The Legend of Zelda -Ocarina of Time- Hyrule Symphony

	Album Title: The Legend of Zelda -Ocarina of Time- Hyrule Symphony
	Record Label: Media Factory
	Catalog No.: ZMCX-102
	Release Date: January 27, 1999
	Purchase: Buy Used Copy

Overview

Koji Kondo is known for composing two of the most famous themes to ever appear in a video game, the themes of Mario and Zelda, Nintendo’s flagship series. His score to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, one of the highest rated games of all time, was a classic though held back by poor synth.

The Legend of Zelda -Ocarina of Time- Hyrule Symphony provides us with a more enjoyable rendition of several pieces from the soundtrack. Gone is the poor synth, and in its place is a small string ensemble. Now, while this album is enjoyable, there isn’t much on the arranging side of things; most tracks were simply transcribed for the ensemble and musically sound near identical to the originals. Most of the performances are near perfection, and the stylistic range is enjoyable.

Body

The album starts off appropriately with “Title Theme.” While fairly simple in arrangement, this piece is beautiful for the way it emphasises the melodic and atmospheric qualities of the original piece. Added to the string quartet is a piano, and the full ensemble makes for a peaceful and enjoyable listen.

Some of the tracks are underwhelming, such as “Lon Lon Ranch,” “Hyrule Field,” and especially “Ganondorf.” The former two are bland and very repetitive, while the latter is simply an abomination to music itself. It is nothing but a minute of a rising chromatic melody line. Extremely boring, and the album would have been much more enjoyable with a different theme in its place.

In contrast to those, however, is the amazing (and that only begins to describe it) “Gerudo Valley.” One of the highlights of Ocarina of Time was this very piece of music, and hearing it live is a gift to the ears. It is here in all of its glory; the gorgeous melody overlaid over the pulsing undertones and the beautiful harmonies. This one tracks is alone worth the album.

The “Zelda Medley” is another highlight of the album. One of the few pieces where arranging is really involved, it takes several classic Zelda themes and combines them together for a nostalgic and enjoyable listen. One of the more fun pieces on the album is “Goron City.” Consisting primarily of light pizzicato strings, it keeps your attention well. After the pizzicato comes a very full section of all strings playing normally, and the contrast is beautiful.

Summary

Overall, how you like the album depends on what you want to hear; if you want to hear your favorite Ocarina of Time melodies faithfully arranged for strings, then this is for you. If you would rather here new interpretations of the pieces, this will sorely disappoint.

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