I always found myself drawn to symphonically arranged albums. I find that so much power and emotion is added when music is arranged for an orchestra, and it enhances the experience immensely. Symphony Sorcerian is no exception to this rule. Although I’m not entirely familiar with the melodies from the game, I can honestly say that these arrangements prove that Sorcerian’s music is to be taken seriously.
The biggest similarity Symphony Sorcerian has to Symphony Ys is the format of the arrangements (four chapters consisting of medleys of the games compositions). The similarities end there. Considering the nature of Sorcerian’s music, it almost amazes me to listen to power rock played this way. Powerful…that’s the only word that came to mind as I sat listening to the notes coming through my speakers. There’s something magical about listening to 8-bit synth transformed into grand orchestra pieces. The most amazing part is that these arrangements stay very true to the original compositions by adding more than just an elaboration of progressions, but something emotional that can only be interpreted by the listener.
Each scene tells a story with its music. Starting things off in “Scene 1” is the bouncy, happy, town theme, which then segues into an awesome arrangement of “Pentaua II,” one of my favorite Sorcerian pieces, and then into “Tower.” At nearly 15 minutes, it’s the longest track on the album, reminding me of some of the classical movements. By dramatically switching between pieces the listener is enwrapped in a story of his imagination’s own making (unless you’ve actually played the game yourself, of course). “Scene Four” is an excellent example of this. As an ending piece, it begins with a fast-paced battle medley and ends with the very triumphant, yet peaceful, “Ending Theme.” One can just imagine the story’s finale being played out as he listens to it.
With all of the praises I’ve given this album, are there any flaws? It all depends on your personal tastes. Myself, I found Symphony Ys to be slightly more enthralling, the compositions’ melodies seemed to complement each other just a little better. But other than that, I think Falcom did an excellent job with this album.
Symphony Sorcerian is another example of Falcom doing it’s best. Taking some of the better pieces from the game, they are combined into a musical story that will intrigue any fan of orchestrated music. Luckily for us, this OLD OLD album has been re-released by Falcom, and you can purchase it through their website.
