# Classical Music & Video Games



## Arsakes

I'm talking about video games (mostly Strategy) like:
- Civilization IV, V and Colonization
- Europa Universalis II
- Hearts of Iron (I)
- Victoria

*That have pieces from Brahms, Dvorak, Beethoven, Bach, Beriot, Saint Saens, Mussorgsky and others' works.*

Do you know any other video game with this kind of music?

I'm going to continue this thread and show you how nice pieces these games have.


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## Arsakes

Let's Start with Victoria (it attracts me to classic music):

- Haydn: 'Emperor' String Quartet (the famous movement)
- Mozart: Kyrie Eleison
- Mozart: Dies Irae
- 3 pieces by Richard Hayman
- Berwald: Symphony no. 3? (1 movement)
- Verdi: Aida Overtures, two opera pieces from Requiem 
- Hector Berlioz: 2 pieces from 'The Damnation of Faust'
- J.Struass II: Napoleon March, Tritsch Tratsch polka and another
- Richard Wagner: Imperial March and Rule Britannia
- Some marches from Sousa
- Mendelssohn's 4th symphony (last movement)
- Bizet: Carmen's most famous piece 

And all are Naxos recordings.


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## suniil

I'm trying to make a list of Classical music Pieces used in Video Games, Piano in particular.

Only one I know is the album released by Lang Lang - Gran Turismo 5 OST



> 1. Franz Liszt: Liebestraum No.1 Hohe Liebe
> 2. Chopin: Etude In E Major Op.10 No.3 arrangement
> 3. J. S. Bach: Air On The G String / from Orchestral Suite No. 3 - arrangement
> 4. Gustav Holst: The Planets Op. 32 Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity - arrangement
> 5. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker,
> 6. Chopin: Polonaise Op. 40 No. 1, Military Polonaise
> 7. Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor Op. 31/2, The Tempest Largo Allegro
> 8. Scott Joplin: The Entertainer * (featured in car setting scene)
> 9. Chopin: Waltz in D Flat Major Op.64 No.1, Minute Waltz
> 10. Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.7 in B Flat Major Op. 83, Precipitato * (opening sequence)
> 11. J. S. Bach: Jesus, Joy of Man s Desiring , Chorale from Cantata No.147 *


If any of you familiar with other tracks / OST, please post below.

Thanks in Advance


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## LordBlackudder

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata - Resident Evil 1

Chopin Revolution (Étude In C Minor Op. 10 No. 12) - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Tristesse (Étude In E Major Op. 10 No. 3) - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Rain Drops - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Grande Valse Brilliante (Valse In E-Flat Major Op. 18) - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Nocturne (Nocturne in E-Flat Major Op. 9 No. 2) - Eternal Sonata
Chopin Heroic Polonaise (Polonaise No. 6 "Heroique" A-Sharp Op. 53) - Eternal Sonata

Chopin Nocturne op.9 no.1 - Phantom Dust

Chopin Fantasy Impromptu - Clock Tower 3

Chopin Funeral March - Hanjuku Hero VS 3D Original Soundtrack

Chopin Revolutionary Etude - Catherine

There so many. Just use:

http://vgmdb.net/db/main.php

And type a composer in like Beethoven and than use the website and youtube to research.


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## suniil

Thank you for the list (especially for that link).


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## Andreas

There was a game called Parodius for SNES, about twenty years ago. It featured some classical music pieces, such as:

Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5
Khachaturian - Sabre Dance
Tchaikovsky - Flower Waltz

And probably some others too, but I don't remember.


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## kiliand

Andreas said:


> There was a game called Parodius for SNES, about twenty years ago. It featured some classical music pieces, such as:
> 
> Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5
> Khachaturian - Sabre Dance
> Tchaikovsky - Flower Waltz
> 
> And probably some others too, but I don't remember.


That game was awesome!

Here's a full list of the classical music used btw: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodius_music


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## campy

Tetris on the old NES had a dance from _Nutcracker _as a selection.


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## Novelette

An ancient MSDOS game called Superfly used the Prelude in C Minor from Bach's WTC on the title screen.






That was my first exposure to the Prelude.


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## Schubussy

Satie's first gymnopedie is the menu music for _Symphony_. Not a great version of it though.


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## Rola

Some time ago I've advocated the creation of a list that'd group such games on MobyGames website:
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/games-with-classical-music

I've added several titles.
Sadly, often even in game manuals there's no mention of the pieces used, composers' names get listed at best. Sometimes you have to rely solely on your ears and musical experience.

Just as with films, classical music can be used in games to a great effect of setting the mood. Think about playing a strategy wargame as a XVIIc. monarch, listening to relaxing baroque concertos while you... crush a rebellion!

What's surprising, is that it can also be used for _comical_ effect.
The best example would be *Return Fire*. Do yourself a favor and find a clip on YouTube


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## Huilunsoittaja

Civilization II played Beethoven's funeral march from his 3rd symphony whenever you destroyed a civilization, also the choral anthem of the 9th symphony when there was a holiday dedicated to you, I think.


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## DeepR

An old DOS game called Dark Legions uses the melody of Rachmaninoff's Prelude Op. 3 No. 2.
I didn't know the Rachmaninoff piece back when I played this game, but I never forgot the melody, and many years later I found out.





World of Warcraft uses the melody of Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 for one of the background tunes in the Outland area.


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## Jobis

The Napoleonic Wars mod pack for Mount & Blade: Warband has some great Mozart and Beethoven pieces in the soundtrack, including the 9th symphony of old Ludwig Van.


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## Rola

My findings from *Wargasm* (no, I'm not making up that title), excerpts from:

-Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor Op. 125 "Choral" (Ode to Joy), Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92
-Wagner: Siegfried's Funeral March from Twilight of the Gods
-Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3.


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## Rola

- Gustav Holst: The Planets - Mars, the Bringer of War

...the staple of sci-fi, I wonder how many times it was reused?

Featured in the introduction to Outpost (buggy strategy where you build space colony), I've just found it as intro to Starlord.

By IT culture standards those titles are old enough to be called _classics_ too...


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## FatLord

My personal top 5 video game scoring:

1. The Dragon Age Series by Inon Zur (Israeli composer). THE soundtracks that led me to orchestral music. 
2. Starcraft II by Groove Addicts and various artists. I feel goose bumps in every cinematics.
3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution by Michael McCann. Very original and interesting perceptions from Michael. Hybrid Orchestral.
4. The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim by Jeremy Soule. Wonderful work here, very nice ambience. 
5. Mass Effect 3 by Two Steps From Hell and other various artists. Very good choices here.


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## Zabirilog

Once when I was playing Civilization IV, Liszt's Eroica (Transcendental 7) suddenly started. I first thought that it came from the game. But no, I finally realized that my iTunes was on and playing it :lol: Well, the game itself actually has also good music.


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