Despite its location in an isolated corner of the Spiral, Monquista, rich in gold and culture, is one of its most prominent powers. The Skull Island colonies enrich their people considerably. In line with Valencia and Marleybone, their society is posh and structured in which there is a noble class, a (daily changing) monarchy, and the Church. These powers fight vigorously with one another for control.
Please note I title tracks with their Wizard101 music scroll title and not the title of the You Tube video.
Skyway Theme
You can receive this music scroll from fishing chests in the Myth House, Sultan’s Palace, and Polarian Shipwreck
The Monquista soundtrack is most notable for its vocal counterpoint and harmony. This is complemented by stringed instruments like the guitar.
We begin with the full choir harmonizing together. The cello accompanies in a soulful motion, keeping the tempo and balance in the ensemble. Three pulses per measure is established, giving us a Mediterranean essence.
We are greeted by the guitar at 00:18 seconds, the brass then joins in a perfect cadence. A classic resolution drives us into the next section. More strings join, creating counterpoint in the melodic contours between the pizzicato strings, the cello, and the voices.
The tension rises though the chord progression. The cello hits a higher top note in each measure, leading us up to the entrance of the flute at 00:36 seconds. The contrasting chords in this section remind me of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
This continues until 0:52 seconds in when the high strings foreshadow other pieces to come. This connects the musical development and identity of Monquista.
Royal Theme
You can receive this music scroll from fishing chests in the Myth House and Polarian Shipwreck
The piece begins with a regal texture, sharing likeness to Mozart’s Lacrimosa in melodic contour and structure. Beginning with the cello solo with the bass accompaniment, we feel the music in patterns of three, setting the tempo and mood for the entry of the choir.
At 0:26 seconds into the piece, the strings drop out, leaving the choir a capella. This leaves the music to sustain its somber, church-like tone until the string’s re-entry 0:38 seconds in, the cadential point, or moment the music’s tension seizes.
The flute begins 0:54 seconds into the piece, introducing the melody in a major modulation, or key change to a brighter key. We can hear the key change with the music’s relaxed tone instead of the somber and dramatic counterpart that came before.
Native Theme
You can receive this music scroll through fishing chests at the Death House, Nomad’s Camp, Polarian Shipwreck, Serpentine Escape, and the Winter Wind Tower.
The men of the choir sing in bass and baritone range, doubled by the guitar like the last track. This is the closest we’ve seen to monophony in the game’s soundtrack. In other words, each instrument plays in unison, without a simultaneous harmony. As the timpani strikes, the guitar drops out in favor of the strings section, thickening the orchestration.
The horns crescendo into a new section. The strings take over, violins with the melody as the lower strings stabilize with long tones. The melody passes to the choir as the strings sustain beneath.
Like before, the orchestra crescendos into a new section. We receive a cadential point with a faint cry of the flute in the distance. The strings die down from sustaining chord progressions into lighter orchestration at timestamp 1:05.
The guitar is accompanied by percussion in this new section. Every now and again we hear the flute’s cry once more. The melody passes from the choir to the strings, ending in a suspended chord, withholding a proper resolution.
We embark on the coda of the piece at timestamp 1:37. The beat is accented by the choir and tambourine. The strings interlude, leading us back to the beginning.
Thank you, Starlights, for joining me on this musical adventure through the music of Monquista.
Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated
In the first Wizard101 arc we learn the story of Malistaire and Sylvia. Even in death their love holds them together. A dark and mysterious man in a supernatural castle who goes too far. In Gothic literature this is a common theme. This is only fitting for our Phantom of The Opera esq love story. Let’s us take a look at the magic behind the music in the haunted sequel of this epic love story.
Main Theme
The orchestration begins with an eerie celesta solo accompanied by a shrill violin. The bass instruments soon follow, supporting the established sound. This theme calls and responds throughout the ensemble. It travels to the oboe and harp then follows to the flute and pizzicato strings soon after.
The choir and chimes enter at 00:39 seconds in. They trade off beats as the brass and strings emphasize the modulation of a minor chord to a major chord. This repetition develops into a different minor chord. This sets the mood of the dark essence of a Gothic castle.
