Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite

Overview

The Erdrick Saga (or Roto in Japanese) was continued due to the success of its predecessor. This Dragon Quest boom is often explained by the enormous fame of star drawer Akira Toriyama. It has to be said that Dragon Quest was advertised in many early DB Classic Mangas. So the people went out to buy the game and the Dragon Quest staff members were encouraged to continue.

Body

The first track of each CD is the “Dragon Quest March.” This will not change in decades, but in comparison to the last Symphonic Suite, the track is only 1:43 long, so there’s no boring repetition. The recording and performance quality is much higher and there are new clashing cymbals added to the mix. The love song, “Only Lonely Boy,” marks the beginning of this great CD. Instead of arranging the menu song for the whole orchestra Sugiyama decided to do it for a few violins playing in pizzicato, a harp, and a contrabass. This decision was no failure, because the sweetness of the melody gives us the chance to hear a completely new area of his composition style. In my opinion, Sugiyama actually tried to create a anime/pop feeling at the start of Dragon Quest II, creating a wonderful piece.

In Dragon Quest II, which takes place 100 years after it’s prequel, the player experiences a 3 minute long intro before he gets able to bash into his controller. Featured during this is “Pastoral,” a quiet piece of music that is played through the initial text roll, and “Catastrophe,” when the castle of the sorceress, who will join the party of the hero later, is attacked by demons and destroyed. It’s very cinematic, fast, and emotional, even for those who have never played the game. An alternative recording of “Pastoral” was also featured on the Game Music Concert 4 ~The Best Selection~, played by the Tokyo Philharmonic. Moving on, “Chateau” (French for castle) is a slow baroque piece played by the string section fits perfectly into the line of DQ castle BGMs. Have a ear for the opera trills (trills which last for at least one bar or more) and the solos, which are played by a beautiful trembling violin.

As for town, I have never liked this theme, because it was kind of annoying on the NES. The arrangement is alright; there are some good alternations throughout the theme, but the performance is lacking accuracy. Percussion and toms are, when present, often out-of-rhythm. Apart from this, it’s quite a nice theme on the symphonic suite. Interesting fact: Did you recognize this melody? The start sounds exactly like the “Feather Theme” from Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks. This is no accusation of plagiary Mr. Alan Silvestri, but the first 20 seconds of the song are similar, there’s no doubt. Check it out if you don’t believe me. Back from the tangent, “Fright in Dungeon / Devil’s Tower” starts and ends very ambient and in rubato (free tempo). The dungeon theme is played by string section, a glockenspiel, and percussion. The tower theme on the other hand sounds rather distressing thanks to its atonality and you will be happy to hear it end.

“Endless World” is the musical quintessence of this CD. It’s six minutes long and integrates three different overworld themes. “Distant Journey” is played when the hero travels alone. Sugiyama takes full advantage of the symphonic orchestra to rise the musical tension. Time after time, there are more and more instruments joining the whole performance. My personal favourite will be yours too, my young padawan. Without silence inbetween, “Alefgard” sets in, the same piece of music heard in Dragon Quest; time for some nostalgia, but for nothing new. To conclude, “Endless World” kicks in and is more joyful than “Faraway Journey,” but just as memorable. “Beyond the Waves” is the first sailing song in the DQ lineage. Mr. Sugiyama did a wonderful job on this theme, giving it the feeling of a Johann Strauss Waltz with 3/4 rhythm and a flawless performance. When the track reaches 1:25 minutes a completely new part can be heard; I’m questioning myself why the composer left this part out in the original sound version. This arrangement rocks.

Let’s have a look on “Death Fight” ~ “Dead or Alive”. Time for some criticism: There is one mistake at 0:25 (the horn plays a little too early), and the musician who is in charge of the percussions appears to be a little drunk. Apart from these taints, it’s a fabulous orchestral work. As in all following Symphonic Suites, Sugiyama composes a few seconds of new music between the battle and the last battle song, making the whole track more interesting even for a die-hard fan. “Dead or Alive” is the theme of the evil demon Malroth, the last boss in the game. The leading motif is frightening and the melody inbetween is a fast repetition of notes played by brasses. Thumbs-up! “My Road My Journey” closes the book of this Dragon Quest episode. In my opinion, it’s the ultimate and best ending theme that has ever touched a Dragon Quest game. Mr. Sugiyama even chose this track to be the ending of the Dai no Daiboken Anime, complete with lyrics and sung by a male japanese vocalist.

Summary

The second Dragon Quest Symphonic Suite has improved on many points, and the few flaws on this disc are washed away by the large amount of fascinating and stunning themes. Reprints are still out there, so have an eye on eBay auctions if you are interested!

Posted on August 1, 2012 by George Vallant. Last modified on August 1, 2012.

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George Vallant

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