The Legend of Zelda (Overworld Theme)
1986 and 2011 arrangement
Listening Guide
Listening Guide
Composer: Koji Kondo
Composition: The Legend of Zelda (Overworld Theme)
Date: 1986
Genre: Video Game Music
Performing Forces: Orchestra
What we want you to remember about this composition:
Introduction.
Synthesized sounds.
Heroic march implied by rudimentary percussion sounds.
Basic chord structure implied through limited polyphony.
Main Theme.
Synthesized sounds.
Heroic march.
Imitative polyphony creates a sense of full texture.
The second version of the theme is a testament to the advances made in the technological capabilities of video game music.
An updated arrangement of the theme from Nintendo's 2011 release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, it features the "Overworld Theme" in the game's credits sequence.
If you didn't know this music belonged to a video game, you could imagine it as a soundtrack to a blockbuster adventure movie.
Composer: Koji Kondo
Composition: The Legend of Zelda (Overworld Theme)
Date: 1986 (2011 arrangement)
Genre: Video Game Music
Performing Forces: Orchestra
Introduction.
Orchestral: Strings with brass hits.
Heroic march.
Rising chords create sense of anticipation.
Main Theme.
Trumpets take melody followed by strings.
Heroic march.