Video Games With Classical Music
I'll be the first to say it: Video games were my introduction to classical music.
I've always had a weird relationship with classical music. In retrospect, I wish I had the patience to get into it as a kid, when all I wanted to do on the piano was play Mario music; but as I am now, I like neither how academia approaches it (and by extension, how it approaches the rest of music from a mainly classical perspective), nor how the general public perceives it.
Video games often land the sweet spot for me because of this. Since they're not put on an unworthy pedestal as high art, they get to take the music and play a little game of Death of the Author with it... often having a lot of really sincere fun with it. Taiko no Tatsujin's arrangements in particular are inspirational for me, but I want to document uses of classical music here in general, regardless of how much creative liberties they take.
Suggestions always welcome!
This list is a massive work-in-progress in need of more proper organizing, labelling and distinction between arrangement and reinterpretation.
See also:
https://www.backloggd.com/u/ludzu/list/soundtracks-with-a-notable-amt-of-interpretations-of-classical-songsstandards/
Games not included (no IGDB listing):
Victorious Nine
Unverified/Misc:
Crazy Balloon
DX-Ball
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Flight_of_the_Bumblebee
https://www.grospixels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=14664&forum=17&start=0
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Public_Domain_Songs
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Tor%C3%A9ador_Song
I've always had a weird relationship with classical music. In retrospect, I wish I had the patience to get into it as a kid, when all I wanted to do on the piano was play Mario music; but as I am now, I like neither how academia approaches it (and by extension, how it approaches the rest of music from a mainly classical perspective), nor how the general public perceives it.
Video games often land the sweet spot for me because of this. Since they're not put on an unworthy pedestal as high art, they get to take the music and play a little game of Death of the Author with it... often having a lot of really sincere fun with it. Taiko no Tatsujin's arrangements in particular are inspirational for me, but I want to document uses of classical music here in general, regardless of how much creative liberties they take.
Suggestions always welcome!
This list is a massive work-in-progress in need of more proper organizing, labelling and distinction between arrangement and reinterpretation.
See also:
https://www.backloggd.com/u/ludzu/list/soundtracks-with-a-notable-amt-of-interpretations-of-classical-songsstandards/
Games not included (no IGDB listing):
Victorious Nine
Unverified/Misc:
Crazy Balloon
DX-Ball
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Flight_of_the_Bumblebee
https://www.grospixels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=14664&forum=17&start=0
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Public_Domain_Songs
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Tor%C3%A9ador_Song
78 Games
to-do: add this entire list
https://www.grospixels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=14664&forum=17&start=0
https://www.grospixels.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=14664&forum=17&start=0
Toccata and Fugue in D minor; composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, excerpt arranged by Yukio Kaneoka
Used in Game Start
Used in Game Start
Toccata and Fugue in D minor; composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Masahiro Inoue based on an arrangement by Sky
Used in Main BGM 1
A personal favorite.
Used in Main BGM 1
A personal favorite.
Je te veux; composed by Erik Satie, excerpt arranger unknown
Used in Stage Theme, Bonus Round, Enter Initials, High Scores
4th Movement, Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy); composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, excerpt arranger unknown
Used in Level Complete
Caught in Spider Web has a resemblance to Third Movement, Piano Sonata No. 11 (Alla turca) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but is not conclusively the same composition.
Personally nostalgic.
Used in Stage Theme, Bonus Round, Enter Initials, High Scores
4th Movement, Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy); composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, excerpt arranger unknown
Used in Level Complete
Caught in Spider Web has a resemblance to Third Movement, Piano Sonata No. 11 (Alla turca) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but is not conclusively the same composition.
Personally nostalgic.
March from The Nutcracker; composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, excerpt arranged by Koji Kondo
Used in Game Start, Stage Clear A
Personally nostalgic.
Used in Game Start, Stage Clear A
Personally nostalgic.
Marche militaire No. 1; composed by Franz Schubert, excerpt arranged by Takeaki Kunimoto
Used in Scene 1
A personal favorite. I love the bass!
Used in Scene 1
A personal favorite. I love the bass!
4th Movement, Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy); composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, excerpt arranged by Koji Kondo
Used in Ending
Personally nostalgic.
Used in Ending
Personally nostalgic.