We continue with a waltz which uses the same texture as before until timestamp 1:13. This is where we enter a Marleybone style orchestration with more organic sections. A change from the block-style Darkmoor tends to use. Then we jump back into the familiar melody introduced at the beginning. The orchestration lightens with several solos before its return to the start.
Tense Theme
The timpani, contrabass, and bassoon begin this section in a low rumble. They solo before the harp’s tone cluster 00:10 seconds in that introduces the high strings.
The alto flute introduces a maniacal theme, doubled by the grandiose pipe organ. This instrument is a familiar feature in pop culture when exploring the Gothic era and its music.
Timestamp 00:27 surprises us by clustering the tones within its chord progression. In the midst of this dissonance, a waltz occurs. The melody is a whisper, stressing tension on the non-chord tones. The bass line becomes overpowering. This reflects the feelings of our Wizard in the quest to conquer Castle Darkmoor.
The next section sneaks in, with arpeggiation in the woodwinds, celesta, and pizzicato strings. The music sneaks around the castle in espionage and exploration. The beginning theme returns in solo instruments, like a hollow echo of what came before.
Reunited Theme
A short piece plays in the Darkmoor reunion scene when Malistaire and Sylvia reunite. This is where they may finally be at rest together.
At timestamp 00:15, the upper strings enter the scene with the first violin sustaining a high note. This reminds us of the start of the main theme. The second violins and violas harmonize on the offbeats, swelling into them. We progress into a major modulation before the music halts into silence.
We continue as before, except now moving onward to a darker minor chord. The timpani interrupts, crescendoing into a tutti section of the ensemble. The great pipe organ swells in a twelve-tone row. In this form atonality all twelve keys are equally presented.
The romantic music begins at 00:58. The romance derives from tension tones added to chord. This makes us feel that we are wanting resolve. It is this tension that makes us expect something brilliant to happen at the climax of the music. Often, it’s a kiss. Here, it’s the finality of death as Malistaire and Sylvia cross to the other side of the veil. Together forever.
Large brass fanfares and orchestral jubilation continue as we say goodbye to Malistaire. Third times the charm, am I right?
Thank you, Starlights, for venturing with me through the Gothic music of Castle Darkmoor.
Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated
As the emperor falls ill, the factions of Mooshu wage war against each other and there is no way of knowing how it will all play out. Mooshu’s people are hesitant to trust us wizards because of Malistaire who stole their spiral key in an attempt to resurrect his beloved Sylvia. Let us delve into the atmosphere and take a closer look at how the music of Mooshu is used to aid the story.
“Main”
From the first moment, the texture is established through a high-pitched gong. The plucked strings set the serene tone and give the land of Mooshu a musical identity. We feel the authenticity in relation to our own world. The flute comes in, sustaining a single tone with an embellishment, queuing the plucked strings to play a phrase in a soli. A soli is the musical action of having a single section play together, similar to a solo, but with more people playing the same phrase.
After that, we dive into the first melody. Syncopated and fluttering with notes, this is our driving theme of action. The finger cymbals add percussive texture. The flute plays it first, before the plucked strings, giving us continuity in the established musical texture, as well as creating a call-and-response pattern between these instruments.
By 00:32 seconds, we have our second melody. This melody contrasts with the first by being calmer, less syncopated, and having fewer notes. After the flute plays, the bowed strings make their first appearance, adding grandeur and excitement to the texture. The flute climaxes in a beautiful solo, with the same melody as before, except the notes are more sustained. This leads to the calming down.
Our call-and-response pattern continues as the plucked strings and percussion lead us back into the hardy bowed strings. The strings play an ostinato as the flute develops the melody sustaining notes whilst adding a flutter, combining the two melodies we have heard previously. The next section calms us down, phasing in and out the different instruments and bringing us back to the beginning.
“Plague”
The Shoshun village is one of the most memorable parts of Mooshu, acting as a major crossroads of four paths. Guarded and maintained by monks, here is where we find the healing waters that will save the plagued waters of Mooshu. The plucked strings take the majority of the piece with a motif before the erhu plays the melody at 00:49 seconds. This is the same melody as the second theme in the piece before, but the piece recontextualizes this theme to the current events of the story. This theme represents Mooshu’s ongoing troubles.
