World of Warcraft Cataclysm - Cinematic

Developer & Publisher Blizzard Entertainment.

This composition, like many other compositions from World of Warcraft, is powerful and scary, makes a man to tremble like Miles Dyson. The Cataclysm cinematic composition  also contains the old melodies from WoW, for example Stormwind melody. That makes it even more difficult to determine who wrote this composition than it's been in the last post about World of Warcraft music.

The problem is following: On the last post about WoW I have hired Sherlock Holmes to find who, of the four composers, wrote Stormwind composition, and now he's dead. Too much for him, I'm afraid.  


Stormwind theme is part of this composition so the problem of who wrote it is still there, and it escalated. This composition is intertwined with more old melodies from the old expansions and vanilla. And each expansion  is composed by different team of composers. So unknown factor 4 becomes 9 (Sherlock Holmes is turning in his grave). By credits screen from WOW the composer is Neal Acree (Cinematic composer), but my ear knows better.  Neal Acree composed new score for this intro, but old melodies are composed by... hm. The best thing I can do, without the guesswork, is to present a list of composers from vanilla and expansions.

But before that info I want you to listen to this music with cinematic.

World of Warcraft
Audio Supervisor (Cinematics)
Glenn Stafford
Lead Composer
Jason Hayes
Music
Jason Hayes, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford


World of Warcraft The Burning Crusade
Music
Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Matt Uelman
Additional Music
Brian David Farr, David Arkenstone
Cinematic Intro Music
Neal Acree


World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King
Music
Russell Brower, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford
Cinematic Intro Music
Neal Acree


World of Warcraft Cataclysm
Russell Brower, Jason Hayes, Neal Acree, Glenn Stafford, David Arkenstone, Derek Duke
(This info is from Cataclysm soundtrack, not from game credits like text above. Maybe there is a difference, I'm not sure)


Developer & Publisher Blizzard Entertainment


You tube clips posted by Krisp4ever (Soundtrack) and WorldofWarcraft (Cinematic)

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World of Warcraft at Play! Symphony Toronto (Stormwind)

What can i say for this composition? Well this is a hymn of the alliance. (it plays in Stormwind, capitol of alliance)  20 million people cry, in a burst of patriotic emotions, when they hear this. They prefer it instead of their national anthem and who can blame them. The music is better than any existing national anthem and the alliance is more honorable than any real state 200 times. (without exaggeration)


Play! A Video Game Symphony are international concert series played by local symphonies and choirs. Play! was launched 2006 in Chicago and after the incredible success in Europe it became a world tour. 

Music from World of Warcraft was composed by  Glenn Stafford (Audio supervisor, cinematic), Jason Hayes (Lead composer), Tracy W. Bush and Derek Duke. This information is from WOW (vanilla) credits. But who, from those composers, created this particular (Stormwind) composition?I Don't have idea. I didn't expect to find that in credits. However, Blizzard  released a soundtrack CD.  ;)  In addition of each composition, there's, of course, no clue as to who composed what.  I mean,why is that information important anyway? Money, that is important.

Glenn Staford is creator of Warcraft II music and it is  one of best music ever made by human  being (also he is a senior composer in Blizzard). So I assume if some composition in WOW is awesome, then it must be Glenn Stafford's work. On the other hand, I found that Jason Hayes  composed  "Call to Arms" (my favorite) and also on one soundtrack he is credited for all wow compositions, after all, he is a lead composer. :) Also I've found many places on Internet where one composer is credited but on some other sources is credited another. So I will talk to Sherlock Holmes to reveal this mystery, meanwhile you must be satisfied with this.

I like to put live symphony versions, instead of regular, on this blog, to remind that compositions from video games need same number of instruments as Mozart's or Beethoven's compositions. Still, Mozart and Beethoven are legends, and Glen Stafford is not. This is not, entirely, fair. OK they were the pioneers and without them, maybe, music from WoW would not be so awesome. (do not forget to think in four dimensions - Dr. Emmett Brown) But what with, for example, John Williams? He is not a pioneer, but he is the living legend, hm? Music from World of Warcraft is complex and filled with innovations as Mozart's, Beethoven's, or John Williams music, as a fact. Wow has 36 hours of music and not to mention the whole Warcraft series. Don't take me wrong, I like Mozart's, Beethoven's and John Williams's music,  the only thing I am saying is that the music from WOW has equivalent quality, unequally credited. 

Listen to the original theme. On this clip is also second Stormwind theme.

Developer & publisher - Blizzard entertainment

You tube clip uploaded by xetrog (live) and SkyquakeLT (original)

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