![]() The main theme weaves its way through several cues –it forms the entire core of “Tidehunter,” for example – and allows itself to make a lasting, memorable impact. Too many video game scores play like concept albums: they often have excellent orchestral performances, huge moments of power, and impressive crescendos, but never really come together as an actual complete work, with common threads running through the entire score. One thing I really like about Knorr’s music is how it allows the main theme to shine. “Primordial Majesty” is indeed a majestic triumph, using transcendent choral accents to give the orchestral lines a sense of awe, while the finale, “Hybrid Champion,” concludes with an elegant, emotional new theme for the full orchestra and choir which resounds with cymbal rings and tubular bells, and has an optimistic, hopeful sense of grandeur and wonderment. Later, “Immortal” has that heroic, triumphant brass-led sound that would not sound out of place in a historical epic “Mobius Horn” builds layer upon layer of imposing brass textures and “Lahar” contains some of the score’s darkest moments, with low brass calls and threatening percussion ideas, offset by thrilling trumpet flourishes. ![]() The best Knorr cues include “Reunited,” which is anchored by a gorgeous cello solo, gradually emerging into a glorious fanfare “Rising Tide,” which introduces the expansion’s four-note main theme on woodwinds, and slow-builds into a spine-tingling choral finale “Upon the Expanse,” which uses soothing choral textures and undulating string phrases to evoke the gracefulness and beauty of the ocean “Dive,” a peaceful piece which revisits the main Rising Tide theme in various settings, and has a sense of anticipation and eagerness “Tidehunter,” an especially impressive action cue which propels itself forward with a battery of percussion and features a variation on the main theme arranged for violin and “Neptune’s Glory,” which features a magnificent, dominant performance of the main theme by the choir, augmented by an array of grand orchestral textures and a thrusting electronic beat. The way he uses his synth pulses, the way he structures his contrapuntal writing for orchestra and choir, the way he uses certain chord progressions – he has an individuality and noticeable musical personality, which earmarks him as a composer with a point of view, who doesn’t just ape a temp track. In terms of style, there are vague echoes of Brian Tyler’s Marvel super hero scores, of the Two Steps From Hell trailer music by Thomas Bergerson and Nick Phoenix, and of the better Remote Control action movies scored by composers like Steve Jablonsky and Ramin Djawadi, but it’s interesting to me how Knorr’s personal compositional style is beginning to emerge, after just two scores. There’s a real sense of scope and majesty in Knorr’s music: richly textured orchestrations, surging string themes, heroic brass fanfares, action music full of energy and forward motion, electronic accents which are appropriately other-worldly, and regular appearances from a full-throated choir, adding to the level of power and emotion. Georgia native Knorr wrote the bulk of the score, clocking in at just under an hour, and his music is superb. The result is very, very impressive.Īs with the first game, the score was performed by a full orchestra and choir at the Rudolfinum’s Dvořák Hall in Prague, under the baton of conductor Andy Brick, supervised by lead composer Geoff Knorr. For Rising Tide, three of the four composers are back (Curran left development company Firaxis for another company, Stardock Entertainment, earlier this year), and their music builds on the sound of the first game, but adds in new textures, and new ideas. One of the most notable aspects of the game was its IFMCA Award-winning, BMI Award-nominated score by Geoff Knorr, Griffin Cohen, Michael Curran, and Grant Kirkhope, which was roundly praised as being one of the most impressive orchestral game scores in many years. The expansion allows players to embark on new quests on new ‘biome’ planets – including a water planet and an ice planet – as they try to create and maintain civilizations in outer space. ![]() Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide is an expansion pack which builds on the first Beyond Earth installment of Sid Meier’s extremely popular Civilization video game series, which was released to general acclaim last year.
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