Music in Dragon Age: Inquisition
There were many clever ways Trevor Morris brought the world of Thedas alive to the jaded DA player with music. One of the highlights of the game was the fantastic tavern songs. They didn’t sound completely foreign, and essentially took that “wanting to cry after hearing the Origins theme because you haven’t heard it in so long” feeling and stretched it out over 20 minutes. Here are some connections, in case you missed them.
Rise -> ‘Main Theme’ from Dragon Age: Origins
Nightingale’s Eyes -> Leliana’s Song from Dragon Age: Origins (Leliana’s Song DLC)
Maker -> ‘Main Theme’ from Dragon Age: Inquisition
I am the One -> ‘I am the One’ from Dragon Age: Origins (this version is in elvish and sung by Aubrey Ashburn)
Samson’s Tale -> Hinterlands Theme from Dragon Age: Inquisition (unfortunately not on youtube anywhere, nor included in the soundtracks. have a listen while running around in Hinterlands.)
Other fun music facts about the OST:
Journey to Skyhold returns at the end of the game as Return to Skyhold. these themes are very similar- they start almost exactly the same, but Return to Skyhold has a much less prevalent choir.
It also has an amazing moment where the bass drops out at ~1:04, leaving the top strings, before it launches into the intense part of the theme.
the melodies from the Main Theme of Inquisition and Origins both start on the same interval- a perfect fifth.
(if you speak in solfa a la Fraulein Maria from Sound of Music, it’s do and so.)
parts of the Theme of DA:I is often found in other tracks of the OST- The Scar, Journey to Skyhold, Orb of Destruction, a minute into The Western Approach, and even Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts if you listen close enough.
by reusing musical material, he makes the main theme memorable and essentially his music becomes a coherent story rather than just track after track.
compare The Western Approach and Adamant Fortress. Adamant Fortress is a richer, denser version of The Western Approach, featuring drums and electric guitars.
also notice how… western… the Western Approach theme is. rolled chords with hollow sounding woodwind instruments playing melodies over the top? it could almost be a western cowboy theme. oh Morris. you cheeky.
a lot of the music sounds so ‘folky’ and ‘medieval’ and familiar because of the use of Dorian mode, a scale in music (probably has nothing to do with Pavus. sorry mustache fans) best shown in Dawn Will Come.
notice how the word ‘hope’ tears at your chest a little bit (yes, that is professional terminology)? that’s because that note is what makes Dorian mode- a lowered seventh, for theory nerds out there. I could go on forever about theory. but yeah, this is an old scale. old as balls
also used in Sera Was Never.
watch this interview with the composer himself. he’s a cool dude!
anyway that’s all i have to say. i hope this little meta ish thing gives someone out there as much joy as it gave me! i mean it’s cool to enjoy music for what it is, but to understand how/why puts a new and interesting perspective on it, yes? :)
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