[Album] SaGa FRONTIER II Original Soundtrack [SSCX-10031]

SaGa FRONTIER II Original Soundtrack
Catalogue Number SSCX-10031
Publisher DigiCube
Composition Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangement Masashi Hamauzu
First Printing April 21, 1999
Price ¥3364


Download Source:

• Oddigy Titanium [PSF Rip]
• Blue Laguna

Disc 1 - Playing Time 57:58
01 Overture 1:23
02 Prelude 1:35
03 Outside World 1:59
04 Novel 1:43
05 Majesty 2:40
06 Rose Wreath 1:56
07 Marvel 1:58
08 Field Battle I 2:59
09 Showing Joy I 1:17
10 Nature Folk 2:01
11 Captain 2:24
12 Siren 1:59
13 Affliction 1:51
14 Deviation 1:56
15 Defiant Child 2:19
16 Elven King 2:10
17 Homeless One 1:57
18 Secrecy 1:59
19 Meditation 1:44
20 Gathering 2:05
21 Disorder 1:59
22 Underground 1:57
23 Luck of the Battle 2:03
24 Obsession 2:29
25 Theme 2:42
26 Disgrace 3:10
27 Manifesto 1:48
28 The Sacred 1:55

Disc 2 - Playing Time 1:04:47
01 Variation 2:00
02 Magic Fairy Tale 2:49
03 Depth 2:20
04 Dithyrambus 2:53
05 Magic Realm 2:09
06 Relevation 1:49
07 Free Aria 2:46
08 Reminiscence 2:41
09 Directive 1:54
10 Deadly Enemy 2:16
11 Tobel 2:25
12 Space Composition 1:40
13 Cure of Souls 2:19
14 Field Battle II 2:34
15 Showing Joy II 1:18
16 Panacea 2:43
17 Flashback 3:06
18 Stranger 2:01
19 Powerless 1:57
20 Message 3:26
21 National Dance 3:03
22 Victory 3:22
23 Question 2:22
24 Disharmony 2:26
25 Elven Queen 2:49
26 Magic Power 2:14
27 Nightingale 1:25

Disc 3 - Playing Time 1:02:59
01 Interlude 3:30
02 Flame 2:33
03 Twisted Thinking 2:41
04 Field Battle III 3:43
05 Showing Joy III 1:16
06 Ice Block 3:08
07 Arranger 2:52
08 Point 3:17
09 Fortress 3:40
10 Ovation 2:34
11 Isolation 2:03
12 Universe 4:18
13 Coincidence 3:45
14 Field Battle IV 3:28
15 Showing Joy IV 1:19
16 Mania 2:30
17 Leader of Battle 4:05
18 Devotion 2:35
19 Abnormity 2:31
20 Angel of Death 5:46
21 Postlude 1:25



Sound Engineering by Ryo Yamazaki.

Information courtesy of GMR online http://gmronline.com/info.asp?CatNumber=SSCX-10031


Here it is, the album of Squaresoft composer, Masashi Hamauzu which captures the attention of video game music community and raised his name as VGM composer. This CD contains the BGM used in Saga Frontier II, a sequal of never-successful underrated Saga Frontier game in States. Here Hamauzu showed the world the brilliance of his compositions.

'Classical' is the suitable word to describe the music contained in this album. All tracks in this album are colored by the classical technique which makes the music is perfect and match the mediaval nuance of Saga Frontier II. Hamauzu used a lot of piano in this album, which makes sense since he's a classical trained musician. Many compare his works and his style resemble to Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy.

One of the most distinguishable features of this album might the fact that most of the tracks are variations of the epic main theme performed in beginning of the game, '101 Praeludium'. We might be amazed how brilliant the variation could be, since the same theme is used widely in many tracks over and over again. But we could notice how difference and distinguished each track could be, like the dramatic opening of '101 Praeludium', the epical "320 Todesanges", or the brilliant baroque-like composition of solo piano '201 Variation' or even the tragedic '125 Thema'. They are made of the same theme, yet felt very different.

My favorite tracks in this album would be '201 Variation', '125 Thema', '226 Zauberkraft' and '217 Rückerinnerung'. They are the most memorable tracks for me in this CD. While I enjoy this CD a lot, I love these four tracks the most.

This CD is surely brilliant, even though it doesnt sound fair, I always compare Hamauzu works with this CD since I consider this album is his masterpiece and his finest work I could find. If you love classical music and want to know why there has been global movement of Masashi Hamauzu fanboyism, you should check out this CD and find the answer by yourself.

5/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I love this soundtrack, and one of my favorite things about it is the fact that most of the tracks are either variations of the main theme or the feldschlact theme. Some people say this is why the soundtrack is no good, I say this is what makes the soundtrack shine the most. Each new statement of the main theme is interesting and fun to listen to. There isn't a single track here that I don't like.

Personally, my favorite song is Trubsal, an absolutely heartbreaking violin piece, certainly one of the most acutely sad VGM pieces ever composed.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

The SaGa series has seen a variety of composers over its lifespan, but by the time SaGa Frontier 2 rolled around, veteran composer Kenji Ito had scored the previous four games in the series. It was therefore something of a surprise to see the (then) relatively unknown Masashi Hamauzu attached to the project.

Hamauzu's score is totally different from Ito's previous efforts as well as the earlier compositions by Nobuo Uematsu and Ryuji Sasai, and doesn't reuse any of the prior franchise themes.

The album plays to Hamauzu's strengths and classical training by being almost exclusively piano-driven, with other keyboard instruments occasionally taking the lead or providing backup. There are a few dominated tracks, but the piano and associated instruments remain the dominant force on the album.

Many of the tracks are based around the same motif, which some have called a theme but is much more loosely constructed. This motif is repeated over and over and over, ad nauseum, throughout much of the album; while it is attractive enough, it does begain to drag by the end.

