The perpetually successful Final Fantasy XIV has so much great music to offer. Not only have Masayoshi Soken and team written over 30 hours of music for the MMORPG’s ever-expanding OST, but Square Enix Music has published so many arrange albums that I can hardly keep up!
In the case of Piano Collections Final Fantasy XIV, arranged and performed by artist Keiko, we are actually looking at a two-disc compilation album. This stands in stark contrast to all other Piano Collections albums, but the existence of this album is a boon for anyone who loves piano music but may be less interested in the anthemic rock band “The Primals.”
You see, the tracks on this collection first appeared across three Blu-ray arrange albums: From Astral to Umbral, Duality, and Journeys. These albums include Keiko’s piano arrangements and The Primals’ band arrangements. All of the piano tracks from these three albums, save for two piano & vocal tracks on Journeys, are republished in this collection.
Keiko’s virtuosic performances largely live within the realm of romantic and modern styles, from Brahms to Rachmaninoff. Notable exceptions exist in the jazzy “Ink Long Dry” and the bonus track “Crimson Sunset” where Keiko’s piano serves as accompaniment for Japanese bamboo flute (performed by Yoshimi Tsujimoto). The departure from typical genre and arrangement within these two tracks makes them some of my favorites.
That said, I have found myself largely drawn to two beautiful pieces. First is the ambitious “I Am the Sea,” with an arrangement that clocks in at nine minutes. Here, Keiko demonstrates a fantastic range in hiding, then revealing her metaphorical “power level” as a pianist. At times, the arrangement is little more than a straightforward restatement of Masayoshi Soken’s melodies. At other times, Keiko provides a burst of creative flourish, starting with a simple deviation, then building on the main theme to something so challenging and complex, my fingers hurt at the thought of attempting to recreate it.
The other piece I have fallen for? “Borderless,” a song from the Heavensward expansion that plays during flight. I believe that my knowing the context for this piece has helped me enjoy it all the more. This is a fitting “flight” theme (without being an “airship” theme) for any Final Fantasy title. The ascending and descending minor third harmonies used in one small section of this piece remind me of the opening FMV music for Final Fantasy Tactics (which, in turn, reminds me of the prologue music for Beauty and the Beast). After that beautiful bit, “Borderless” launches into the stratosphere about halfway through its six-minute run time. Keiko inserts the slightest bit of jazzy syncopation into the left hand at one point, then kicks back into the rhapsodic performance with a powerful ascending glissando. This arrangement is truly stellar.
What’s crazy to me, though, is that my favorite tracks are not the ones that are technically most challenging. “Ominous Prognisticks” and “Old Wounds” are, arguably, the hardest to perform in this collection. And yes, I like these arrangements as well. But I also think that, impressive as Keiko’s work is, there is something repetitive in the arrangement approach. I cannot quite put my finger on what that is. Seriously, I’m still working it out. It might be the source material. But then, I find Soken actually demonstrates great diversity across FFXIV and its many expansions. So, maybe not?
As of this writing (in 2025), Keiko has created enough new arrangements to warrant a Piano Collections Final Fantasy XIV Vol. 2. Will Square Enix publish such an album? Maybe. Frankly, I’m still frustrated that Square Enix hasn’t bothered publishing sheet music for this album. I enjoy this music, and I want to understand it better with the aid of transcription. Until then, I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled for more from the illustrious Keiko!
