Overview

One of two exclusive additions to the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box was a disc compiling tracks not previously released on a soundtrack for the franchise. While there are a few tracks present that were explicitly rejected from their soundtrack releases, the majority of the pieces were added to Final Fantasy XI or its extensions after the accompanying soundtrack was released. While the majority of the music for each extension is premiered with the game's release, new pieces are added on a frequent basis for various mini-games or the conclusions of extensions. As a result, there are many important themes in these unreleased tracks ranging from wedding oathes to Christmas jingles to even the first vocal theme of the series. In addition, The Star Onions reunited to offer a bonus arrangement. Ought Final Fantasy XI music enthusiasts check out this disc?

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The disc casts us back to the beautiful organic tones of Rise of the Zilart with "A Road Once Travelled" for the Yughott Grotto area. It once again demonstrates Naoshi Mizuta's strengths crafting evocative woodwind melodies and gentle guitar accompaniment. The recollection theme "One Last Time" is Nobuo Uematsu's final instrumental arrangement of the "Memoro de la S^tono" main theme. Unfortunately, the jarringly synthesized electric guitar melody feels out of place with an otherwise gorgeous exotic composition. The theme is also briefly interpreted in "To the Heavens", which builds from a fragile harp and oboe introduction into a haunting string-based climax, and "Moongate", an exotic theme tinged with coldness. Other emotional additions include "Bloody Promises", a dark cinematically inclined orchestral work, "Hidden Truths", an imitation of an Erik Satie Gymnopédie that suffers slightly from a mundane melody, and "Revenant Maiden", an enigmatic but enchanting harp-centred piece.

There are also a few mini-game themes at the centre of the CD. The Chocobo raising music "Choc-a-bye Baby" is a lullabying blend of original wind melodies and occasional fragments of the familiar Chocobo theme. Unfortunately, the Chocobo mounting music is not present here and joins the ranks of several jingles as being never released on a Final Fantasy XI soundtrack. The fishing mini-game themes are very select tastes but fit their context quite well; "Hook, Line, and Sinker" features jubilant melodies in conjunction with a cheesy jazz accompaniment while "The Big One" is dominated by silly crisis motifs and clumsy repeating piano lines. The wedding ceremony music "Eternal Oath" is a mature organ-based theme that inspires appropriate feelings of warmth and divinity. Mizuta probably won't ever break any musical boundaries with his Final Fantasy XI compositions, but he does do a good job of imitating different styles to create a varied accompaniment to the game.

The cutscene music "Celestial Thunder" creates uncertainty and urgency with careful placement of subtly unsynchronised exotic drum rhythms and detached string motifs. It leads nicely into Chains of Promathia's final battle theme "A Realm of Emptiness". Introduced with a slow string motif that gives a sense of impending doom, the theme erupts at the 0:42 mark with a mixture of furious string melodies, powerful timpani, tribal percussion, supporting chorus, and and dazzling piano cues. This is probably Mizuta's most accomplished action theme to date. For the ending theme "Distant Worlds", Nobuo Uematsu returned to craft a ballad arranged by Naoshi Mizuta and sung by opera singer Izumi Masuda. This theme combines expressive interpretations of the "Recollection" theme and a newly composed with beautifully balanced instrumentals and a "Suteki da ne" style violin solo. There is also a near-identical rendition of the theme that replaces the vocals with an excellent acoustic guitar solo for those who cannot tolerate Masuda's terrible English pronunciation.

A special addition is the festival theme "Sunbreeze Shuffle". This merry Eastern-flavoured jig is intended to inspire one to dance, but is also suitably restrained to sustain quite long playtimes. Another seasonal theme is the Christmas remix of "The Grand Duchy of Jeuno", "Jeuno -Starlight Celebration-". The combination of cheesy festive and light jazz features certainly won't win awards for musical ingenuity, though it is pleasing that the game designers went to the effort of adding some festive novelty. "Ru'Lude Gardens -Star Onions Version-" is a new recording by The Star Onions specifically created for the box set. The melodies of the sedate string quartet original are barely recognisable in this upbeat synth-pop remix. Though some passages were unbearably camp, there is a surprising amount of intricacy and dynamism in this remix, especially in the piano lines. It's another love-hate affair, but nevertheless another welcome bonus to the set.

