My guts is telling me this is partially an answer to Fontaine. I wouldn't be surprised if he strongly feels a part of his identity as an artist and composer is tied to Genshin (and maybe even that's why he left), and just had a "man i wish i stuck around for one more region, this is what I would have done"-moment. I mean, let's face it, how often do we see accordions used in orchestras. Also he had almost certainly already partially started working on the Fontaine stuff long before he left, considering Travail and all that. This could literally just be Fontaine music he didn't get to use.
@@TonaEleven Not as cope as you think, he said on his youtube channel that the reason he left to let smaller composers to have a chance at success and at broadening their horizons by working on the game like he did at the time when he joined the genshin team, not because he didn't like the game or something like that.
Yu-Peng Chen's compositional roots is tied to both his musical education and cultural upbringing. Any Chinese person who's brought up in a musical education environment would definitely have 2 very prominent influences if they decided to go the orchestral route - The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and The Yellow River Piano Concerto. Quite literally the contemporary bedrocks that shaped the Chinese Classical music psyche. Listen to these 2 pieces and you will instantly recognize the sharp storytelling, the straight-to-the-point drama and motific orchestrations that YPC so often employs in his writing. If Marco is so enticed, the storied history of these two concertos is extremely significant as part of China's history in the past 80 years. The Butterfly Lovers Concerto is a musical interpretation of an ancient Chinese poem that is often described by westerners as China's 'Romeo & Juliet'. A 90s recording with the Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra was conducted and performed by the original conductor and players from the 1959 premiere of the concerto. It is in my opinion the best representation of this piece, and anyone listening to it will be swept away by the lyrical beauty of it. As for the Yellow River Piano Concerto...I would argue that this very iconic piece in Chinese modern history may well be YPC's most referred to inspiration. Everything about the way Yu-Peng Chen writes for the piano and orchestra; how he infuses Chinese musical styles with western instrumentation, and how he approached writing Liyue's music, are all here within this heroic and epic concerto. If someone was to task YPC with scoring an ancient war epic film, this is what I imagine the music to be like - thundering, bombastic, not to mention VERY Virtuosic piano solos. China's most famous concert pianist Lang Lang recorded this concerto back in 2006, and would be the recording I recommend for someone new to this piece.
Only shows how much of integral part of Genshin soundtract he was. If I didn't know better, I would believe if someone said those tracks were from Genshin. He really poured all his identity into it.
It's actually more Genshin sounding like him than him still sounding like Genshin--some of the themes and ideas in Genshin were directly from songs he had composed before Genshin ever existed.
His DNA is deeply ingrained in Genshin's world - you can say that it became the framework of the game's soundscape. Though, I'm glad artists like Dimeng Yuan are still able to incorporate their style while maintaining cohesion thus far.
I got introduced to Yu-Peng Chen's music (and your channel XD) through Genshin Impact, and was very saddened when he left, just as I was hopeful to listen to even more of his music outside of Genshin. This Debut Album was delightful, and your Analysis even more so! It's always fun to find out more about the music I enjoy through Marco and this channel! It really helps me appreciate the music better. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I listened to the whole album when it came out and it made me cry 😢 I missed Yu-Peng Chen’s music so much. He is absolutely no question my favorite composer
Im so glad that through Genshin Impact, Yu-Peng Chen has made connections with so many awesome people. His passion for creating music just warms my soul. Great analysis as always! :D
On the topic of Yu peng chen shaping genshin's world and not the other way around. There was a dev interview once, and it talked about the process of making Liyue. The team struggled on the vibe and overall atmosphere of the region, until the music team showed them the OST they had composed for the region. They decided on the atmosphere and vibe right away.
This isn't entirely accurate. If i'm not wrong the interview your talking about is the azdaha video. While i'm sure Yu-peng Chen's compositions helped they at other times, that comment was specifically about Azdaha, not the entirety of Liyue.
