Take a Moment to Listen to This Fan Arrangement of The Imprisoning War Theme from Tears of the Kingdom
Posted on March 02 2024 by John Lortie
If Tears of the Kingdom looms as large in your memory as it does mine, you probably remember the final cutscene of the Imprisoning War incredibly well. This is that pivotal moment when Rauru seals Ganondorf, buying time for all of Hyrule until Link is well enough equipped to do what the Sages could not. It’s a powerful scene, which is made all the more so thanks to the bombastic score accompanying it.
Pixel Partitas on YouTube has created a stripped-down arrangement of this crucial piece of music from the game. “The Imprisoning War” combines many of the game’s musical motifs into a single score. Between three instruments (piano, celesta, and English horn), Pixel Partitas’ work touches upon Ganondorf’s theme and The Legend of Zelda‘s main theme, as well as the Zonai and Rauru motifs from Tears of the Kingdom.
Gone from this arrangement are the soaring strings, horns, woodwinds, and organ that serve to stir players’ emotions in the game. Instead, what’s here is something that’s more raw but no less impactful. The piano is at turns airy and powerfully haunting. The celesta mingles with it, providing harmony and dissonance as needed. The English horn carries the melody that highlights Rauru’s grief, anger, and sacrifice. When the piano carries the series’ main theme, it’s as hopeful and triumphant as many of us would expect it to be.
If you enjoy this piece, you can follow Pixel Partitas on YouTube and X. The sheet music for this arrangement, and other in Pixel Partitas videos, can be found on Musescore.
I thoroughly enjoy this particular arrangement (as you might’ve been able to tell from the above). The instrumentation on display encapsulates so much with so little. Its simplicity shows the true power of the piece.
What do you think of Pixel Partitas’ “The Imprisoning War?” Do you enjoy the three-piece instrumentation as much as me? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Source: Pixel Partitas
John’s been a Zelda fan since he was seven years old (which was a good few decades ago). He loves the last three months of the year, analog media, his family, and Tolkien. His favorite Zelda game is Breath of the Wild and his favorite game is Night in the Woods.