Summary

This disc will be a very enjoyable listen for Final Fantasy XI music enthusiasts. It was created to be an enjoyable collection on a stand-alone basis rather than a compilation of trivial themes. This means that, while there are a few mainly unimportant omissions, there are plenty of interesting items and even a bonus arrangement. The music for the mini-game and seasonal themes is superficial and cheesy, but this is forgivable given their quirky contexts. The album compensates with deeper themes such as the "Memoro de la S^tono" arrangements, "A Road Once Traveled", and "Hidden Truths". Definitely the most welcome additios to the set are the final themes for the Chains of Promathia extension. "A Realm of Emptiness" and "Distant Worlds" are undoubtedly some of the finest achievements in the franchise and their inclusion here at last compensates for their tragic omission from the Chains of Promathia soundtrack. Overall, a fine addition to Final Fantasy XI's discography and a welcome bonus on the box set.

Overview

The first of two Piano Collections released for the Final Fantasy XI franchise was exclusive to the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box. It featured eight solo piano arrangements and two duet renditions of Naoshi Mizuta's compositions for Final Fantasy XI and its first three extensions. The track listings featured predictable choices like "The Federation of Windurst", "Distant Worlds", and "Jeweled Boughs" but also more peculiar additions like "Tu'Lia", "Faded Memories - Promyvion", or "Battle Theme #2". Given Naoshi Mizuta's distinct musicality for the series, the CD took a distinct approach compared to other Final Fantasy Piano Collections by often abiding to harmonic and textural features of originals as well as their melodies. As well as the CD, the sheet music book was included in the box set. Were arranger Kaoru Ishikawa and performers Ayumi Iga and Kasumi Oga successful in bringing Final Fantasy XI to the piano?

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The opening arrangement of "The Federation of Windurst" retains the equally important melodic and harmonic features of the original. The left hand features flowing tonic and dominant arpeggios that omit the third to give an ambiguous tonality, while the right hand interprets the jovial melody of the original using dotted rhythms in compound time. In combination with Ayumi Iga's fluid performance, these transcribed features are sufficient to retain the Celtic mood despite the redunctionist instrumentation. With "Rabao", an organic flavour is achieved by use of further arpeggiated harmonies and rhythmically complex melodies taken from the original. However, the more articulated piano performance by Kasumi Oga, deeper chord progressions, and integration of jazzy ornamentation in the melody create a subtly different character appropriate for the desert oasis. While these arrangements rely on original features for their flavour, their surprisingly elaborate and moody development sections mean they are interesting musical experiences in their own right.

There are arrangements that significant deviate from their original material. In "Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolis", an impressionistic original introduction leads into a brooding chordal bass line that contrasts to the harmony of the original. While the playful calypso-flavoured melodies remain, the theme often diverts away from them to encompass new sections; for example, a quiet interlude at 2:20 builds into a lushly arpeggiated bridge to the climax of the arrangement. In "Faded Memories - Promyvion", powerful imagery of insidious emptiness is recreated through subtle texturing and repetition of distant motifs. Wisely, Ishikawa maintains the interest of listeners and performers by gently decorating the theme with a mixture of superficial frills and dabs of impressionism. "Tu'Lia" also copes well despite the minimalistic material of the original. It initially reimagines the feathery soundscapes of the original, but eventually develops into something more substantial and almost ballad-like. Though Iga makes a clear decision to keep things subdued, some performers will wish to really emphasise the emotion of this one.

In a first for the series, there are two duets on the album for two of the more powerful pieces. The decision to use duets was a novel one that adds to the enjoyment and ease of performing the sheet music; however, pieces like FFVII's "Fighting" or FFX's "Assault" show heavier Final Fantasy pieces can still translate well to solo piano so perhaps Ishikawa should have stuck to the series' tradition. "Battle Theme #2" offers the same heaviness and articulation of the original, but fails to use most of the parts interestingly. The result is a brief transcription dominated by repetitive and unpianistic harmonies, though it is still bearable on a stand-alone basis. Treasures of Aht Urhgan's "Vana'diel March #4" is more successful. The striking melody carries the piece and is fluidly interchanged and sometimes doubled by the right hand of each part. Unfortunately, the harmony is dominated by triplets of single notes and lumpy chords being repeated to create a march rhythm. While enjoyable and novel enough, these duets could have been musical highlights if created by a more experienced arranger.

