Chronicles of an Untold Past

The ‘Chronicles’ are a suite of ten piano pieces, followed by an orchestral rhapsody that expands upon the piano music. Inspired primarily by fantasy film / video game music, the suite is comprised of an opening theme, three character themes, four location themes, and two battle themes.

I. The Chosen Path - The opening theme is bold and spirited, and depicts the hero setting out on their journey with a sense of duty.

II. Canyon Expanse - By contrast, we are now in a wide and slightly bleak landscape. Trekking though the arid lands is solitary and arduous.

III. Leo's Theme - Leo is the main character and hero. His theme represents courage, and his steadfast and dependable nature.

IV. Pallaria - A harmonious and serene city where ancient knowledge is preserved and studied. It is also home to royalty, and is well fortified.

V. Skirmish at Dusk - An upbeat battle theme. The hero arrives just in time to fend off otherworldly enemies at the city gates.

VI. Lyra's Theme - Lyra possesses an artefact that is key to the fate of the world. Leo is trying to reach her before the sinister forces get there first.

VII. Maradune Enclave - The protagonists head to a desert village in search of information. It’s full of underhand dealing and treachery.

VIII. Cinerus - A powerful and dangerous being that seeks destruction. You can almost hear his name being chanted by his demented followers.

IX. Fallen from the Clouds - Much damage has been done, but the citizens regroup and rebuild. The heroes prepare to defeat the evil forces for good.

X. Destiny's Crucible - An epic battle to decide the fate of the world. Cinerus destroys the artefact, but perhaps the hero’s spirit will still prevail?

XI. Metamorphosis - After an intense frenzy at the end of the solo piano pieces, the music heads immediately into the orchestral rhapsody. This is designed to be a huge explosion of colour, especially after having listened to just the piano timbre for an extended period. In many cases, the orchestrated themes are expanded upon, with new material to transition between themes, melodic and harmonic changes, and even themes superimposed on each other.

The music also appears in a different order to the piano suite, almost as a re-imagining of a different storyline. There are two themes that feature most prominently - Destiny’s Crucible and Lyra’s Theme. The first of these is heard at the beginning, middle, and end; giving an anchor that the music always returns to. Lyra’s Theme is heard almost in its entirety, but is split up across the piece. Apart from the finale, it is the only theme where the piano returns.

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