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Writer's pictureJonathan Shaw

New Arrangement: "Tundaria Tower" from Golden Sun: The Lost Age (2002)

As decided by my patrons, here is a chilly orchestral arrangement from the classic JRPG, "Golden Sun: The Lost Age" (2002).

Feel free to download the score and recording here!

If you are one of my Patrons, you can now find the MIDI, XML and SIB files I created for this arrangement now available to download from your Patreon Google Drive folder!

 
 

Arranger's Note:

"It took me quite some time to figure out a correct time signature to use; initially I had a suspicion it was in compound time (e.g. 12/8), but I was also aware that it featured elements of simple time (e.g. 6/4). Eventually, I rested on using 3/4, but ultimately doubled the length of notes so that it would fit the meter. It seems obvious in retrospect, but it took me a while! ;)

To go further, the track is predominantly in E Aeolian (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D-E), but with frequent chromatic excursions in the bass instruments (as is common of Sakuraba's style here), particularly the C# at 0:07. It remains in this tonality for a good chunk of the track.

Due to Sakuraba's common use of panpipes, I decided to include them here at 0:36 to double the melody, providing further (chilling) interest as a result of its cold breathiness. For this similar reason, I also included a soprano soloist (from the excellent Ivy Audio VST) to help create this wintery aesthetic.

At 0:46, we get an abrupt modulation into F# minor, as we begin to cycle through a tertiary modulation (F#minor to A minor at 0:49). This is also accompanied by a deft bass ostinato. From here, we slowly fall down tonally to G minor (0:52) and F minor (0:55) - quite some distance from the opening E Aeolian tonality.

This segment repeats, now with the addition of panpipes and soprano solo doubling the melodies for further interest. As the tonality drops once again down through G minor and F minor, this time it completes its descent back to E Aeolian for the repeat (1:08).

A nice, chilly little track."

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