The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Magically Masterful
No, Jeremy Soule's soundtrack should also, as usual for the series, burn itself into the collective memory of the gaming community - and represent the composer's last great work in the video game sector. In my review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , I had already talked about the allegations of sexual abuse against Soule that caused him to disappear from the scene. If you want to read more about my view on the subject of artists and artwork, check out my related About Cancel Culture.
With that out of the way, let's get straight to the soundtrack. This comprises a whopping 53 tracks and is therefore unusually extensive - unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome. The duration of just under 3.5 hours can be somewhat misleading. Because not only do we have, as with the predecessors, a few 'trivial' ambient pieces between all the masterpieces. No, there is also a 42-minute track called Skyrim Atmospheres with ... atmospheric fantasy world impressions, who would have thought?
In terms of quality, Soule was able to draw on the full potential and at least match the already great The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. While I also love the music of the predecessor and look back on it with even more nostalgia, it is, if you want to be mean, typical fantasy fare. Very high-quality fantasy fare, mind you, but somewhat stereotypical. The sound composition, the feeling, everything seems highly stylized and therefore artificial because it describes a fictional scenario.
Skyrim, however, manages to throw off this cloak of expectation by transporting us into the mundane. The score takes us, not unlike Unravel (Imperial Throne), high into Scandinavian-like (acoustic) regions. Sunbeams trace the outlines of the snow-covered mountains, while life takes place on the alpine pasture and down in the valley ... just like in the game. We see this image before our eyes while the score lulls us into an almost treacherous state of relaxation - and then the battle breaks out when a dragon appears in the sky. Dreamy idyll and fierce fight for survival are as close together in this soundtrack as was perhaps only the case in Gothic 3, when all hell broke loose because of a boar.
Unlike its direct predecessor, however, the battle tracks are less dramatic - or even more so. What sounds paradoxical can be explained quite well by tracks such as Blood and Steel and Watch the Skies Massive drums and deep brass announce the approaching danger, the battle seems 'barbaric', more raw than we get in Elder Scrolls . It is an almost primeval battle, man against beast, the fight for survival. This spectacle is accompanied by a choir whose male voices reinforce the archaic impression, while the high female counter-voices, like the Valkyries, elevate it to a spiritual level.
This discrepancy works excellently here, which is probably why Assassin’s Creed Valhalla uses a similar approach. In its quieter moments, however, the latter's score is nowhere near the quality with which Soule spoils us. Where Oblivion with pieces like Through the Valleys, Harvest Dawn and Watchman’s Ease to take us through carefree valleys, picturesque coastlines and densely populated towns, Skyrim introduces us to a magical and barren landscape characterized by natural beauty.
As I've already talked in my Top 50 best battle tracks in detail about One They Fear and the other battle accompaniments (Tooth and Claw, Death or Sovngarde) are literally in the same vein, I'd like to devote myself to the quieter, no less fantastic tracks at this point.
First and foremost, The Streets of Whiterun, which made it into my first Top 100 Video game tracks with its thoughtful piano melody. Since I play the piano myself, to a greater or lesser degree, pieces like this usually get a little closer to me than an exciting guitar solo can. However, the piano is not a soloist but, together with the strings and the choir, reaches heavenly spheres that always move me to tears. Hardly any other piece gives me such a homely feeling, this untouchable sense of security that I sink into while I look back on my days in Skyrim . This track is simply beautiful.
Similarly beautiful, but in a different way, is Ancient Stones. What describes the motif of return, of safety, in The Streets of Whiterun is here the spirit of adventure, the sheer endless expanse. Soule knows how to give this world a feeling of welcome, an invitation to stare and discover. Wonderful! Awake, is equally enticing, blazing towards us and announcing the start of our journey to the edge of heaven.
In contrast, Secunda (named after one of the two moons of the world of Tamriel) represents a form of pause for me: The harp, accompanied by the piano, adds an almost meditative spiritual level, like a quiet dance in the moonlight. Solitude follows a similar approach, but with its use of strings and vocals, it almost moves in the direction of regret. The orchestra rises up like a lament in the middle of the piece and reminds me of Howard Shore's work for The Lord of the Rings.
Nevertheless, Soule remains true to the style of the Elder Scrolls series: not least in the form of the familiar motif in the theme song Dragonborn, which he already introduced in Morrowind as Nerevar Rising (or Call of Magic) and continued in Reign of the Septims from Oblivion. The theme from the latter then reappears in Unbroken Road, while Wind Guide You is a reference to Minstrel's Lament (also from Oblivion). The Jerall Mountains in turn takes up the theme from Through the Valleys (Oblivion), which itself was a nod in the direction of Rise to Reality (or Silt Sunrise) from Morrowind.
In this way, the TES TES-DNA, which Soule established in 2002 with Morrowind , has continued right up to the latest installment of the main series. Whether this will carry on with the sixth part, rumored to be released sometime in 2028, remains unclear. After all, this has also been achieved with the mobile offshoot Blades (Inon Zur) and the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (Brad Derrick, Rik Schaffer), which continues to be supplied with expansions and high-quality music in equal measure.
So let's come to the conclusion: the soundtrack to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is absolutely top class. This is not only due to the enchanting motifs and powerfully unrestrained action tracks, but also to the foresight in setting the music closer to reality. It simply never gets boring to immerse yourself in this auditory idyll that Soule conjures up with this album. Personally, I can sink every time one of the cautious notes is heard - only to jump up with a hair-raising chest at the next track and face the battle. A sight worth seeing for a score worth hearing!