Next, at timestamp 1:25, the brass plays. This is a new instrument that hasn’t been in the first theme, and the majority of this piece is over when the brass comes in. The entry of the brass, ascending in pitch, represents the wizard uplifting Mooshu from its troubles. The high strings come in as the harp plays descending lines. This minor tonality represents the struggle of saving Mooshu from the plague.
“War”
Starting with the dark brass, there is new context to this timbre. The factions of Mooshu are waging war against each other and our wizard is the one who must be swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire, and mysterious as the dark side of the moon.
Spontaneous and erratic, the deep drums signal the driving emotion of the high stakes in this section. The bowed strings and flute play, queuing in the hardy, pulsing plucked strings and percussion. This music represents how the attack occurred at Hametsu village, pillaging it to ruin.
The war theme contrasts with the plague theme in style and orchestration, but the pulsing melodic ostinato emphasizes the first three out of three-and-a-half pulses in each measure, similar to the melody heard in the plague theme. I say “three-and-a-half pulses” because the entire piece is in an “unusual” time signature to our western ears. The piece is in 7/8, meaning we must divide the number seven into three pulses, making one of them unequal to the others.
The brass enters again, signaling the devastation to the village with their minor tonality and descending tones. Afterward, the pulsing ostinato in the plucked strings continues as new elements are added to the texture. The plucked strings mimic and develop the brass’ line as a motif to tie the end together.
“Haunted”
The Haunted Theme plays in the Yoshihito temple that serves as a crossroads to the final areas of Mooshu. Serving as the grey area between life and death, the tone is melancholy and almost sorrowful.
We begin with the high strings harmonizing in a minor tonality, with the plucked strings and percussion responding to the high string’s cry. The erhu plays the melody, heard from the Plague and Main themes. The major harmonies and wind chimes give the theme new light. This thematically represents peace and the finality of death.
We glissando into the climax at 00:39 seconds. This glissando places the strings to play the highest notes an octave above the erhu. The erhu then walks down the scale in eighth notes, giving us resolution into the next phrase.
The ostinato heard in the Main Theme comes back, then, we jump around notable themes from the other three pieces. This alludes to the haunted theme acting as a recapitulation of the theme we heard before which brings resolution to this chapter of the story.
“Mystical”
This selection from Pirate101 is heard in the Skyways and is one of the most simple in orchestration. We begin with the koto playing a simple line. From the placement of the pitches, it feels syncopated, despite it being completely even eighth notes. This is accompanied by finger cymbals, blocks, and unique drums, fitting into the timbre of the previous pieces.
The erhu comes in, slightly thickening the light texture, adding sustained notes that stabilize the orchestration before the flute comes in. At 00:42 seconds in, we are greeted with a familiar element heard in the previous pieces of descending arpeggios. The flute seems to dim away as the tam-tam crashes, giving drama to the texture.
The plucked strings and flute play the melody in unison, emphasizing its importance. The brass come in, adding counterpoint in the pause of the melody. This calms down into a flute solo with the plucked strings having a wonderful glissando, giving a magical effect. The plucked strings come back in as the flute plays the main melody of the piece before the percussion, strings, and flute changes the texture into a climactic tutti, or the entire orchestra, before we calm down to start again.
Thank you, Starlights, for venturing through the music of Mooshu with me. Have a wonderful night.
Disclaimer
Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere in the spiral. We sit by the glowing embers, drinking our hot chocolate, cuddling with our fuzzy kitten, when ho! – there’s Christmas music in the Bazaar! You run by the great tree near The Commons pool, through The Shopping District and take a peek into the yuletide scrolls, and in a wild frenzy, you decide to buy them all. ‘Tis the season, am I right? So now, the music is playing in your home, perfectly seasonal and festive.