There are also some emotional entries to the CD. "Choc-a-bye Baby" is a unique arrangement of the Chocobo theme in the style of a lullaby. It features a soothing original melody interpreted at different octaves and dynamic levels interspersed with short but sweet renditions of the Chocobo melody. Wajaom Woodlands' "Jeweled Boughs" is as sublime as the original. The arrangement focuses on a mild-mannered melody gently supported by arpeggio figures, but eventually enters a mysterious section featuring minor chord progressions and ethereal treble decorations. Once again, it is the carefully incorporated development sections that ensure this arrangement is especially appealing. The Chains of Promathia vocal theme "Distant Worlds" provides the emotional culmination of the CD. The arrangement itself is simple and understated focusing on Nobuo Uematsu's warm melodies and using mostly functional diatonic harmonies. Much like the original piece, however, it becomes very expressive and lushly decorated towards the end. It a satisfying highlight overall.

Summary

This album generally does a good job of showing that the music of Final Fantasy XI can be presented elegantly on piano. For the most part, the pieces retain the style, mood, and colour of the originals but often add emotion and drama with elaborate development or new harmonisations. The approach to the album is often conservative, but this is often understandable given how important both the melodic and harmonic components of Mizuta's creations are. In addition, the relatively simple arrangements allow beginner to intermediate piano players to perform the enclosed sheet music book. This album does fall short of its potential to be remarkable, but it also stays true to the musicality of Final Fantasy XI. It is thus overall an enjoyable addition to Final Fantasy XI's discography and a welcome bonus on a rather expensive box set.

Overview

In 2007, Square Enix commemorated the popular music for the Final Fantasy XI franchise with a seven disc box set. Five discs were composed of the previously released soundtracks for the original game and the first three extensions. There were also two exclusive discs featuring previously unreleased music from the franchise, an exclusive piano arranged album and accompanying sheet music book, and a guest appearance from The Star Onions. Though certainly a select taste, the music for the franchise has endeared many that have spent hours playing the game or listening to the soundtracks on a stand-alone basis. Carrying a $100 price tag, the album is clearly intended for the most dedicated fans of Final Fantasy XI music rather than the earliest releases in the franchise for more casual fans. Is it worth purchasing if you have the money available?

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The Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack opens the set with two discs of music for the original release in the franchise. The soundtrack represents a necessary departure from the numbered Final Fantasy series. An abundance of themes accompany the long periods of gameplay in Vana'diel's vast landscapes. With rich organic palettes, subdued melodies and harmonies, and slow steady development, these themes help to characterise the scenery without being dramatic or penetrating. Naoshi Mizuta uses ostinato-based constructs to create a surprise amount of emotion in setting themes like "Battalia Downs" and "Mhaura". Co-composers Nobuo Uematsu and Kumi Tanioka show more harmonic flexibility with their respective contributions "Ronfaure" and "Gustaberg", but these themes nevertheless blend fluidly in the set. The themes for the four main cities of Vana'diel and their administrative centres are also dispersed throughout the first disc, representing the pride of the Elvaan, the childishness of the Tarutaru, the balance of the Humes, and the sedateness of Jeuno. Nearly all the instruments are also synthesized impeccably thanks to programmers Hidenori Iwasaki and Hirosato Noda.

The Final Fantasy XI soundtrack also introduces the recurring melodic material of the franchise. The "FFXI Opening Theme" is a four-tiered orchestral masterpiece that introduces the game with a recollection of Vana'diel's Crystal War. It exposes the haunting main theme "Memoro de la S^tono" with Esparanto choir and the secondary reflective theme "Recollection". The original "Vana'diel March" is a striking militaristic march that is one of several pieces also to use the harp arpeggios of the "Prelude". In the second disc, Mizuta also creates a series of marches to convey the masculinity and militaristic intent of the male characters. Kumi Tanioka expresses personality more outrageously in the female character themes with short-lived synth jazz themes and more substantial techno works. However, they are also undeniably out-of-place on an almost entirely acoustic soundtrack. As for Mizuta's battle themes, the majority feature brass melodies, string harmonies, and intense development sections, forming a basis for later additions to the franchise. The spectacular climax of the soundtrack includes "Castle Zvahl", a nine minute organ-based ambient work, and "Awakening", a delicious final boss theme with tribal influences.