Overture from William Tell; composed by Gioachino Rossini, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 1
Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan; composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 2
Toreador Song from Carmen; composed by Georges Bizet, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 3
Sabre Dance from Gayane; composed by Aram Khachaturian, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 4
Used in Stage 1
Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan; composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 2
Toreador Song from Carmen; composed by Georges Bizet, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 3
Sabre Dance from Gayane; composed by Aram Khachaturian, excerpt arranged by Hal Canon and/or Earl Vickers
Used in Stage 4
(Wrong game; the Mouse Trap in question is an 1987 Atari ST/Amiga game.)
Golliwogg's Cakewalk from Children's Corner; composed by Claude Debussy, excerpt arranged by Darren Ithell
Played throughout the entire game.
Golliwogg's Cakewalk from Children's Corner; composed by Claude Debussy, excerpt arranged by Darren Ithell
Played throughout the entire game.
Galop (Can-Can) from Orpheus in the Underworld; composed by Jacques Offenbach, excerpt arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in Invincible BGM
Used in Invincible BGM
(GB VERSION)
Minuet from French Suite No. 3; composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in Music: C-Type
Trepak (Act 2: No. 12) from The Nutcracker; composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, excerpt arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in Game: B-Type - Level 9 Ending (High 0, High 1, High 2, High 3, High 4, High 5)
Toreador Song from Carmen; composed by Georges Bizet, arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in 2 Player Mode - Danger
Minuet from French Suite No. 3; composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in Music: C-Type
Trepak (Act 2: No. 12) from The Nutcracker; composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, excerpt arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in Game: B-Type - Level 9 Ending (High 0, High 1, High 2, High 3, High 4, High 5)
Toreador Song from Carmen; composed by Georges Bizet, arranged by Hirokazu Tanaka
Used in 2 Player Mode - Danger
note to self: refer to this
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Public_Domain_Songs and also look up toccata in video games.
http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Public_Domain_Songs and also look up toccata in video games.
(ave maria?)
(NES VERSION)
Promenade (1st Movement) from Pictures at an Exhibition; composed by Modest Mussorgsky, excerpt arranged by Paul Wilkinson
Used in Radical Datafax
A disgrace to the original.
Promenade (1st Movement) from Pictures at an Exhibition; composed by Modest Mussorgsky, excerpt arranged by Paul Wilkinson
Used in Radical Datafax
A disgrace to the original.
Golliwogg's Cakewalk from Children's Corner; composed by Claude Debussy, arranged by Akiko Itoh
March from The Nutcracker; composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, arrangement credits unknown
Using this entry to represent the entire rest of the series. Will maybe update it once everything else is in order
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight Sonata); composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, arranged by Tommy Tallarico
(Keyboardmania on PS2, released 2000) Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
(look into this. it's got claire de lune at the very least)
Toccata and Fugue in D minor; composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Naoto Tanaka
Extremely re-interpretive sampling that makes use of various classical pieces in what feels more like plunderphonics than any traditional arrangement.
All music produced and arranged by Nobuyoshi Sano and Takayuki Aihara
Othello, Op. 93, Carnival Overture, Op. 92, Symphony No. 9 (From the New World); composed by Antonin Dvorak
The Mysterious Mandarin; composed by Bela Bartok
La Mer; composed by Claude Debussy
Symphony No. 5; composed by Gustav Mahler
mozart tchaikovsky respighi wagner rimsky-korsakov mussorgsky holst
Reference: https://imgur.com/a/LX3m5zI
All music produced and arranged by Nobuyoshi Sano and Takayuki Aihara
Othello, Op. 93, Carnival Overture, Op. 92, Symphony No. 9 (From the New World); composed by Antonin Dvorak
The Mysterious Mandarin; composed by Bela Bartok
La Mer; composed by Claude Debussy
Symphony No. 5; composed by Gustav Mahler
mozart tchaikovsky respighi wagner rimsky-korsakov mussorgsky holst
Reference: https://imgur.com/a/LX3m5zI
Using this entry to represent the entire rest of the series. See Taiko no Tatsujin
The Blue Danube; composed by Johann Strauss II, arranged by Spiralmouth
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Erlkönig; composed by Franz Schubert, arrangement credits unknown
look into this more
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Refer to this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9E4EA68D6277D10C
Refer to this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0FF8A4E2A24B7667
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Clair de Lune; composed by Claude Debussy, arranged by Yosuke Yasui
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
4th Movement, Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World"); composed by Antonín Dvořák, arrangement credits unknown
Too many to count. I should just link to a playlist tbh
Using this entry to represent the entire rest of the series. Some songs documented here: https://taikotime.blogspot.com/p/song-series.html
(something from debussy, apparently)
Clair de Lune; composed by Claude Debussy, arranged by Andrew Jeremy
Scene (Act 2: No. 10) from Swan Lake; composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, arrangement credits unknown
Gymnopedie No. 1; composed by Erik Satie,
Dvorak 9th 4th movement vs doggo
dvorak symphony no 9 4th movement
dvorak symphony no 9 4th movement (chosen by the moon)
cello suite no 1 prelude
14 Comments
Fantasia for Sega Mega Drive has a lot of laughably awful classical music arrangements https://youtu.be/wLaz0uYD_Z0
https://youtu.be/SAKnFcFZ7ps
https://youtu.be/SAKnFcFZ7ps
Sayonara Wild Hearts opens with a synth rendition of Clair de Lune!