Let’s take a look into these heart-warming music scrolls and see how well they rival Mariah Carey and examine the musical craftsmanship the composers at Kingisisle took arranging these holiday favorites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u92UQSI4NvM
“Jingle Bells” and “Yuletide Jingle”
Like snowflakes twinkling on the new-fallen snow, we begin with a glockenspiel and sleigh bells that set the festive tone. The piano glissandos, adding a new texture, heralding the melody, joyous and free. At 00:16 seconds in, the big band comes in. Heaven and nature sing as the trumpets and trombone begin to swing. The sax and percussion add such vibrant color, it really brings out a new Christmas wonder.
By 00:36 seconds, the first idea we heard with the twinkling and the melody being played on the piano develops, adding a new jazz band texture. It’s also worth noting the vibraphone playing a countermelody against the main jingle bells theme. This line arpeggiates the chord progression while the rest of the band plays.
With a strong, tutti finish, we enter a new section. The piano plays an impressive solo as the brass of the band stabs at some of the syncopated notes, adding emphasis. The saxophones take over the melody as the brass continues while the piano flourishes the piece with arpeggios. We are brought back to the first section we heard before a ritardando to the end.
Overall, our form was AABA, or in other words, we played our first section twice, played a new section, then went back to the original. In our culture, it’s very common to have Christmas songs played in a jazz style, even if we don’t know that it is. White Christmas and All I Want For Christmas is You are good examples with their jazz chords and interpretation.
Above is a simple arrangement of the piece “Jingle Bells.” The capital letters beneath each note match the pitch on your computer keyboard related to the Grand Playable Piano and Playable Toy Piano items found in the crown shop.
Notice the points of the music where it has the number 1 and number 2. In music, we typically call these “first” and “second endings.” The idea behind this is that you will go back to the beginning of the section, indicated by colon called “the repeat sign,” and play the same thing that you have just done before, but now with a variation on the ending. The first ending is called the “antecedent” phrase, because it does not resolve, setting up the theme’s repeat. The second phrase is the “consequent” phrase since it contains the resolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIwlRqPx60
“Deck The Halls”
In a rather upbeat manner, we start off with a line of eighth notes with some sixteenth note syncopation played by the piano as the harp glissandos along. A wind instrument calmy takes the melody. The flutes play along, strengthening the fa-la-la-la-la-ing of the chorus. This pattern continues until the reeds join in to resolve the phrase.
Next, at 00:39 seconds in, the melody is handed to the bassoon. This personally reminds me of older family members like grandparents that have a deeprooted joy for Christmas. The wood blocks add emphasis to the articulation the bassoon displays, developing the melody. The clarinets rock back and forth between their notes, like little youngsters playing with their elders.
The strings delightfully swoon through, gaining the household’s attention. The bassoon adds ascending arpeggios and it appears like the family is talking to one another. The family seems pleased with each other, all ending in the same melody.
We have a ritardando that leads us into the next section. The Commons theme begins to play, proclaiming that Christmas shall be brought to Wizard City with great fanfare. The Commons theme replaces the Deck The Halls theme seamlessly, because of the melody’s similar contour and rhythm, as some of the original melody still shines through.
In this simple arrangement of “Deck The Halls,” we play with the idea of different voices having different parts of the melody. At first, the treble staff rings out the melody as the bass staff holds the primary note of the chord, known as the “tonic” and also the “root of the chord.” We seamlessly switch the melody to the bass, giving emphasis on “fa-la-la-la-la,” but immediately switch back to the treble to complete the resolution.
The words at the end of the music, “D.S. al fine” means to go back to the sign and stop where it says “fine,” meaning “finish.” Unlike “Jingle Bells,” the resolution is built into the music. This is what we call “ternary form,” where we end with the section we started with, having a contrasting section between them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zymp2tyEbc
“Carol of The Bells”
Dramatically, the piano and sleigh bells set the tone, as though we see a dim candle lit in midst of a storm. Short and plucky, the bass line comes in, descending down a majortetrachord. Scales are composed of two tetrachords, which are four note patterns. Echoing the line, the strings harmonize going down the next four notes. When notes move towards a descending motion like this, we typically feel calmed. This is also why the resolution of a piece relies on the tonic note when the rest of the scale ascends above it.
A rhythmic motif is added, emphasized by the piano and strings. A motif is a short, recognizable phrase that can be developed throughout a piece by using different notes or adding variation to the rhythm. This introduction is hinted at when we come to a cascading figure built upon a melodic minor scale.