With the Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack, Naoshi Mizuta returned to single-handedly create 20 new pieces of music. He developed the acoustic sound of the franchise and embellished his ostinato-based style to characterise new areas. For instance, "Yuhtunga Jungle" features ethnic touches to portray an exotic jungle, while "Altepa Desert" uses enigmatic cor anglais melodies to accompany wandering through an enomous expanse. Some other gems include the "Kazham" to represent a lively jungle paradise, the serene and feathery "Tu'Lia" and "Ve'Lugannon Palace" for the floating island, and "The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah" to portray a crystal-enlightened forest. The battle themes mainly share the brassy approach of the Final Fantasy XI battle themes. However, each is sufficiently individually characterised to be enjoyable on this soundtrack while sustaining the distinct sounds of Vana'diel. The rest of the soundtrack mostly features miscellaneous event themes, including the charming clarinet-based "Dash de Chocobo", the uncertain and villainous "Eald'narche", and the classically-oriented "End Theme". Overall the soundtrack works outstandingly in the game and is a charming acoustic work on a stand-alone basis.

The Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack differed in two major ways from its predecessors. As Square Enix could not afford the expenditure of a synthesizer operator on the project, Mizuta was left to his own resources to sequence the music resulting in a substantial blow in sound quality. The music also took an even more ambient and subdued approach than previous soundtracks due to the storyline focus of the game and the introduction of mostly gloomy new areas. This resulted in some fascinating if inaccessible ambient themes for areas such as Promyvion, Movlpolis, Pso'Xja, Al'Taieu, and Ru'Hmet. Still, not everything about the stylistic approach to the setting themes is different as noted by the elegant and contemplative "Currents of Time", the elevated oboe-based "The Forgotten City - Tavnazian Safehold", or the exhaustively developed "A New Horizon - Tavnazian Archipelago". The action themes show more rhythmical focus than predecessors despite brassy textures and the "Conflict..." tracks are novel saxophone-based jazz themes. There are more event themes here than previous soundtracks due to the integration of five odes into the storyline, which results in several arrangements. Also enjoyable is the bonus performance of "Gustaberg" by the original Star Onions quartet.

With the Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack, Mizuta represented the newly introduced Eastern continent with some ethnically flavoured tracks. "Bustle of the Capital" is similar to other town themes, but the strangely synthesized main melody and ethnic drum beats immediately give a sense of a new continent. "Bandits' Market" uses Arabian-influenced melodies and catchy panpipe motifs to create a bustling image while the sailing theme "Eastward Bound..." creates just the right feel with gliding synth melodies and adventurous jazz piano chords. Nevertheless, there are more familiar soundscapes with the ambient "Illusions in the Mist" and "Ululations from Beyond" or the gentle and comforting "Jeweled Boughs" and "Whispers of the Gods". The action themes are not as individualised as predecessors but nevertheless feel mostly compelling. Other additions include two jazz-based Chocobo arrangements, the calm but cheeky "A Puppet's Slumber", and an adventurous new Vana'diel March. The culmination of the soundtrack brings some of the most dissonant and tense themes of the franchise to date, such as "Ever-Turning Wheels", "Forbidden Seal", and "Hellriders". While the soundtrack is very segmented and unfortunately omits three themes, it is overall a solid mixture of continuity and change.

The Final Fantasy XI Premium Box Unreleased Tracks mainly features tracks created after the soundtrack release for each extension. Though a few jingles and a Chocobo theme remain unreleased, the disc was created to be an enjoyable collection on a stand-alone basis rather than a compilation of trivial themes. A lot of the music exhibits a familiar Final Fantasy XI sound such as the beautiful and organic "A Road Once Travelled" and "Revenant Maiden", the dark and cinematic "Bloody Promises" and "Celestial Thunder", or the three diverse instrumental arrangements of "Memoro de la S^tono". However, there is plenty of quirk too such as the lullaby version of the Chocobo theme, two silly fishing mini-game pieces, and a Christmas remix of the Jeuno theme. Easily the best two themes are Chains of Promathia's epic final battle theme "A Realm of Emptiness" and the ending theme "Distant Worlds"; on the latter, Nobuo Uematsu returned to create a fantastic ballad sung by Izumi Masuda and reinterpreted by an acoustic guitar for those who dislike her mispronunciation of English lyrics. Other neat bonuses are "Sunbreeze Shuffle", a merry Eastern-flavoured jig, and "Ru'Lude Gardens -Star Onions Version-", a brand new synth-pop arrangement that is barely recognisable melodically.

