The Impresario by virt ft. Tommy Pedrini
Nine minutes of holy f*ck.

While I appreciate what they were trying to do with The Impresario, I feel that the song (or collection of songs that are in the remix) strays way too far from the original music. The original music was intended to be an opera, focusing on the music itself, and less so on the lyrics, but the remix on this album turns the opera into a musical, adding pointless words, and all I can imagine while listening to it is a bunch of people dancing around the stage, which I don't think was the intent of the song.

I know that because it's a remix it's not supposed to be exactly the same song, but I just think that turning the opera from FF6, such an important and groundbreaking scene into a musical is too much. Also, I don't like the voices of the singers.

Basically, the way they changed the song pretty much removed everything I liked about the original song.

My favorite remixes on the album are probably Wild Child Ballad (Gau) and Ending Suite.

Prologue(Opening Theme) - Perfect in every way. Fully orchestrated, fully epic.

Now Is the Winter(The Mines of Narshe) - Very cool jazz theme. Just the "hahh" part alone is nice, but it is bluesy and amazing to reflect the desolation of the town. It felt like Traverse Town from KH in some aspects, which I could totally see in a higher quality Narshe theme in an FFVI remake(which will probably never happen cause Squeenix).

Remember(Awakening) - Terra's theme is a mainstay in this track, staying true to the game of course. I love Terra's theme and its variations, so this was a no-brainer. But in all seriousness, I feel it portrays the accurateness of when this theme first comes to mind as super memorable- that is to say when Terra is transformed for the first time, and we encounter her bedridden. It has a a very depressed and listless feel, while being very sweeping. But you can totally still get that vibe where there's the glimmers of hope occasionally as well.

A Fistful of Nickels(Shadow) - There was no better way to go than a western-type theme for this. While it was what I expected it to be, they absolutely nailed it in my opinion. It very much echos the original theme.

Stone Drum(Cyan) - LOVED IT. Reminded me a ton of Nujabes(Samurai Champloo). Very cool hip-hop feel, and it worked in my opinion. Regal hip-hop. Can that be a thing?

Wild Child Ballad(Gau) - Amazing. Captures the essence of the original track. Just felt like... a kinda breezy country area, almost French in nature. And it works!

Bad Octopus(Save Them! Grand Finale) - Very much a metal/rock remix of a song in a style I swear is familiar to me... but it is done very well regardless.

Terra's Resolve(Terra) - Beautifully orchestrated Terra's Theme. What is not to like?

A Simple Flip Can Change Fate(Coin Song) - YES. Another one that pumps up the original theme to max and reverberates with the feeling of every scene it has ever been played within. You know what I mean if you have played FFVI, surely.

Reverie of a Broken Phoenix(Forever Rachel) - First off, what an appropriate title, if not a bit spoilery. This one made my eyes misty. I feel as though the subtle echo of the track paints that mist, that memory of Rachel that Locke has embedded within him. You can almost feel the haze drifting around you as you watch someone else's precious memories- even if the tragedy comes to light eventually. The solemn piano and other instrumentals begin to weave through the track, and you can slowly see the brush strokes that make up a painting that turns out to be quite melancholy.

Slam Davis(Slam Shuffle) - YES. Deep and gritty kind of Acid Jazz. Fits the theme perfectly. It also gives the impression of perhaps a smoke-filled bar, which kinda fits a city of criminals quite nicely, I think. Even if Squaresoft did edit out those pesky enemy cigarettes somewhat.

Fiddlesticks Rag(Spinach Rag) - Reminds me of well... the Opera House and Auction House. Shouldn't it? But even though it is absolutely what I expected, it is done amazingly well. It also reminds me of some of the official Square-licensed orchestrated albums they have had... you know, the tracks like "Love Will Grow" and all that. It's nice.

The Nightmare Oath(Overture) - Taken into the vibe of a rock opera. I love it very much. As to why? They took a unique spin to it. There is an official opera track out there with the original lyrics. So that's already out there. They decided to put their own spin on it(a very symphonic metal one). And I think the risk worked. Driving melodies and lyrics begin here. They are not pumped into overdrive quite yet.

The Impresario(Opera Sequence) - The crescendo has appeared! Lyrics are added, but I definitely did not feel them out of place. Very Queen-feel as well. Even though this is rock, this is much more what an actual opera feels like. You have your supporting vocals, and people sing basically... everything. Man I miss the Cincinnati summer operas. Anyways, just like the previous track- there's an official one that emulates the game more to the T... but I find myself singing this one around the house(much more horribly of course, but I digress). I just... this was the song I cranked the volume on. I was actually kind of disappointed that the style changed with Till We Meet Again(Aria de Mezzo Carattere)... but I get it. It was like this in the actual game- you had the whole orchestra blaring it out for the parts leading up to Celes' tiny mini-game.

Elegy for a Ruined World(Dark World) - Perfect. Love that they kept the off-beat chords from the world map theme that help to make it feel even more desolate. It's a very orchestrated version of that theme. Expected, but certainly not bad by any means.

A Glimmer of Hope(Searching for Friends) - THEY KEPT THAT STELLAR BASE LINE FROM THE ORIGINAL TRACK YEAH. But in all seriousness, it is a very pretty take on a great track. It doesn't stray far from the original at all, and feels just fine anyways. It's definitely in my top 5 from the original OST, and I believe this remix definitely does it justice.

Ending Suite(Ending Theme) - Don't even know how to nab words for this one. The original alone is just mind-blowing, and the remix cranks that to 13. Not 11- 13. Maybe 20. I don't know. I just remember feeling like "Is the SNES capable of this much music-wise?" when I first heard it. I suppose it makes sense since FFVI was a later SNES title, but still. Anyways, this is another one that very much stays pretty true to the original track. I really liked the emphasis on the violin. I really felt like it was kinda bittersweet... which goes along with the feeling that you've spent all this time watching and growing with these characters, and now it is over.

Following Forgotten(The Mines of Narshe) - I believe this is on the bonus disc. I think it should've been up there chronologically. Super ethereal and ambient take on the track- perfectly fitting for the mines. I mean... I love this kind of music. Even though it wasn't there chronologically, I am so glad it made it to the bonus disc.

The 6th Kingdom(Terra) - It's me, it's a Terra Theme... of course it is going to make it. Hip-hop Terra. Alright. To me, it feels a ton like the Cyan track, so I can see why it is on the bonus disc. But hey, I still like it.

Jidoorian Rhapsody(The Wedding) - I just really liked this track. I guess I can see why it isn't up in the actual listing, but still. It's a very cool take on the song.

Umaro's New Groove(Umaro) - Another very Disney-sounding track. I kinda like this one better than the one they included chronologically in the track listing. But hey, it made it to the bonus disc at least. I just very much enjoyed listening to this... and while I don't use Umaro much in the actual game, this just felt more defining of his character I think. It felt heavy with that bass line, it felt whimsical with the other instrumentals.