Before I start rambling about this particular OST from YOI Soundtrack, please do note that I’m not a music major student and certainly not a music prodigy, I’m just someone who like to deeply analyze things lol (and ofc, this is only my interpretation so feel free if you have any other opinion). And this post is based on some post I accidentally saw on tumblr few days ago saying that some people speculate that “Passacaille in Barcelona” is a companion piece to Yuri on Ice, but this time, Victor is the piano while Yuuri is the violin.
Okay, let’s get started then.
So if you already hear the soundtrack, Passacaille in Barcelona is that instrumental piece used as background in episode 10 (during Victor + Yurio beach scene in the morning) and slightly at episode 12 (during that talk when Yuuri wanted to end things and during the short clip of the beach after that). This song, in my opinion, has that “sad but calm” feeling; kinda like a song that you hear when you reminiscing past memories, the one that make your heart warm and flutter, but also with a bit hint of sadness there.
While Yuri on Ice is about Yuuri’s journey: his growth, his achievement throughout the story, his life and love with Victor; Passacaille in Barcelona is about looking back into all of those things already happened, but this time it’s from Victor’s POV. To simplify things, let’s just break the song into three distinctive parts: the piano at the beginning, the majority of the song aka the piano-violin duet, and the piano at the ending of the song. Also, once again, remember that Victor is the piano.
First, the piano at the beginning. We all know what is Victor’s main reason of taking break, abandoning his career, going to Japan, and coaching Yuuri. We all know that he’s lonely, that he already lost all motivation and inspiration, that he desperately need something to spark his dull life. And that’s the first part of the song. The lonely piano at the beginning is Victor; it’s about him being alone, being confused about what to do (well at least until he saw Yuuri skate to Stammi Vicino), being lost in his own glory and fame. But it’s short. It’s short because he doesn’t want to dwell on that dull and depressing past for too long, it’s short because he just want to move on and remembering all goodness that happened in his life after that. Or simply to say: after he met Yuuri again and became his coach.
Then, hopping into the second part: the piano and violin duet. Of course, this is all about Victor relationship with Yuuri. But since this is from Victor’s POV, you can hear how the piano isn’t that dominant in this part. It’s just a background accompanying the violin, the harmony to make the violin much more stronger and stand out and catch everyone’s attentions. In sentence, maybe it’s something like, “I’ll do anything, give anything, to make you shine. It’s your time. It’s your spotlight, not mine.” And yes, basically that’s what Victor did, right? He didn’t even care with his World Championships title, he just care about Yuuri. He will do anything to help Yuuri reach his goal, even though it’s actually kinda frustrating to him. I mean, at the beginning, Yuuri didn’t even realize that Victor wanted more than just student-coach relationship (just look at him being “It’s katsudon!!” with that Eros-thingy lol). Yuuri strongly thinks that their relationship isn’t something permanent, that it will fade over time because Victor is just too good and all to him (I don’t blame him, that’s his anxiety talking and I know how it feels). So yeah, it’s frustrating, but Victor chose to compromise with that. He will take what he can get, he will do anything as long as Yuuri stay close to his side. He hoped that Yuuri will never retired, because he thought that that’s the only way for them to keep being together.
But then, things started to be different when they exchanged the rings. In the song, you can hear that the piano is gradually getting stronger too around 02:00 mark (it’s getting stronger in my opinion if you hear it through earphone). And for me, that’s just simply beautiful and meaningful. It shows how much both of them actually getting stronger, not just Yuuri, but Victor too. Just like what Victor thought during the beach scene, that Yuuri not only give him (and people around him) love and life but it’s more than that. It’s about getting stronger together, it’s about supporting each other and not putting someone up there on the high pedestal. They grow so much, that maybe, maybe that time at the beach, Victor just wanted to proudly say: "We are happy, and content, and will always be there for each other.”
Until Yuuri asked him to end things, and this is where the third part of the song comes. I keep wondering why they showed a short glimpse of the beach the morning after the talk, along with a short piano part of this song, and then suddenly the (angsty) thought came into mind. What if, what if the lone piano part at the ending of the song means that Victor actually... okay with Yuuri ending things? Okay, we know he was angry and he wouldn’t just give up that easily, but still, the decision at that time was on Yuuri’s hand. He can’t keep pushing Yuuri if Yuuri doesn’t want that, and I believe that Victor knows that better than anyone. So yes he would try, but that lone piano symbolizes how he would accept any decision made. Even if that decision end up hurting him, anything, as long as Yuuri’s happy with his own decision. And it just broke my heart, thinking that somehow, deep down inside, Victor might have this kind of thought. That he is okay even if the worst thing end up becoming reality; because while looking back at all those moments happened in their life, it was worth it and it already gave him reasons to feel alive again. Yuuri deserved to be happy and to make all decisions he wants, so Victor will let him to do that (and ofc while trying to not give up).
(And let’s be glad that Yuuri end up choosing to keep skating because if it’s not, I think my heart will seriously break)
Will go back to listen Passacaille in Barcelona in repeat now, have a good day everyone! <3