This brings us to a new section at 00:20 seconds that reminds me of children playing beneath the tree on Christmas day. This melodic figure develops by changing the pitches whilst maintaining the rhythm for continuity. This is followed by the same cascading scale we heard before. This repeats, as the strings add-in again, leading to a climax.
Next, at 00:45 seconds, the brass come in. Their dark tone adding to the quality of the minor chords they play. This develops the line the piano has played previously, giving the notable ostinato new context with this texture and reharmonization.
This leads us into 00:53 seconds, where it feels truly magical with the sustained chords in the strings, the arpeggiated solo in the piano, and of course, the wind chimes. The horns come into the texture, introducing the trumpets, playing chords. The progression goes from the minor tonic i, to the relative major III, to the dominant V. In music analysis, we typically label chords with Roman numerals and capitalize the numeral based on major or minor tonality. This progression is the climax of the piece, using the chromatic voices to cause linear dissonance which then leads to the chords that point us to where the tension can be resolved.
We end the piece in a recapitulation of the melodic content that occurred at the beginning of the piece. We end in the very way we started, like that dim lit in the storm, fading away to nothing. This piece contrasts compared to the others. Neither in a jazz style, nor a Major key, we have a dramatic orchestral style set in a minor key, which evokes the sense of Christmas past, similar to other pieces like GodRestYeMerryGentlemen.
Take note of how the second staff is now also a treble clef. This means we play the second one with our left hand, but now we are playing in a higher register than before. Looking through the piece you will see that when we have the majestic ascending scales, the left hand will cross above the right hand in order to give the needed harmony while working with the restrictions of the in-game instruments.
Thank you, Starlight, for venturing through my Yuletide edition analysis. You have truly made this Yuletide bright. I bid you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Disclaimer:
Please note: The above sheet are not transcriptions from the music scrolls, as they would be in previous articles. These are simple arrangements I’ve made to accommodate the simple nature of the in-game playable Wizard101 instruments.
Welcome, one and all, to tonight’s program. Performed by the one and only, Royal Marleybone Philharmonic Orchestra. We have a lovely selection prepared for you tonight: the four original Marleybone themes, as well as a few surprise delights from the Pirate101 edition of Marleybone. From Albion to Cheddarberg, only the finest musicians from all around Marleybone will play for you tonight. Special composer, Nelson Everhart, will conduct the ensemble tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEu5rLXdhGc
“Main Theme“
From the very first downbeat of the piece, we are entranced with the mood set. The clarinet plays the melody accompanied by the fluttering harp and chiming bells, adding a unique timbre to a proper magical Victorian era, Marleybone. The strings come out of nowhere, crescendoing into the main melody and taking over the pre-established sound of the ensemble.
A waltz begins from the climactic intrada. The melody is passed from the clarinet to the horns as the harpsichord adds to the timbre and keeps the timing of the piece. The call and response from the instruments switch faster, building tension to which 00:39 seconds in, the cymbals crash as the clarinet takes over once again. The horns keep the time, building on the atmosphere of the piece, giving the clarinet a more noble sound.
The theme passes again to the strings and then to the trumpets, building upon itself until a great resolution at time stamp 01:12. The strings maintain the melody as the chimes strike the most it has in the piece. The chimes are giving strength to the overall sound, adding light counterpoint in its differing rhythm with the strings.
In a serene moment, the Celesta adds to the sound of the ensemble, suspending the overall mysterious tone. The harps flutter and chimes strike again, mirroring the established sound from before. The mood shifts brightly as the horns begin the melody upon the cymbal crash. Wonderfully enchanting, I could see Mary Poppins fly down from the heavens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmApo5QCH48
“Theme 1“
With a strong strike on the bass drum and chimes, the piece begins. The Celesta keeps time as the piano adds flourishments before the cello begins the melody. We have kept the same waltz style as before – a common attribute to the tracks of Marleybone.