Another bonus is the Final Fantasy XI Premium Box Piano Collections CD and sheet music book. This exclusive eight solo piano interpretations and two duet renditions of Naoshi Mizuta's compositions arranged by Kaoru Ishikawa and performed by Ayumi Iga and Kasumi Oga. Arrangements like "The Federation of Windurst", "Rabao", "Choc-a-bye Baby", and "Jeweled Boughs" stick closely to the equally important melodic and harmonic features of the originals yet nevertheless sound exceptionally pianistic. Other arrangements like "Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolis", "Faded Memories - Promyvion", and "Tu'Lia" elaborate upon their ambient original material so that they sustain interest well during their playtime. While the solo piano renditions are all strong if conservative, the duets "Battle Theme #2" and "Vana'diel March #4" are clumsy, repetitive, and unpianistic; the number of voices is used to create superficially powerful textures rather than for more interesting reasons. Another welcome addition is "Distant Worlds", which stays close to the original and is very powerful as a result. Overall, the album stays true to the musicality of Final Fantasy XI and the relatively simple arrangements allow beginner to intermediate piano players to perform the enclosed sheet music book.

Summary

The Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box is an impressive testament to the scope and quality of the music for the Final Fantasy XI franchise. The 130 pieces of original music will provide a fantastic tour through the scenery, battles, and events of Vana'diel for enthusiasts of the game and by-standers wishing to learn more about it. The franchise will be best remembered for its calming acoustic music that nearly always shines for its colourful palettes and extensive development. Nevertheless, there is a fantastic diversity in the set; there are brassy and upbeat battle themes, dark and hollow ambient pieces, worldly influences from the tropics and the East, quirky themes for the mini-games and festivals, rich orchestral or vocal pieces, and even experiments with jazz and techno. With a few exceptions, the music has been composed and implemented meticiulously principally by Naoshi Mizuta, who has dedicated nearly a decade to the MMORPG.

Nevertheless, some warnings are necessary. Mizuta's ostinato-based style will bore some people and even infuriate others so any prospective buyer should make sure they have sampled Final Fantasy XI music before purchasing the set. In addition, it is not a complete box set — omitting The Star Onions albums, the Wings of the Goddess soundtrack, and the second Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections, and several jingles. Nobody quite knows how many more extensions and arranged albums for Final Fantasy XI will eventually be made so people might want to weary that an even more definitive box set will eventually be produced. Its $100 dollar price tag (a little less if you purchase it via Square Enix Members) is good value for money — after all, it offers five soundtrack discs, two bonus discs, a sheet music book, and very nice packaging and notes. The Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box is a fantastic commemorative item for enthusiasts of Final Fantasy XI's music. Just as the game itself has a timeless quality to it, enthusiastic listeners will find themselves spending endless hours listening to this box set.

Overview

I've never so much as touched Final Fantasy XI. The online draw and the multiplayer interaction doesn't entice me, and as a result, I've never even sat down and listened to the soundtrack (let alone play the game). But I'm a massive Piano Collections fan, and when I found a piano collection was released in the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box, I searched far and wide and for several hours until I found the CD. And from there, I found the soundtrack versions of the tracks arranged for solo piano to expertly compare. I'm proud of myself for that, and that should lend to a decent review, I hope.

Perhaps because it took me forever to get the pieces, I was a bit disappointed with what I was hearing. The maturation and progression of the Piano Collections series is one of strength, difficulty, and emotion. This soundtrack does none of the above. Rather than following the examples of the later Piano Collections and demonstrating superb arrangement and beautiful difficulty, the soundtrack echoes Sato's style from Final Fantasy IV Piano Collections and Final Fantasy V Piano Colletions; the arrangements are more simplistic and try to capture the beauty of the melody more than anything else. The sudden shift to Satou's style more than a decade ago will surprise listeners and probably disappoint them in a sense as well, seeing as we're used to that superior progression of the series.

Kaoru Ishikawa, the arranger for this title in the popular series, seems to want to feel Naoshi Mizuta's original pieces much like Satou. The pianists Ayumi Iga and Kasumi Oga, however, fail to deliver emotional performances. But then, there are times when Ishikawa, who seems desperately afraid of deviation, is saved by some solid performances from his pianists. Despite these shortcomings, I wouldn't pass up listening to these Piano Collections... if not because you enjoyed the soundtrack, then because, as a Piano Collections aficionado, you're simply curious. An entirely new stand-alone Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections album is due for June release as well.

