ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask "Withered and Forgotten" 3:23

Oooooooh, this one's nice and ornate! Sebastien Skaf returns with a hale and memorable solo piano rendition of "Song of Healing" from Zelda: Majora's Mask! Skaf was excited to be submitting once again, and we're just as excited to have him back with us on the front page after seven long years:

"Hello, it's been some time since I've submitted a remix! I was listening back to some of the piano arrangements I've made the last couple years and I thought this might fit the bill in terms of being transformative enough to constitute an OC ReMix. I hope you agree.

At the start of Majora's Mask, you find a small tree with what looks like a face on it. Tatl comments that it looks sad, like it could start crying at any moment. It's just a passing remark on something you see for a second in the tutorial, but it's little details like this that really make Majora's Mask so special. There's a blanket of loneliness and desperation draped over the whole game, and I wanted to convey that in this arrangement.

In terms of source usage, the entire original tune is there. The introduction to the piece is a 12-bar variation on the A theme which floats up and down the keyboard, eventually resolving to a pretty faithful rendition of the original piece. After spending a minute there I approach the theme again from the beginning with increasing embellishments and intensity: first in octaves, then in a 3-2 polyrhythm, and finally by layering the A and B sections of the piece on top of each other, with the A theme played as a middle voice and the B theme soaring above in broken arpeggiated chords. I round off the piece with a restatement of the intro that finally fades off into an unaccompanied quote of the A theme. This tune has been near and dear since I was a kid, so I wanted to do it justice. :)

If you're curious, here's the score. Thanks for your consideration."

Cheers for the sheet music, Sebastien! Skaf won over judge prophetik music right from the start:

"initial piano tone is gorgeous. the suspension at 0:25 is very nice. the initial performance of the melodic material is also very well-handled - i recognize it's a very conservative adaptation but it's beautifully managed. the broken chord at 1:29 and later is great how it pops out of the texture. 1:42 continues the gradual crescendo to the big climax section at 2:15, and this continues to be richly voiced.

there's a significant dropoff at 2:31 and the arrangement becomes more introspective here. there's a final bit at 3:10 and it's done, a bit suddenly - would have preferred a longer sustain there. [...]

i think this a beautiful rendition of the theme [...] there is a ton of patience taking to let the original's beautiful modal tonality shine out and to let the suspensions really sing through clearly. excellent work."

Despite the relative simplicity inherent in Skaf's solo piano instrumentation, judge Chimpazilla was also enchanted by elegance:

"Wow, this is glorious! What a beautiful interpretation of this source, the chord changes give it a very rich vibe, while keeping the feel of the original the same. Beautiful triplets added, really nice embellishments to this theme. Piano tone sounds perfect to me. Wow, love it."

A double wowzers indeed! Always summarizing things in glowing yet accurate terms, fellow judge Emunator lauded Sebastien's structure & performance:

"Absolutely beautiful piano tone and recording here. I'm consistently amazed at how dynamic and varied artists are able to get with these ocarina songs - the core is so simple, but you've demonstrated a mastery of your instrument that allows you to spin the source material in so many different directions without ever feeling simply like a tech demo showcase. There's a clear dynamic curve to your arrangement that feels very deliberate [...]"

We're thankful Skaf took the plunge and didn't let the melodic conservativeness of his arrangement dissuade him from submitting, which I think happens more often than it should, especially in a case like this where the performance is excellently personalized. Delicate, spirited, and precise beauty on the 88 keys from Sebastien, whom we hope to feature again sooner rather than later! :-)