00:52 seconds in, a bell-tree plays, marking the start of a new mood and a key change to Ab harmonic minor. We are more solemn than before, relying on the higher woodwinds and strings to carry the melody rather than the hardier instruments. The chimes accent the melody’s downbeats. After this, the tuba fanfares in a climax at 00:57 seconds, with the higher instruments from before crescendoing in. Ending in high intensity, the last two measures, as written above, shift into Ab melodic minor.
We then enter a new section that includes a unique modal counterpoint between the flute and the bassoon. A motif from before, the bell-tree again marks a new mood. The flute continues playing the same melody as before, but now alongside the violin. The pizzicato strings continue the light waltz pattern, providing an upbeat vibe that the melody floats over.
Next, we crescendo into the most notable climax of the piece at timestamp 1:22. A classic V I chord progression brings us excitingly into the first melody on the violins. The celesta keeps time again, bringing back elements of what we’ve heard before to give the continuity.
Finally, we feel the piece giving its all before the final close. Time stamp 1:42 marks the point the low brass can give a good blow, giving the piece a nice touch of color. The melody plays over this, emoting triumph. The celesta comes in, adding a touch of mystery before the winds and strings arpeggiate to rejuvenate back to the top.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eitnO5KYQmA
“Theme 2“
Rather familiar, this is nearly the same as the music played within the tower of Golem Court. Played on the Scotland Yard rooftop, the theme hints at what is to come. Swarming with golems, Katzenstein’s lab connects us back to our prior experiences. Regina Flametalon assigns us to go back and forth to each tier of the tower for a new golem part, establishing them as important in our minds.
Meowiarity eventually breaks out with Malistaire, who, in the tutorial, was inside the Golem Tower when we first met him. This is a clever leitmotif. Using a musical theme to connect characters to places, it is foreshadowed Malistaire will make an appearance at this part of the game when we hear this theme played.
At 00:49 seconds, the strings slow into harmonious counterpoint as the chimes strike, adding onto a common timbre displayed throughout the Wizard101 tracks of Marleybone. The woodwinds join in, fluttering between their notes, rocking back and forth to add to the layers of orchestral texture.
At time stamp 01:09, there is a modal interchange that adds brightness, taking us out of our current calming minor key, adding excitement, and resolves into a mysterious minor section, changing the mood.
The melody becomes more stately as before, reminding us of the beginning of this track. The rhythm begins to syncopate with the tempo, defining the pulse in a way unique to the other tracks. The melody from before plays again, but now in an upbeat tone and Major key. It too syncopates along the rhythm, adding odd accents on off-beats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENfpLKyntx8
“Theme 3“
We feel the tension the moment the strings glissando downward. The mystery beckons us forward with the ostinato in the harp. The flute dances eerily like a fiend in the shadows. This is a unique theme, as it is the only one of the original Marleybone themes that aren’t a waltz. We hear this melody pass to the cellos as it develops the material, ornamenting it with the violin glissandos. This continues until the strings and flute enter counterpoint with each other.
At 00:33 seconds, the beat pulses in the background as the theme is placed on a violin, changing the mood. We are driven forward until the climax point at 0:40 seconds, bringing back our familiar melody from the previous tracks.
The chimes join in, adding continuity to the dynamic timbre from the other tracks.
The mood drastically changes again, 00:52 seconds in, changing the pulse from quarter notes to eighth notes. This causes the tone to be upbeat, although its use in a minor chord causes this bittersweet emotion, where it’s dark and joyous at the same time.
The march continues onward, layering the woodwinds on top with the main melody. We next mix up this emotion as the orchestration spirals deep through the ensemble, leading us into an unstable development section where the meter changes back into a waltz feeling at time stamp 1:11. There is heavy counterpoint between the strings and woodwinds; each playing their melody the moment they have the chance.
We calm down as the cello takes over the melody, slowing down into true majesty. The woodwinds add in, adding a high-pitched color before we settle into the horns. We are taken back to the main melody in the same Mary Poppins style from the “Main Theme” track. The brass come in heavy, preparing for a final close, leaving with a big final hit, representing our close on the Marleybone story.