1) The Federation of Windurst

One of the more popular soundtracks from what I can gather, so there's no surprise it's featured here. The soundtrack version is is chirpy and cheerful and the piano solo starts off in a similar manner, except without the Celtic wind instruments. The piece reminds me heavily of earlier Final Fantasy town themes, and that's echoed in the piano solo, which sounds more like a fan arrangement than a professional one. Enjoyable deviations from the trite melody are interjected here and there without rendering the piece unrecognizable; most notably, when the track becomes more andante and cautious before powerfully bursting into an emotional little segment that is all too short. (6/10)

2) Rabao

An interesting track choice, primarily because many different sounds make up the soundtrack version despite the simplistic melody. The transition to the piano, then, is more of a transcription than an arrangement. Despite a loose left hand, there is little originality in the track. Oga's performance lacks any kind of emotion, especially halfway through, when the melody and strong chords of the harmony are played robotically. While the arrangement tries to employ some originality towards the end with a looser melody, the piece fails to capture attention and garner respect. Pass over this one. (3/10)

3) Choc-a-bye Baby

A rather delightful addition to the soundtrack, "Choc-a-bye Baby" is tender, sweet, and somewhat nostalgic. Because it's a lullaby, I imagine the effect would be a bit more impressive if played in a higher key. However, because the melody is the strong point in the piece, "Choc-a-bye Baby" doesn't lose anything in its middle register. The pedal is necessary, and works well when the melody becomes more staccato around the one-minute marker (at least, it's far more effective than in "Moblin Menagerie"). In typical Piano Collections style, the melody is repeated in a higher scale, but also delightfully ad-libs from the melody until it interjects — and you knew it was coming, because near-enough every Piano Collections features it — the Chocobo theme. The piece as a whole is one of the stronger tracks and very pretty, if somewhat saccharine and simplistic.

4) Moblin Menagerie — Movalpolos

"Moblin Menagerie" wouldn't be out of place on Final Fantasy IV Piano Collections. The staccato melody paired with a somewhat halfhearted pedal are reminiscent, at least to me, of "Golbeza, Clad in the Dark" or any other dungeon-esque track. And like Final Fantasy VIII Piano Collections' "Silence and Motion" or Final Fantasy X-2 Piano Collection's "Demise", the piano solo creates a more mystical feel quite different from all three soundtrack's quirky synth-laden tracks. The piece is relatively blasé until about 1:45, when we experience a nice little run, and then picks up again around 2:30, when the melody deviates a bit into a higher scale and more up-tempo quirk. The faster tempo (though hardly fast by piano standards) stays till the end, when pianist Oga goes mystical and mysterious on us with a few echoing, lingering notes, making "Moblin Menagerie" end far better than it began.

5) Battle Theme #2

A lackluster duet transcription of a lackluster battle theme. While the Piano Collections series has produced a large amount of excellently arranged battle themes, the piano versions are carried on their performance. Gusto, excitement, anticipation, and adrenaline combine to form stunning battle arrangements — just listen to "Decisive Battle" from Final Fantasy X Piano Collections and "Fighting" from Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections. This battle theme lacks a decent arrangement but more importantly Iga and Oga deliver a completely edgeless and bovine performance, devoid of any emotion. Very disappointing entry into the Piano Collections Battle Themes repertoire. (2/10)

6) Faded Memories - Promyvion

I was extremely interested to see how this track would play out on the piano. The soundtrack version is interesting enough but extremely inexact and gets most of its emotion from the various supports of the melody. But upon listening to this version, I was impressed; sultry, mysterious, and cryptic, the clichéd echoing pedaled harmony works very well, evocative of Final Fantasy IV Piano Collections. Iga manages to keep hold of the emotion, building power around the 3:40 marker, holding a 3/4 note and then playing the melody an octave higher. Some broken runs enhance the mysterious feel, but the simplistic arrangement suddenly becomes startlingly evident here. The final part of the piece features a few broken rolls high on the piano scale and then the track abruptly ends. While it's one of the better tracks, I do wish Iga could put a little more feel into the performance.

7) Jeweled Boughs

An emotional savior of a solo piece, "Jeweled Boughs" is pleasant, lyrical, and interesting. Boasting one of the better arranged bodies, the arrangement is able to pianistically express the emotions of the soundtrack version. Best and most refreshing of all, Iga gives the first real solid performance on the CD in terms of sentimentality. A lovely piece — from the melody's occasional rolls and trills to the interchanging nostalgia and suppressed felicity — "Jeweled Boughs" really, really delivers. The arrangement has a simply perfect ending with a simple rolled chord and a few notes thereafter, tying up the album phenomenally. The best track on the CD and the only arrangement I play with the enclosed sheet music book.