Peggle (and maybe the sequel - I haven't played it) plays Ode to Joy when you clear a level
Untitled Goose Game uses six of Debussy's Preludes. I know two of them are No.5: Bruyeres and No. 12: Minstrels, but I don't know the other four.
Also, in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise the Clinic minigame has a few interesting versions of classical tracks in it: Ode To Joy - Beethoven, Orpheus in the Underworld - Jacques Offenbach, Symphony No. 9 - Dvorak, and Turkish March - Mozart. (Interestingly, but not related to this list, that minigame also uses versions of a few children's songs from around the world)
And several of the Hitman games have used Ave Maria.
Also, in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise the Clinic minigame has a few interesting versions of classical tracks in it: Ode To Joy - Beethoven, Orpheus in the Underworld - Jacques Offenbach, Symphony No. 9 - Dvorak, and Turkish March - Mozart. (Interestingly, but not related to this list, that minigame also uses versions of a few children's songs from around the world)
And several of the Hitman games have used Ave Maria.
Both Killer is Dead and Asura’s Wrath use Dvorak’s New World Symphony. I can’t remember if Killer is Dead has the standard version but it definitely has a music box arrangement, at least.
off the top of my head: resident evil 1, its remake, and the lost in nightmares dlc for resident evil 5 all have moonlight sonata, moon remix rpg adventure has clair de lune. also goose game uses six different preludes by debussy, not just one piece.
and there's a bunch more but to save some time, i actually made a similar list to this, limited to soundtracks with at least 3 classical/jazz/etc songs, bc there are so many games that have one classical tune in them. feel free to look at it and steal some that apply, i'm definitely doing the same for a few from this https://www.backloggd.com/u/ludzu/list/soundtracks-with-a-notable-amt-of-interpretations-of-classical-songsstandards
and there's a bunch more but to save some time, i actually made a similar list to this, limited to soundtracks with at least 3 classical/jazz/etc songs, bc there are so many games that have one classical tune in them. feel free to look at it and steal some that apply, i'm definitely doing the same for a few from this https://www.backloggd.com/u/ludzu/list/soundtracks-with-a-notable-amt-of-interpretations-of-classical-songsstandards
the Fantasia world in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance uses classical music like the film and it's pretty sweet
Got a few suggestions off the top of my head:
Breath of Fire 4 - Pavane for a Dead Princess by Ravel (plays during one iconic scene)
Antarctic Adventure - Skater's Waltz by Waldteufel (plays during the stages)
Rings of Power - a very abridged version of Bach's D minor Toccata (Temple theme)
Megaman Legends - Final boss' theme is Bach's G minor Fugue
Fatal Fury - Wolfgang Krauser's theme in Fatal Fury 2 is the Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem, in Real Bout Fatal Fury his theme is the Lacrimosa from the same Requiem
Breath of Fire 4 - Pavane for a Dead Princess by Ravel (plays during one iconic scene)
Antarctic Adventure - Skater's Waltz by Waldteufel (plays during the stages)
Rings of Power - a very abridged version of Bach's D minor Toccata (Temple theme)
Megaman Legends - Final boss' theme is Bach's G minor Fugue
Fatal Fury - Wolfgang Krauser's theme in Fatal Fury 2 is the Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem, in Real Bout Fatal Fury his theme is the Lacrimosa from the same Requiem
ULTRAKILL has Clair de Lune btw
Peggle has Ode to Joy in it.
I really didn't want to be that guy but danganronpa v3 also has clair de lune
The Evil Within 1 and 2 have Clair de lune as well
turdl3
3 years ago