Aah, just listen to it. It's a theme we've heard many times, in many different games. These days, when I hear it, it's chanted by a choir of (I'm assuming here) girthy Nords in horned helmets.
But there was a time, back when I had my first bona fide Elder Scrolls obsession, when the theme sounded a little bit gentler, and little bit more ethereal, and a little bit more beautiful.
The rest of the soundtrack to Morrowind is still probably my favorite of all of the Elder Scrolls games; which I guess is another way of saying I like it better than Oblivion or Skyrim, since I didn't play Daggerfall and I don't remember the music to Arena.
The soundtracks to Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim were all composed by Jeremy Soule, so it's fun to listen to them as entries in the opus of a single composer. Since, you know, they actually are that.
Where the Skyrim soundtrack conjures austere mountains and windswept tundra with F Horn clarion calls, trumpet solos and choirs, Morrowind was lighter and more playful, with themes centered around pizzicato strings and english horn melodies. If Skyrim's score was crafted from stone and wind, Morrowind's was woven of wicker and light.
Let's take a tour of some of the best tracks from Morrowind, and try not to die from nostalgia.
"Peaceful Waters"
Dear god. It's like I'm playing the game all over again. I love to hear how many of Soule's harmonies are echoed in his work on Skyrim.
"The Road Most Traveled"
Another track that plays during exploration, this one, again, had just a touch more personality than the Oblivion soundtrack, especially in how some of the solos operate.
"Silt Sunrise"
I love this track because it plays almost like an orchestra tuning up before a performance, so it's perfect that it's named "Silt Sunrise." It sounds like a rising sun, building and growing and churning.
"Caprice"
Well, I could probably just list these all day, couldn't I? Few orchestral game soundtracks have worked their way into my brain in the way that this one has. Listening back to them with fresh ears, I can hear why.
Brilliant stuff.