“Sewers”
This piece alone gives Marleybone such great depth. In Wizard101, we are only exposed to the aristocratic life, where people’s greatest worry is the Policeman’s ball, whereas, in Pirate101, we get to see Marleybone as a whole society. From Marleybone’s navy to the orphans that run the streets, our wizard’s head is up on the rooftops.
So much lies beneath the rooftops of this world that this piece begins to scratches the surface of. It isn’t as posh nor elegant as the others, but the syncopated percussion and the deep and swift bassoon gives us character and the feeling of tension. There is danger out there and making it out alive is a part of life.
We are met with this repetitive figure as the main melody of this piece. The overall essence of this piece is unique in its own right. Unlike the previous tracks, it does not feel orchestral, and it does not organically flow. The repetition is dark and soothing in a dark way. If you were to play this sheet music, you would find it sounds out-of-tune. This entire piece did not fit to a single key of the twelve. This is an absolutely unique feature of this piece, considering most synthetic compositions are in-tune.
To be human is to feel. We feel grief, failure, and remorse, but also joy and melancholy. There is no more specific way to feel emotion than through music. Words can often be vague, but music is something we all feel, even when we can’t describe it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsFcuYd84yY
“The Isle of The Dogs“
Second to the Aquila Journey and Cool Ranch Santo Pollo themes, this track is within my top 3 favorite tracks across both games. We begin with a timpani strike, followed by a silent ostinato in the upper strings, setting the tempo and meter of what’s to come. Arpeggios from the flute, harp, and cello ornament to the texture, giving us a taste of the layers the piece offers. The oboe hints at the main melody before the flute and harp continue. The oboe plays again, leading us to a new section 00:16 seconds in.
The chords uniquely progress in a modal tonality until a climax 00:40 seconds in. In a waltz style, the tambourine strikes on beat two and three, reflecting the original tracks.
The bassoon takes the main melody, giving a romanticized European texture we can associate with Tchaikovsky’s Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy or works by Danny Elfman, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas. The lower reed’s focus perfectly associates with the dark and magical mood Marleybone so excellently presents.
At time stamp 1:06, we introduce new musical content. The three beats we were comfortable with now divides into three again, clearly dividing our waltz into 9/8. We can still hear the lower instruments pulsing away in the bass line of our waltz, keeping time.
The lower voices take over the melody, giving our arpeggios of awe and wonder to darkness. We climax by the time stamp 1:39. We hear the same melody as before, but now in the choir and woodwinds. This is the most magical point of the piece, as we recapitulate the various goings-on. The woodwinds flutter the 9/8 arpeggios above the main melody as the lower voice sustain chords, thickening the texture. We diminuendo until the piece begins again.
Thank you, Starlights, for venturing through my tour of The Royal Marleybone Philharmonic Orchestra. Have a wonderful night.
Disclaimer:
Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated.
Sultry, dry, and desolate, we find a great civilization that has emerged from the Oasis. Built by the Manders, composed by Nelson Everhart, and enslaved by the Kroks, a great society emerged from these sands only to wither away and be found by our Marleybonian friends.
There is continuity within music. Last time we discussed how themes develop across a story, but now we will talk about another important element of music. Atmosphere is a tool of world-building. Percussion and orchestration drive the sensation of what we hear in Krokotopia, filling the sound with specific instrumental timbres to feel the essence of where we are. We will now explore the music of Krokotopia to envision what wonders lie in store.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8FCrZtZo5k
“Main Theme 1”
First of all the music we hear of Krokotopia, the ambience is subtle but familiar. The bass in the harp instrument keeps the time after the tam-tam hit as reeds and other harps and lyres ornament the overall sound. Around 00:20 seconds in, we listen to a very familiar instrument: horns. Horns in general blend in with the instruments around them and their addition at this point is seamlessly done, simply adding onto the previously established texture by playing a simple melody of long sustained tones.
At 00:58 seconds, we have an oboe play a light melody before having the strings take over at 1:10, with the horn from before adding counterpoint to where the strings have sustained notes. What is counterpoint? In music, counterpoint is the idea that several voices should have interesting melodies at the same time. Both pitch and rhythm will differ from each other in two to four ongoing melodies. This is what people found interesting when listening to pieces such as fugues in Europe around the 1500’s to 1700’s.
