1. Introduction
When I was asked to write a soundtrack demo for Monsters and Medicine (Cape Town: Clockwork Acorn), I orchestrated the opening of Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 543). Once the company formally agreed to hire me I considered soundtrack models on which I would base my own work.
With the theme of monsters in a puzzler setting, I consciously avoided any musical parallels to the soundtrack of Plants vs. Zombies. Instead, I aimed for a soundtrack with a playful character with a slightly serious tone. I used "A Hero Awakens" from Fable III [1] as a compositional model for my soundtrack for Monsters and Medicine.
With the track above in mind, I decided to score the soundtrack for Monsters and Medicine for chamber orchestra. The organ (pipe/electronic) and harpsichord would unify the soundtrack in a neo-Baroque style, used in all the tracks; although I favour the harpsichord as soloist in this soundtrack, I did not wish to imitate any Baroque form, including the concerto grosso; instead, I used recurring musical extracts alla rondo for to create unity within each composition. With the music of the demo in mind, I further decided to base the entire soundtrack (or at least large sections of it) on the works of Bach. The Bach-Works-Catalogue (BWV: Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis) will be used to reference specific works of Bach in this essay.
2. Artistic integrity
Reworking art music is often frowned upon - especially when used outside the artistic tradition. When used in popular music, quotations from art music might mock the original material or demean the original musical character as was intended by the composer. Video game music is postmodern and pluralistic, often remixing the old to make the new; that is exactly what I did with the soundtrack of Monsters and Medicine. My work does not mock the work of Bach, but often rework and develop exacts of his music whilst remaining true to the affect in Baroque music. By quoting and developing the musical material of the great composers I follow in the footsteps of the old masters. The medieval chant Dies Irae will also be quoted, unifying various tracks.
3. Analysis
3.1. The Haunted Forest
The Haunted Forest opens with an air of suspense: tacet that ushers in an anacrusis. The opening motif is the first four notes from Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 543, bar 1) followed by a harpsichord and double bass pizzicato. Two clarinets introduce the second motif (based on the opening material) that is found in the Prelude (bar 11) (00:06). The interplay between these two motifs continue until two bassoons with celesta (non-Bach, inspired by the orchestration of Fable III: A Hero Awaken) shifts the tonality away from the tonic. A harpsichord version of Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565, bar 2) (00:33) returns the harmony to the tonic before the opening motif returns (00:38). After the clarinets repeat the second motif (00:41), pizzicato strings pronounce the start of a new section (00:55). The fugue subject (of BWV 565, bars 30-31) is shortened and repeated, as heard on a celesta (01:00). After the shortened fugue subject is heard three times an extract from BWV 543 (bar 4-6) is heard (01:16). The section comes to a close with a repetition of the opening motif at 01:22. Dies Irae is heard for the first time at 01:27, played on a bell [2]. After an organ joins the chant (01:39), the second motif from BWV 543 and the Dies Irae (in that order) is joined on clarinets, before organ and strings repeats Dies Irae (02:00); the section ends with a quotation from The Well-Tempered Clavier (Book 1: Prelude and Fugue 2 no. 2 in C minor, Prelude bars 29-31) (BWV 847) (02:07). At 02:21 a longer opening quotation from the Prelude and Fugue in A minor is played, ending with the harpsichord and pizzicato ending (as is heard in the opening motif). Harpsichord and celesta quote the opening subject of A Musical Offering (BWV 1079, bars 1-9) at 02:28 before Dies Irae is heard again, played on strings (02:50). The track ends with strings and organ playing a plagal ("Amen") tierce de picardie cadence (03:00)
<iframe title="Embedded content" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/341282123&color=%2300aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" height="166px" width="100%" data-testid="iframe" loading="lazy" scrolling="auto" data-gtm-yt-inspected-91172384_163="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-91172384_165="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-113="true"></iframe>3.2. The Fluffy Isle
This piece aimed to emulate the serenity of Vivaldi's Four Seasons concerto (Winter: II). I could have used Bach's Air on the G String (from the third Orchestral Suite), but I also wanted to avoid too much "cheese". Thus, the track opens with the opening extract from Bach's Violin Concerto in E (I, bars 1-2) (BWV 1042) as played by Friederike Scholtz [3]. The Well-Tempered Clavier returns (Book 1: Prelude and Fugue no. 1 in C major, Prelude bars 1-4) (BWV 846) on the harp (00:06), before the Violin Concerto opening is echoed on violin and harpsichord (00:20). The chorale Jesus bleibet meine Freude (from the Cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147), also known as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire, is heard in part on an electronic organ (00:27). The Violin Concerto (as a shortened subject) is repeated and developed, whilst a juxtaposing accompanying harp plays another extract from the (Book 1) C Major Prelude from the Well-Tempered Clavier (00:49). The opening of Schlafe, mein Liebster (bars 1-8) from the Cantata Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen (BWV 213) is quoted on flute with harpsichord accompaniment (01:24) before the Violin Concerto opening returns (01:44). The Aria from the Goldberg Variations (bars 1-8) (BWV 988) is played on harpsichord (01:51), before Schlafe, Mein Liebster is repeated on clarinet (02:26). The iconic second movement (Largo) from Harpsichord Concerto no. 5 in F minor (BWV 1056) is partly quoted (bars 1-3) on a flute (02:54), closing the composition.
3.3. The Ghost Island
The Ghost Island opens with a solo violin playing the subject of The Art of Fugue (bars 1-5) (BWV 1080) (Contrapunktus I). The bars (3-5) that follow is the introduction of the Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565), truncated and echoed by organ before the organ announces the 'classic' opening of the Toccata (00:26). Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147) repeats, but this time the fifth movement Bereite dir, Jesu, noch itzo die Bahn is partially quoted (bars 1-3) on a harpsichord (00:38). At 00:55 Jesu, noch itzo die Bahn is juxtaposed with The Art of Fugue, alla stretto. A solo harpsichord quotes the Italian Concerto (II, bars 1-8) (01:07), before The Art of Fugue is heard again (01:58). The Well-Tempered Clavier is quoted from Book 2: Prelude and Fugue no. 6 in D minor (BWV 875). The first 9 bars of the Prelude is played on an organ (highlighted by a harpsichord) (02:04). The subject of the fugue follows, repeated twice in a high and low register (02:22). A vocalist echoes The Art of Fugue subject (02:37) before the 3 echoing quotations of Dies Irae (02:45); first on celesta, then repeated on harpsichord and organ. A plagal cadence on an organ closes the composition (03:02).
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3.4. The Swamp Town
In this piece, I aimed to quote the Orchestral Suite no. 2 (1067) as much as possible. The rondo theme is a truncated opening of the Badinerie (7th movement, bar 1-3), played on flute and echoed by pizzicato strings. An accordion [4] continues the truncated Badinerie (bars 3-5) (00:08) before the Badinerie opening is repeated on a flute (00:23). A bass guitar plays the first eight bars of the second movement, Rondeau
