This is only scratching the surface on the astonishing sonic landscape that Masayoshi Soken has been able to create in Final Fantasy XIV. So much to discuss, within individual chats. I found the parallels between my background in Opera and those of FFXIV to be incredibly interesting and I’m looking ahead to dive deeper into many many of the game’s fantastic tracks.
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:25 Leitmotifs v Motifs
01:14 Richard Wagner – Valhalla Motif
02:25 Giacomo Puccini – O Suave Fanciulla Motif
04:12 Torn From the Heavens | Warrior of Light Motif
05:30 Storm of Blood Motif | Stormblood
07:19 Repetition of Themes…
07:47 Expanding on a Theme | Innocence/Insanity
08:38 Variations on a Theme | Flow
09:28 Leitmotif | Hydaelyn and Flow
10:43 Footfalls Reprisal | Zenos
11:07 Shadowbringers | Who Brings Shadow
11:57 Ariadne Auf Naxos Trio
13:30 The Power of Repetition and Variation
14:38 Thematic Influence
15:08 The Exciting Power of Motifs/Leitmotifs
Credits:
Developer: Square Enix
Designer: Nobuaki Komoto
Composers: Masayoshi Soken, Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito
Singers: Sam Carter (Architecs), Amanda Achen
FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
© SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
Clips Used:
Torn from the Heavens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJSM4tAeEAA&t=64s
The Gift of life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SVcbqrVfd4
Revenge Two fold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms1_fL1eJ-o&t=44s
O Suave Fanciulla:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzPW8mXX3bg
Das Rheingold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_rzjp6sBr8
La Boheme Act 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aan27C4ra_I&t=1110s
Stormblood Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt1h1MinlLI&t=69s
Shinryu Phase 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqmlXC4aodw&t=159s
Kugane Day theme – Crimson Sunrise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evRptEAB808&t=127s
Innocence/Insanity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc4w0AXWcnI&t=184s
Each Drop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CChmySBUP0&t=42s
Radz-At-Han – Vibrant Voices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfCdwXbibQo&t=47s
The Nautilus Knoweth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZV3phBIDMs&t=325s
Flow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWgpJ0k820w&t=27s
Zenos Final Fight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIAG62UYZrs&t=214s
Who Brings Shadow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSYGILOL-tg&t=274s
Ariadne Auf Naxos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nkh-ipADkI&t=3337s
Background Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxPWEudVo3M&t=697s
source
I thoroughly enjoyed comparing and connecting some of my favorite opera motifs to those created by Soken for final fantasy xiv. It’s amazing seeing classic music technique being applied even today. I hope you found this interesting!
Soken really got his way to pacing the themes. When the melody in the seat of sacrifice started, you are literally hit by the weight of the ruined city and the people. And you recollect the memories and the faith you succeed, to walk on. One battle, two sides, both weights. EPIC.
The Heavensward motif gets me every time. Hearthsward is literally my favorite song in the game. It’s so beautiful and uplifting after all you know the ishgardians have been through and yet they came through it better on the other side. That song made me cry the first time I heard it. Just the song ❤️
As a Nier fan as well, all three boss themes from the Nier raids made my jaw hit the floor. They feature Prelude, the Main Theme of Final Fantasy and Torn From the Heavens motifs and they were blended in masterfully with the Nier music which already carry so much emotional meaning
My favorite motif and leitmotif in FFXIV would have to be Endwalkers "Flow" motif. I'm glad it was highlighted in the video, because the music helps represent the overall theme of Endwalker and respects it. Old Sharlayan's theme is probably one if not my favorite hub zone themes. So peaceful, but also gives off the feeling of there still being more knowledge to be learned from Sharlayan. Just a masterful game with masterful music and it will forever be one of the greatest games of all time because of it.
When I recognized the melody from Amaurot in "To The Edge", I can't put to words the feeling of gravity and excitement in that moment. Hearing lyrics put to this melody that was already soaking with emotional weight was something that just can't be delivered from other artistic mediums for me.
This is exactly the kind of video I’ve wanted for forever. There are so many leitmotifs in this soundtrack, but I’m hopeless at identifying them half the time. I’m just left thinking “I’ve heard that before right?” Now finally someone catalogues at least a few of them! Ty
Ultima / Heart of Sabik is a constant favorite of mine.
Obviously the original rendition in Preatorium is great but it pops up in UWU, the Primals remix is used in three of the Weapons fights, there's another remix used in the Diamond Weapon fight, and it's part of the medley in the Endsinger's theme.
I am always here for deep dives into music composition and theory.