I bring this up to mention the fact that music from all around the world is vastly different, and when our western ears create and develop it, the composer knows we are subject to what we are accustomed to. By combining the music we are commonly used to in video games and movies alike, as well as knowing the way to create Egyptian music, we have this magical creation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4QR7-GAiAI
“Theme 2”
We now begin the exact same way as before, striking the tam-tam before going into the same texture. The ambience is there all the same, but now we have a very different emotion. More suspenseful, more drama – the world is becoming more elusive as we delve into the Sphinx’s clever riddle. The various instruments of the ensemble carry around ornaments until a theme is stated twice by a lyre and gets carried to the vibraphone. This theme gets repeated until we hear the melody from the previous track 00:32 seconds in, sounding doubled by the flute and horn before being carried to solo violin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjwjBVkSbFA
“Theme 3”
Another tam-tam strike marks the start of our piece to begin the texture. This time, there is a stately upbeat pulse. The march-like pulse is a mark to go forth and continue our journey. We have a lower flute give a dreamy, dancing melody similar to some of the ostinatos from the other tracks. Ostinatos are repetitive figures that continue throughout a section or the entirety of a piece. This theme gets carried to the oboe and then the horn. The idea of the call-and-response voices is common throughout these tracks. It creates continuity to these themes and instrumental texture.
The texture of a piece builds the atmosphere and the world building of this land. The music we hear is what Krokotopia would sound like in an instrumental landscape. The march comes to a halt (no pun intended, my marching band friends) before the main theme from the previous two tracks is stated again, and always calm and airy as the first. Violins on their high E string add the slightest texture, but the impact of the texture is all the greater. It feels as though we have been met with challenge. The strings take over, brightly and crisply their strings are bowed into a beautiful glorious restatement of the main melody, with the horns strengthening the texture and chords in the meantime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC6oakVwoYY
“Theme 4”
My personal favourite, the fourth one begins with a harp arpeggio before the loudest tam-tam crash besides the powerful horns. The mood evokes grandeur and royalty. The horns play on as flutes and harps hover their arpeggios above, like magical orbs within the royal chamber. An oboe plays the dancing melody from the previous track.
After the royal intrada, or musical introduction, the theme 3 melody hums from the flute, strings, and oboe. This serene interlude brings us to a climax with another tam-tam strike. This is one of the more exciting themes from the bunch. The strings wail the melody as percussive textures occur in the background.
We hear drums stricken with hands, clanking from what sounds like a triangle on the second beat of each measure, and a scrapping metallic sound on every offbeat. The metallic sounds from the scrapes and the triangle envision wealth. And who is the wealthiest in all of Egypt? Cleopatra of course, who would dissolve pearls in drinks only prove how rich she was. In this part of the story, we end Krokotopia by fighting Krokoptra, the Wizard101 counterpart.
At timestamp 1:09, the strings develop on the melody. Cordial and delightful, chords play behind the once solemn melody. We are coming to the end of our story in the stormy tombs of Krokotopia. Horns add flares to the music, alongside a small short-short-long motif after each phrase.
Krokotopia has not lost all of its mystery quite yet. The bright mood changes at timestamp 2:00, The entire ensemble breaks into a minor key upon the deep and dark roll of the drums. Suspended in wonder, Harps flare arpeggios into this new texture. Bells add-in, representing magic and mystery. Famous examples include Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker Suite and John William’s “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter.
Thank you, Starlights, for venturing through my tour of The Mander’s Orchestra. Have a wonderful night.
Disclaimer:
Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated. There is less sheet music in this article than the previous because there was more thematic material in the Wizard City themes.
This leads us into 00:53 seconds, where it feels truly magical with the sustained chords in the strings, the arpeggiated solo in the piano, and of course, the wind chimes. The horns come into the texture, introducing the trumpets, playing chords. The progression goes from the minor tonic i, to the relative major III, to the dominant V. In music analysis, we typically label chords with Roman numerals and capitalize the numeral based on major or minor tonality. This progression is the climax of the piece, using the chromatic voices to cause linear dissonance which then leads to the chords that point us to where the tension can be resolved.
