Main Theme (RollerCoaster Tycoon 2) | Sheet Music, MIDI & More!
Here is an orchestral arrangement Allister Brimble's "Main Theme" for the classic theme park sim game, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. Now scored for a full orchestra with fully engraved sheet music scores.
If you're after the sheet music, score, XML or MIDI for Title Theme from RCT2, you can find links here!
This includes individual part scores for:
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I. II.
Oboe I. II.
Clarinet in Bb (or A) I. II.
Bass Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon I. II.
Horn in F I. II.
Trumpet in Bb I. II.
Trombone I. II.
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Timpani
Bass Drum
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Crash Cymbals
Crotales
Glockenspiel
Tubular Bells
Harp
Choir (SATB)
Organ (Optional)
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Contrabass
If you are one of my Patrons, you can now find the MIDI, XML, SIB files, as well as stems and multitracks I created for this transcription now available to download from your Patreon Google Drive folders!
Arranger's Note:
A game where you manage an amusement park. What do you think would be an appropriate musical theme to accompany this?
Allister Brimble made the fantastic choice of utilizing a fairground organ (fairground organs being commonly paired with traditional carousels). These organs are capable of performing reed instruments (winds), but they can also supply various percussion (drums and cymbals). To reflect this, Brimble similarly employs all of these instruments here (in addition to strings and periodic brass).
My goal in this arrangement was to expand these forces to cover the full symphonic spectrum, allowing orchestras to perform this work without several instruments being unused. The objective therefore was to add the remaining winds, brass, strings as well as additional percussion to keep the several percussionists occupied, whilst still retaining this fairground aesthetic.
The organ solo in the original opening remains so wonderfully iconic that I couldn't resist retaining it as an optional introduction if desired (as an organ is not always available to ensembles). The tonality of this solo commences is C♯ minor (C♯-E-G♯), a rather unfriendly key for various transposing instruments. I debated shifting the material up a semitone into D minor for easier playability (reducing double ♯s) but ultimately decided against this, as the original tonality of C♯m / E sounds far brighter and chipper.
Following this organ introduction, the same material is re-arranged for a smaller symphonic ensemble of winds and brass, playing "non-leg." ("non-legato" = "not smoothly") for a more detached sound. Half-way through this phrase, strings gradually emerge providing additional colour, as we finish on a bare 5th chord (G♯-D♯; 0:45).
Ascending into the next section via chromatic runs (0:45), we modulate into the relative major of C♯ minor (E major; E-G♯-B). Here, the more upbeat material begins, evoking a delightfully cheerful aesthetic from the use of added-6th chords (E-G♯-B-C♯; found in the flute and glockenspiel), octave jumps (in the violins), and tertiary modulations (e.g. B to D at 0:51, and A to C at 0:56). The trumpet melody also descends in sequence (playing the same phrase down a step).
We get a repeat of this material at 1:05, now placing the melody in the violins as the trumpet develops into a countermelodic role. Additional twinkling is added through a high piccolo and harp plucks.
The next section commences at 1:22, modulating into the subdominant minor (A minor; A-C-E, which eventually converts the tonic similarly into minor (E minor; E-G-B at 1:29). This oscillation of A to E creates a plagal sound (chord IV to I), and so I added a choir to enhance this more chordal effect. The trumpet takes over the melody from the winds at (1:39) as we get a new countermelody in the horns.
By 1:49, we start to modulate rapidly into many distant keys (Am, to A, to F♯, to Bm, to B) giving us a nice stepping stone into the subdominant key (A in 2nd inversion, E-A-C♯) which is where we finish, with a cheeky manipulation of the tempo to drive us there as if the theme park rides themselves are speeding up and slowing down.