8) Tu'Lia

Despite an enjoyable soundtrack version, the Piano Collections version of "Tu'Lia" seems a bit off. In all actuality, I believe it's because — as I've stated before but feel most strongly right here — many different elements compose the soundtrack version. The piano version loses some of the emotion in the original version, especially in the beginning; however, I feel that lies in the arrangement, not in Iga's performance, which is actually enjoyable. "Tu'Lia" moseys along until about two minutes into the piece, when the melody is more distinguishable and far more aesthetically pleasing, due in part to a bit of hesitation and loose hand on Iga's part. The chords following the revival of the melody are at first jarring, but enhance the emotion of the piece, which peaks around three minutes. The ending is far more bittersweet than the melody heard in the beginning and middle part, but fits quite well, though I'm not a fan of the solo note at the end. However, I recommend waiting "Tu'Lia" out; the first minute or so isn't anything exciting, but the piece picks up beautifully once it finds comfort in its belly.

9) Distant Worlds

The immutable addition to all later Piano Collections tracks — the vocal theme. I disliked the original piece, but if we look to arrangements of the past, the piano version of "Distant Worlds" should hold itself up. However, I really wish Ishikawa would have experimented more here; part of what makes the piano solos of the vocal tracks is the fact that piano solo is not a transcription, but an arrangement. "Distant Worlds" plays out like a more loosely played but identical version to the original piece whereas "Melodies of Life" from Final Fantasy IX Piano Collections and "1000 Words" from Final Fantasy X-2 Piano Collections worked well because they deviated from the original. Iga tries to salvage the arrangement with a surprisingly tender performance, but overall "Distant Worlds" belongs in a distant world. (5/10)

10) Vana'diel March #4

March themes are successful because they're a bit of a rarity in the Final Fantasy world. After my experiences with the rest of the soundtrack, I felt, after listening to a very well-done soundtrack version of the piece, that the piano version probably wouldn't hold its own very well. "Vana'diel March #4" is right at average; certainly more enjoyable than most of the CD, but not quite impressionable. A strong harmony would have worked wonders on this arrangement, but simplistic too-quiet chords fail to deliver a stirring march. On the plus side, the lack of decent harmony emphasizes the decent melody od "Vana'diel March #4", which has enough emotion in it to deter the listener away from noticing the lack of harmony. The ending is truly great, though. By far the best ending of any track on the CD, and one of great power that is built up in strong chords and echoing 16th notes. The final chords could have been more bombastic, but that lies more in Iga and Oga's duet performance.

Summary

Whether it's due to the MMORPG genre or the lack of Nobuo Uematsu, there's a certain change in the music of Final Fantasy XI. The original versions of many pieces lack a great deal of melody, making the piano transition much more difficult. In the Premium Box version of the Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections, the pieces with the most melody were chosen to be arranged, regardless on the decency of the track itself in the cases of "The Federation of Windurst" and "Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolos". As the series continues to flourish in our technological society, the sound quality improves. No longer do we have to listen to the beeps and blips of NES days, but we can experience a whole symphony of instruments and synthesizers from our own console. Thus, many pieces will take on beauty and life of their own through the number of instruments used in creating the piece. While that's good in the long run, especially seeing how the soundtrack is the main musical factor whereas the Piano Collections is an excess treat, that can allude to a certain loss of quality in the Piano Collections.

Of course, all of that can be prevented by a team of skilled pianists and composers. I can only hope and pray that Kaoru Ishikawa does not return for the all-new stand-alone version of the Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections and that Ayumi Iga and Kasumi Oga are replaced with more passionate pianists. A team of a Louis Leerink-like pianist (the brilliantly-handed man behind the performances of Final Fantasy IX Piano Collections) and the entire arrangement team from Final Fantasy X-2 Piano Collections could save the second collection. But if the Premium Box version is any indicator of the fate of the beloved series, the stand-alone Final Fantasy XI Piano Collections fans will certainly be something to lament over. I'd suggest waiting for reviews of this album before purchasing the Premium Box unless you're a big fan of Final Fantasy XI's various soundtracks.