The adventure continues this week with the second installment of Next Level, an article series that, based on the music you love, suggests something different to try out.
Cello lovers are in for a treat with a Schubert/Rachmaninoff parallel, and Resistance 3 listeners get three recommendations for the price of one.
And here's an article hack — you can also go backwards! Read the video game to classical side, and the classical to video game. You might discover another of your favorites hiding in the "check out" section. It doubles the likelihood of finding something new to love.
For classical music lovers
If you like …
Schubert - cello sonatas
Rachmaninoff - cello sonatas
Then you should check out …
Austin Wintory - Journey
Because …
Journey's soundtrack, penned by Austin Wintory and aptly performed by classically trained cellist Tina Guo, plays a significant role in guiding the player through the game. As the soundtrack begins in the lower, rumbling register of Guo's 1878 Gand and Bernadel, the listener knows he or she is about to embark on a colorful voyage.
While Rachmaninoff, and especially Schubert, enjoyed writing in the cello's more lyrical upper register, Wintory explores the lonely, expansive lower range first. The soundtrack does not stop there, though. Twenty minutes in, and you're in the midst of a dancing, flirtatious piece between the cello and a harp while percussion and the orchestra provide an old-fashioned, unearthly accompaniment. Guo's cello sighs, weeps, rings and dances throughout the album, which also features incredible vocalists and soloists throughout. It truly captures the essence of the game — it's a journey in and of itself.
For video game music lovers
If you like …
Boris Salchow - Resistance 3
Then you should check out …
Holst - Mars
Strauss - Tod und Verklärung
Mozart - Don Giovanni (Commendatore scene)
Because …
This requires a bit of self-reflection. What is it you like about the Resistance soundtrack?
If it's the thumping beat and pounding brass section, take a listen to Holst's Mars. Written smack in the middle of World War I and dedicated to the Roman god of war, Holst holds nothing back with a march-like, clashing tune. But don't actually try to march to it — it's in 5/4 time.
If it's passion and tension-filled sections you enjoy, perhaps the sturm und drang (romanticism words for angsty-angst) of Richard Strauss's Tod und Verklärung would fit the bill. Dedicated to Strauss's friend who had recently died, the 25-year-old composer poured his love, sadness and anger into this beautiful, moving piece. The title translates to "Death and Transfiguration."
Going even further back in the classical music timeline, you could even give Mozart a shot.
Don Giovanni has all the flourishing stylings of Mozart's best work, but don't let the light energy fool you. This opera is about a guy too arrogant and stubborn to realize when he's been beat … by the devil. Try a taste test with the Commendatore scene. The protagonist is being dragged into the underworld by an undead statue-man, and he provides no resistance. Pun. The music may not be your version of creepy and hellish, but try to picture Mozart's emotional state, and it kind of works. It just might fit into some of Resistance's more reflective sections — a melancholy, determined tone to reflect a time of conflict.
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