ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time "The Princess of Destiny" 3:55

"Link, go now to Hyrule Castle... There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny."

Happy Valentine's Day! SuperTonic64 (Tiara Dees) follows up an impressive debut back in February of 2016 with a gorgeous, stirring, Romantic/Impressionist symphonic take on Ocarina of Time which we think you'll love, regardless of your relationship status & disposition towards the date:

"Below are the submission details for "The Princess of Destiny," an orchestral arrangement of the well-known and beloved song "Zelda's Theme" ("Zelda's Lullaby"). I am submitting this piece in hopes that it will be included as my second remix for OCR, and I appreciate any feedback from the judges panel.

Out of all the songs and melodies that stuck with me throughout my life as a gamer and music lover, I'd have to say that "Zelda's Theme" (more commonly known as "Zelda's Lullaby") stuck with me the most. This song is one of the most iconic musical works of the Legend of Zelda franchise, so how could I do it justice?

I tried several times to reorchestrate, remix, or remaster this song, but I felt like there was always something missing from my previous arrangements. In June 2017, I started a new arrangement of this song with the goal of it being my last version. I composed this completely in FL Studio, and used a variety of sound samples from EastWest, Kontakt Ultimate 11, and Spitfire Audio.

I put a lot of heavy work into this arrangement for months -- at one point putting it down out of frustration (and then subsequently losing the project file until I found it again). And then, a few minutes after midnight on January 1, 2019, on the very first day of this new year, I finally finished this orchestration. It took a lot of time and patience to finish it, but I'd have to say this is the best orchestration of "Zelda's Lullaby" I've ever done. (And I've orchestrated this song a few times already.) I have never worked so hard and long on a piece, and I am very proud of the result. This will likely be the FINAL time I will orchestrate this song, unless I think of another way to spin it.

I hope this arrangement demonstrates the same whimsy, beauty, and curiosity that I experienced when I was a child playing one of my favorite games of all time."

Really superb work here from Tiara; the richness of the voicings and the deliberate pacing channel certain Wagner pieces for me, though for some reason I was also reminded of the "Clair de Lune" fountains scene from the end of Ocean's 8. While the sources are easily identifiable, the harmonic alterations are the star, with dynamic contrast & growth bringing them forth. Larry Oji writes:

"Nice work, Tiara! For crits, there were some moments (e.g. 1:40) where the string samples (and, to a lesser extent, the choir vox) were exposed due to some unnatural note changes, but in the grand scheme of things, this was firmly above the production bar. Arrangement-wise, you had good expansion of the part-writing as well as good ornamentation touches. Very smart dynamic changes over the course of this as well, with the dropoff before 2:22's delicate rebuild being my personal highlight. Fun stuff with a good range of energy! :-)"

The arrangement here was honestly so captivating that I didn't focus on sample quality/realism at all - this mix really draws you in, conveying the artist's passion & refinement in vivid, grand strokes. It's been a while since ST64 debuted, and I was looking forward to a follow-up; this not only lives up to expectations but exceeds them, and is an absolute must for any Zelda fan. Congrats to Tiara for a fantastic second mix - highly recommended!