Score: 8
"I love To Zanarkand"
date: September 28, 2008
This song has always been a favorite of mine. It was the first song that I ever taught myself to play on the piano, making it a piece that is very close to my heart. It is so emotionally intense.
That being said, I feel as if your rendition was too similar to the original. The piano line was quoted nearly verbatim, which is why I had to knock down the score to an 8. I feel as if this mix just didn't offer enough originality. :( Here are my thoughts on the arrangement.
-Strings: Added a nice layer to the soundscape. Simple, but effective. Perhaps a tad bit overpowering at times.
-Piano: Not a big fan of the sample. It sounded like a mix between an electric and acoustic piano, along with some bells. While you pulled off some wonderful dynamics at points, I wish there were more subtleties to make it realistic. A real pianist naturally accents the first and third beats slightly and uses gradual crescendos and decrescendos to create good phrasing. This was a bit too mechanical.
-Tempo: If you listen to the original version of this song or arrangement for FFX: Piano Collections, you will find that it is simply teeming with rubato and tempo variations. This is what breaths so much life and emotion into a piano track of this style. The chord at the end is a prime example; I was really expecting a ritardando there. It would have been SO much more satisfying!
You've done an excellent job transcribing the piano line, but I feel as if it lacks any originality. Try to throw in your own style, work on tempo changes (Very easy to manage in FL Studio) and you'll be set. I hope that helps at all.
Keep it up! :D
~Blaze
October 6, 2008
Author's Response:
Aye, it was very similar, wasn't really trying to remix it at all.
Eh, it's an older piece and I've gotten better. :D