Torn From The Heavens (the first leitmotif mentioned) is also regarded as one of soken's personal faves, and it's arguably THE theme song for FFXIV as a whole, showing up in bossfight themes, trailer music (even the latest Endwalker trailer has it). Practically every expansion has it in one form or another.
The funny thing is that in-game, the track is mostly associated with ordinary FATE events, not events or characters of utmost significance. It's not an expansion flagship theme song like Answers or Dragonsong, or even an iconic boss theme like a One Winged Angel, yet Torn From the Heavens has enough significance that it's earned a place in the repertoire of the Distant Worlds concert.
I love this video, but Marco you can't just hit me with the glory that is La Hee without warning. Nearly spit my drink on the screen.
My favorite leitmotif so far would be Penitus/A Land Long Dead/And Love You Shall Find. Which has been positioned as, unofficially, Gaius’ theme.
Whenever I hum or “na” the Flow Leitmotif, my eyes get very moist lmao
In terms of Leitmotifs my favourite will always be the Stormblood one. You hear it in the reveal trailer and you are just absolutly stunned. You get to the first boss in a dungeon and will be greeted with the best Dungeon Boss Battle theme. Its just way to good.
But which Leitmotif really got me was the version of Answers that has been used in the Hydalyn fight. When you finally understand what it means to Hear…..Feel….Think after 7 years.
My favorite leitmotif has to be "To the Edge" in "Neath Dark Waters." The ticking of the clock and melancholic atmosphere of a time long lost and those who still live struggling to cope with that loss and desperately trying to get it back. The fact Soken made this piece while in the hospital getting treatment for cancer just makes me appreciate the music more. He puts his heart and soul into his music and you can feel it in everything he does.
Shadowbringers is where everything changed for me. Up till then the story and the music were good and interesting. In ShB though both of them became phenomenal.
Do you know La Hee?!
Loved every part of the video! The little tidbits of music history and defining the concept of motif and leitmotif helps the understanding of what they entail. They expand on how it has strong effects on players who are familiar with a theme that has carried them throughout the game/expansion.
I would also like to mention that Deception (from Kugane Castle Dungeon) is somewhat similar to Insanity with the main Shadowbringers theme. Deception feels like a corruption of the Stormblood motif. I feel a lot of people don't talk about it when it is a Stormblood motif but reworked to invoke a different feeling.
My favorite use of leitmotifs tends to be when two or more are brought together to show the concepts they represent coming together or clashing. 'To the Edge' is a great example — it's primarily the Amaurot theme, of course, as heard in ''Neath Dark Waters' and 'Mortal Instants,' but it also includes significant elements from the Shadowbringers main theme. And so it's the past clashing with the future, the Warrior of Light fighting the Warrior of Darkness, the full resolution to everything the expansion's been building up to as two of its strongest themes unite. 'One brings shadow, one brings the light' indeed.
The Dragonsong leitmotif was the first to get me crying, hearing it playing in Zenith at night. But then the Amaurot ticking leitmotif is probably the one that shook me the most. Hearing it in the 5.3 trial, and then in Elpis… I'm tearing up just thinking about it.
The kugane leitmotiff is probably my favorite from the entire game.
The science behind why I cry and vibe so much while playing this game, only nier and drakengard music rivals the amount of raw emotion I get from FFXIV
Ope. Thanks for the spoiler warning. I have NOT even beat A Realm Reborn but I'm planning on it someday. Looking forward to watching this again when I'm done with FF14…. Eventually
Since you guys seem to know a lot about motifs, can anyone help me find other instances of this one from ARR? I'm going to list the track and what time it plays at.
Return of a hero – 0:39
From fear to fortitude – 2:24
Serenity – 4:21
Sultana dreaming – 4:02
Forever lost – 1:53
I feel like I've heard it in La Noscea before but I could be wrong.
I love that you made this video!! I tell my friends all the time about how much I love the leitmotifs that Soken incorporates, and you covered a lot of the really memorable ones and explained it in such a great way to those who may not be familiar with the classical and opera genres.
Eternal Winds as G'raha's theme gets me every time. I love it.
Flow is easily my most listened song of EW, I listen to it every day, especially the variant called Flow Together
I’d love to hear a breakdown from you about the endsinger themes (The Final Day/With Hearts aligned)
Feel like you could give a nice overview of it 🙂
RIP Stoneskin, you will not be missed.
my favourite one in XIV is probably Torn from Heavens, it's absolutely everywhere, and was the reason I started crying mid-fight for the first time in Endwalker
Insanity from the Innocence trial blew my mind when I first heard it, and it’s still one of my favorites!!!