The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Year: 2002
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Jeremy Soule
Number of tracks: 21
New roads, old virtues
Yes, Morrowind would probably have really captivated me, as I had already been able to get a taste of role-playing air with games like Arx Fatalis . Unfortunately, it passed my ten-year-old self by unnoticed instead, which is why I wouldn't have my first contact with the series until a decade later through The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion . Fatal, as it would later prove when I wanted to catch up on Morrowind : Too ugly, too frumpy, simply too old-fashioned. TES-fans who still see the Holy Grail in the game will probably curse me, but I simply found the condensed Oblivion better. However, my opinion is probably not suitable for the masses anyway, as I on the other hand do not, in complete opposition to the trend, hate the Star Wars–prequel trilogy.
Be that as it may, I can't help but honor Morrowind for what it is: a very good game that served as a template for other, equally fantastic games. And it brought us an award-winning soundtrack whose main theme makes me and pretty much every fan feel at home. It's no coincidence that the motif can be found in all of its successors, is used as part of countless medleys and appears in various top lists (including mine). We are of course talking about “Nerevar Rising”:
One drum. Boom. Two more beats. Boom boom. Again - boom boom. Boom boom. Three delicate notes sound one after the other, plucked on a harp and accompanied by horn and violin. C D E - so corny, so fantasy. Three notes again: E F G. Pfff. Now a twist - G B F, followed by a rapid descending slide. Aha? Back at C, the melody climbs up again (C D E - E F G - G H C) and reaches the next higher octave. Mhhh. Once there, the piece rejoices, as if celebrating a small success, before we follow the path through the next valley, like a hike along a hilly path.
So far, so uneventful. We reach a bend, circle around what has denied us a view of the panorama that now stretches out before us - then it happens: As though to overcome the last effort on our path, the drum whips us briefly. And as if we were stepping out of the silence of a dense forest, the orchestra suddenly swells: Like rays of sunshine, the strings flow across the expanse that lies before us. In all their grandeur, they once again play the motif from the beginning, this time triumphantly accompanied by the horns. Well done. The hardships were worth it, the work is done.
But just as we are about to put our feet up in satisfaction, our eyes catch this indescribable sight, this beauty that we almost overlooked. It's min 1:10 when composer Jeremy Soule finally presents us with what he wanted to show us all along: a mirror. Like a wall of grandeur and pathos, the entire orchestra bursts forth and unleashes its emotional power. This moment is dedicated to us, this moment is ours. We are the hero. We are worthy of being sung about. We deserve this experience. And the whole world is our oyster.
At least that's how I would like to interpret this theme, which gives me goosebumps every time with its powerful and touching nature. It is simple, it is in fact impressively simple. The harmonies are child's play, the instruments are classic. But also classically good. You can think what you like of Soule (more on this in my review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), but this is a work of art.
All the better that he relies on the strengths of his orchestration throughout the entire OST. Although it can't always hide its similarities to his other scores such as Harry Potter (“Ambush!”, “Shed Your Travails”), Guild Wars (“Knight's Charge”) or Kotor (“Over the Next Hill”), these are cleverly dispelled by the sporadic quotes from the main theme (“Bright Spears, Dark Blood”, “Dance of Swords”).
Meanwhile, other pieces such as “Silt Sunrise” give us a glimpse of what we can expect later in Oblivion and Skyrim : calm, deliberate sounds that tell of the beauty of nature. Despite the risk of sounding cheesy, the soundtrack to Morrowind can be described as magical throughout. Soule simply knows how to use music to create a multi-faceted world that captivates us like a carnivorous plant, only to snap into action the next moment with a mighty drum roll and the sound of trombones.
Meanwhile, the euphoric and soulful “The Road Most Travelled” stands out for me from this high-quality acoustic indulgence, which falls just short of the podium due to a lack of nostalgia. Instead of the force of “Nerevar Rising”, it focuses on softer tones and promises an upbeat, carefree journey. We are explorers, everywhere along the way there is something wonderful and marvelous. Life is beautiful, everything is good. And that's how the soundtrack leaves us when it ends with “Nerevar Rising (Reprise)”. A song of praise for light-heartedness. Yeah, that's how it was back in 2002.
Nostalgia warning
The rating of the individual tracks is purely subjective and clearly colored by my own experience with the game. You can find out more in the article About Nostalgia.
| Nr. | Title | Interpret(en) | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Nerevar Rising | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 02 | Peaceful Waters | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 03 | Knight's Charge | Jeremy Soule | |
| 04 | Over the Next Hill | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 05 | Bright Spears, Dark Blood | Jeremy Soule | |
| 06 | The Road Most Travelled | Jeremy Soule | |
| 07 | Dance of Swords | Jeremy Soule | |
| 08 | Blessing of Vivec | Jeremy Soule | |
| 09 | Ambush! | Jeremy Soule | |
| 10 | Silt Sunrise | Jeremy Soule | |
| 11 | Hunter's Pursuit | Jeremy Soule | |
| 12 | Shed Your Travails | Jeremy Soule | |
| 13 | Stormclouds on the Battlefield | Jeremy Soule | |
| 14 | Caprice | Jeremy Soule | |
| 15 | Drumbeat of the Dunmer | Jeremy Soule | |
| 16 | Darkened Depths | Jeremy Soule | |
| 17 | The Prophecy Fulfilled | Jeremy Soule | |
| 18 | Triumphant | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 19 | Introduction | Jeremy Soule | |
| 20 | Fate's Quickening | Jeremy Soule | |
| 21 | Nerevar Rising (Reprise) | Jeremy Soule | |
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