The major criticism that can be leveled agains Hamauzu's score is its lack of thematic and instrumental diversity. The multi-layered piano and mallet performances are all very similar, and blend into one another over the course of a listening. The battle themes are cut from the same cloth, and frustratingly sedate. It's this relentlessly upbeat tone, combined with the lack of variation, that can torpedo the score for people who value those things.

Hamauzu's work is technically brilliant and flawlessly programmed, but its lack of thematic and instrumental diversity, as well as the terribly inappropriate battle themes, combine to form a package that is dull and uninspiring. These same problems plague many of Hamauzu's other works; it is as if each is written as a concert-length work and then stretched to fit a much longer context. And while the piano-driven nature of the score is entirely appropriate in some areas (it is a perfect complement to a pastel-shaded town), stretching it to cover all circumstances is a mistake.

Hamauzu is an enormously talented composer, but that doesn't prevent repetitiveness and inappropriateness in many areas of his scores. SaGa Frontier II is reccommended to Hamauzu fans and people who enjoy piano and mallet-based works regardless of their in-game context.

2/5

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Lack of variation? Did you even listen to the whole soundtrack? Aside from sometimes using the same theme, hardly any of the songs are alike! You can't say that songs like Thema, Trubsal, Besessenheit, Variation, Feldschalact (any of them) and Andachtelei are anything alike, either in composition or instrumentation.

Oh well, I do respect your opinion, regardless. *grumble*

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

But he gave score 2/5. I hope this doesnt turn up into civil war. I'm agree what he said of how Hamauzu lacked of diversity on theme though.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Why start a civil war over our subjective musical perferences? I think it rocks, he thinks it sucks, and that's all there is to it. Arguing won't change anybody's opinions.

P.S. Hamauzu rocks.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

You know I'm j/k. :biggrin:
EDIT: unless there exist Hamauzu fanatics in this board

yeah hamauzu rocks

FELIPE NO

I first heard this soundtrack when playing through the game, naturally. The battle theme ("Feldschlact I") was the first track to catch my attention, and has been a favorite of mine ever since. The catchy melodies and unorthodox instrumentation is what really turned me onto it. But nevertheless, the soundtrack as a whole really fit the game like a glove. I couldn't imagine it being used for any other game.

As I listened to it more over the course of the following years, it became a favorite of mine. And when I began purchasing VGM albums, SaGa Frontier II was the first one I bought.

While it helps that I'm a big fan of the motif(s) of this soundtrack, Hamauzu's myriad arrangements of it are still interesting, as you get to hear a specific melody take on a variety of forms. But that aside, the original compositions are still plentiful, and good enough on their own to make this a soundtrack worthy of listening to.

I may have worn out my enthusiasm for this soundtrack over the last few years, but I still find it to be excellent, and my favorite Hamauzu album to date.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I have to agree with Orion about a lack of thematic and instrumental diversity. For me this is what keeps it from being in the upper echelon of game soundtracks. I can enjoy the soundtrack through the first disc or so before it starts to wear down on me a bit. At that point many of the songs do seem to blend together and it becomes more difficult to distinguish individual tracks as memorable. My favorite tracks would include Praludium, Feldschlacht III, Heimatlose, Abweichung, and maybe a couple of others.

3.5/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.

"Memorable"=/good. And while there is little thematic diversity, there is a great deal of rhythmic and harmonic diversity, as well as subtle twists of instrumentation (there are at least a dozen piano samples here!) and mood (from frenetic to avant-garde in a second). But the freshness comes most of all from
the fact that this sounds like no other soundtrack ever made, and while indebted
to Debussey and Wagner, it doesn't have that "bastard child of classical music" feel, either. This is a fusion of jazz, electronica, and classical that is much more creative and cohesive (if not as literate) than many similar attempts in 20th century classical music.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm also going to have to agree that the tracks do seem to blend together and become hard to tell apart at times.
Not that that makes the music worse, though. It just makes it tough to go and pick out a few 'favorite' tracks to listen to when I'm not in the mood for a full play-through. All the German titles that I can't understand don't help much in that regard, either.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

IMHO, i find this OST to be the best one i heard since Star Ocean 2's OST by Motoi Sakuraba. And it still does.

Masashi Hamauzu is the kind of guy who focuses more on the piano and I dont remember any other composer other than him working it that way. He knew exactly where to add the song to in certain scenes. My favorite song is definately Erklong when you go at the battle of South Moundtop and fighting against the egg with Rich Knights.

The Second Battle theme has its great moments. Other than that, I was pleased with it and wished he worked the same way like he did with SF2 and small tad of FFX. Being that Makalanya Forest theme sounded like Vorspiel in SF2. I can say more but thats enough.. Anyone else here that has positive feedback on him I'll agree with. I give him a 9/10.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I absolutely love the Saga Frontier 2 soundtrack, mostly because I'm a sucker for some good piano. HOwever, my favourite piece from the OST would be Ovation. Xylophone wheeee.

I don't like the german titles either.

9/10.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by chato

Masashi Hamauzu is the kind of guy who focuses more on the piano and I dont remember any other composer other than him working it that way.

There is Yoko Kanno on Nobunaga en Koei collection. But about Saga Frontier 2, I just love the couple of themes he uses. These themes are so interesting that uncountable variations wouldn't affect my interest.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by katchum

There is Yoko Kanno on Nobunaga en Koei collection. But about Saga Frontier 2, I just love the couple of themes he uses. These themes are so interesting that uncountable variations wouldn't affect my interest.

I was kinda reffering to games not animes ^^; . Sorry bout that.

I haven't heard much from him for a while. But listening to the ones now don't sound too much like he did in SF2 and a bit of FFX.

FELIPE NO