Chapter 4: Thus Spake Uematsu: Satirical Parody in the Opening Sequence to Final Fantasy VI (Richard Anatone)
This page provides the supplemental figures for book chapters 1-7, 10, and 12.
- Chapter 1: Dancing Mad: Music and the Apotheosis of Villainy in Final Fantasy (Jessica Kizzire)
- Chapter 2: The Devil in the Detail: Analyzing Nobuo Uematsu’s ‘One-Winged Angel’ from Final Fantasy VII (James S. Tate)
- Chapter 3: Changing Times: The Diatonic Rhythms of Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy Battle Music (Ross Mitchell)
- Chapter 4: Thus Spake Uematsu: Satirical Parody in the Opening Sequence to Final Fantasy VI (Richard Anatone)
- Chapter 5: That tune really holds the game together: Thematic families in Final Fantasy IX (Atkinson)
- Chapter 6: A Link Between Worlds: The Construction of Nostalgia in Game Music and Final Fantasy IX (James L. Tate)
- Chapter 7: Penultimate Fantasies: Compositional Precedents in Uematsu’s Early Works (Alan Elkins)
- Chapter 10: Feminine Themings The Construction of Musical Gendering in the Final Fantasy Franchise (Thomas B. Yee)
- Chapter 12: HISTORICAL NARRATOLOGY AND THE ‘HYMN OF THE FAYTH’ IN FINAL FANTASY X (Powell and Dudley)
| Section | Music | Accompanying Video | Doremi score |
| 1 | Rising 4th, fanfare | Descending sky; title screen | ‘Opening Theme #1’ |
| 2 | Piano prelude | Title screen | ‘Opening Theme #1’ |
| 3 | ‘Catastrophe’ | Backstory, accompanying vignettes | ‘Opening Theme #1’ |
| 4 | Wind sound (diegetic) | Dialogue between Wedge and Biggs with Terra present | n/a |
| 5 | Cyclic Theme | Opening credits; Wedge, Biggs, and Terra marching to Narshe | ‘Opening Theme #2’ |
Supp 4.1. The various sub-sections within “Omen.” Although their names were Wedge and Vicks in the North American release, “Vicks” was changed to “Biggs” in the GBA version.
| Culturally favored characteristics withinThus Spake Zarathustra introduction | Culturally disfavored characteristics within Final Fantasy VI introduction (‘Omen’) |
| Ascending gesture | Hidden descending gesture |
| Consonance | Dissonance |
| Brighter modes | Darker modes |
| Natural (overtone series) | Unnatural (stacked perfect 4ths) |
| Consonant and timbrally bright fanfare | Dissonant choir chant |
| Timpani affirmation | No affirmation |
Supp. 4.2. Comparison of the culturally favored and disfavored characteristics found within Strauss’ nature motive and Uematsu’s introduction to ‘Omen’ in Final Fantasy VI.
| Resides primarily in Phrygian mode | Expressive use of Neapolitan harmony |
| ‘Omen’ | ‘Phantom Forest’ |
| ‘Catastrophe’ | ‘Serpent Trench’ |
| ‘Battle Theme’ | ‘Floating Continent’ |
| ‘Unforgiven’ | ‘Dark World’ |
| ‘Phantom Train’ | ‘The Day After’ |
| ‘The Veldt’ | ‘Gogo’ (leitmotif) |
| ‘Under Martial Law’ | ‘Umaro’ (leitmotif) |
| ‘Emperor Gestahl’ (leitmotif) | ‘Last Dungeon’ |
| ‘Fanatics’ |
Supp. 4.3. Tracks within Final Fantasy VI that use Phrygian mode and Neapolitan harmonies. These tracks comprise approximately 28% of the entire soundtrack.
Supp. 4.4. The first measures of Tier 1 and Tier 2 of ‘Dancing Mad,’ showing ascension from C to D
in the bass, foreshadowed in the opening measures of ‘Omen.’ Musical motives associated with Kefka first appear overtly within the ‘Second Tier,’ including the march topic, the obsessive rising and falling semitone, and the choir’s seeming laughter.
Supp. 4.5. Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy VI, ‘Kefka,’ mm. 90-99, the climax before looping back to the beginning.
| Expected characteristics of the rising fourth motive | Characteristics within ‘Omen’ |
| Series of 4 notes | Series of 6 notes |
| Fast tempo | Slow tempo |
| Faster durations (sixteenth-notes through half notes) | Whole notes |
| Rock music accompaniment | Completely unaccompanied |
| Tonal attributes | Complete sonic saturation |
| No thematic importance | The only theme stated |
Supp 4.6. A list of the exaggeration or distortion techniques Uematsu applies to his rising fourth motive as heard in ‘Omen’.
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