piano piece, since I feel it is utter rape of a very fucking great melody.

but well, to save my own ass, then it is my opinion. and normally I am not that critical about a melody. But here I feel (possibly like the only one), that this version isn´t my cup of tea at all.

avatar
meccaneer
on 2006-03-28 16:58:40

Awesome-possum... can I say that? Do people really say that?

Yeah, I liked it. The piano sample is incredible, the sequencing is dope; it's lively and full of contrast; it differs and it doesn't. I give the thumbs up, eh.

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kLuTz
on 2005-12-07 23:41:49

Awesome awesome!! Top notch work, very professional, nice nice!

More!! =)

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Darkmetamorphasis
on 2005-12-01 18:47:57

Sil pretty much said it when in fact it does remind me of French Impressionism, it sounds crisp and clear, and it just goes into a almost perfect version of 600 A.D. So without a doubt this is what I've been waiting for, (not including 600 A.D. in Piano)

avatar
Dramon_Killer
on 2005-11-01 04:16:46

This one reminded me so much of the other piano arrangement. I kept thing...man i've heard this before.

But in all honesty, I don't care because they both are freakin awesome.

Good stuff.

Great take on timeless source material.

avatar
CPacaud
on 2005-10-31 22:22:46

I'll take that one as a compliment :P

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Liontamer
on 2005-10-31 21:01:17
Well done arranged. The playing is very nice but the recording is...well I can tell you're in a small room because of the echo. Not sure what you can do about that when recording live piano.

It's completely sequenced by hand actually. Good stuff, eh?

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jorgandar
on 2005-10-31 18:54:09

Well done arranged. The playing is very nice but the recording is...well I can tell you're in a small room because of the echo. Not sure what you can do about that when recording live piano.

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Eclipse_Wargod
on 2005-10-22 22:18:48

i like it just there is one thing i dont... the beginning of the song.. its a little... lost to me... like it was messed up or somthing... dont get me wrong.. mabby thats what you where going for. also a little fast in the beginning. Everything else is awsome..

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Burger Deluxe
on 2005-10-17 16:15:22

Hmm...very abstract. One of the songs I would really, really love to love. But, alas, it just can't go past my so-so margin.

Don't get me wrong, the piano playing was superb; lots of incredible progressions, and a great oneuppuns from the original stuff. But, in my opinion, there was just a lot going on...sure, it sounded good. But, it just didn't seem that there was enough structure to support it.

Maybe if it was drawn out more, where things could take more time to flow, it would have made an impact aside from a damn good pianist. But, overall good work. Just didn't hit me right, though.

I'd love to see your take on other popular songs, though. I find your style fascinating.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"Yearnings of the Wind"

Tags (2)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Piano
Additional:
Arrangement > Solo

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Memories_from_the_Wind_Scene_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,571,873 bytes
MD5:
779e5544262cec8992bb2ea1984e6423
Bitrate:
160Kbps
Duration:
3:44

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