Caelestinum finale termini was the thing that brought me to genshin and I'm really happy to see yu peng chen create more music outside of the game that still feels like the yu peng chen that composed countless genshin soundtracks but also bring its own uniqueness
Regarding the first piece, from the very first seconds it sounds very familiar to us argentinians. Not only because from the first seconds we realise it's a tango with a very distinct rioplatense flavour, but also because it is clearly Piazzolla inspired. An amazing piece by Yu-Peng Chen!
yes! i too noted some inspiration in Piazzolla. also i don't really know how to differentiate them but can someone affirm if the instrument used is not an accordion but a bandoneón?
saudações brasileiras aos nossos irmãos argentinos! fiquei feliz de ver um pouco de samba na música de natlan, com certeza vai ser muito interessante ainda mais se buscarem instrumentos latinos 😄
I think Yu Peng Chen is also a master of mixing emotions and feelings. A piece is never just joyful, there is an undertone of sorrow, sacrifice or anguish. Triumph always hides some secret loss. Grandeur is accompanied with mystery, mischief is somehow sneaking around the melody in faint piano notes
This is why I subscribed to Marco in Patreon from the start. I appreciate his analysis. Honest and professional. Not everyone can get into a music career and understand its language. Tyvm. Should cover the whole album
Just wanted to add that in a Q/A he did for this album, he mentioned this Q: Hello, Mr. Chen. I would like to ask you, when you wrote the ending song "Farewell, my friend," did you study Chopin's Heroic Polonaise and arrange a softer version of the melody as your farewell to this album? A: There weren't really any references. I cried a lot on the day I resigned (At his own request from the Genshin Team), and then this song came to be. That world was filled with all my precious memories, and leaving was really hard for me. I'm really glad his experience at genshin was something he enjoyed and I can't wait to see both what Hoyomix does with Natlan as well as what Yu-Peng Chen does next! Thanks for the analysis Marco and just in general for all the vids
I've said this for a while and this just solidified it for me: Yu-Peng Chen was born to write broadway - his melodies are so musical theatre coded and would lend so well to on-stage lyricism and acting. This is like Debussy and Rachmaninoff meets Hammerstein and Webber. The classic impressionism and romanticism mixed with the large orchestrations of modern symphony made with the foundation for a singer to project across a stage.
I listened to this album and I get classical music now. It has such raw emotion and it paints such vivid pictures in my mind, unlike anything I've ever heard. And it's magical that the thing that made me find out about Yu-Peng Chen, and by extension made me want to listen to more classical composers is a F2P gacha game, as dumb as it may sound to some people that listen to this kind of music regularly. And on the topic of "getting" classical music. I think classical music requires some kind of literacy to understand fully, in a same way you can read a book and understand the words in it, but miss the point. And I think that video games help to build up that literacy by using music as backdrop in very emotional, immersive experiences.
There's nothing dumb about that at all! So many people got into classical music from listening to some advertisement jingle, or movie soundtrack, or some other completely unrelated and "uncultured" entrance point. One friend I know started exploring the music just from being curious about what was the (classical) tune being played to signal the end of recess. It doesn't matter--it's an entrance point, and it opened the door to another world that's greater than the door you entered from. That's the important thing! Speaking as a classical pianist my whole life, I definitely agree with you on the idea of literacy. I've been playing the piano since I was 3--I'm now almost 40. And emotional vocabulary is what helped music to "click" differently (or at all) when I was 7, compared to when I was 16, compared to now in my 30s. The books and plots I've read, the life experiences I've had, these enrich and deepen what I play as well as what I take out of say, a random piece of Brahms. In a way, the richer the life you've lived, the more fully you've lived, the more music can enrich and fill your life. The beauty is that music is a dialogue, not a one-way process of "getting it".
@@talamioros I'm an amateur classical pianist but I always liked VGM OST more... idk what it makes of me. I just love melody more than anything else and VGM put clear emphasis on melody. But at the same time I'm hiding my interest because it makes me look geeky and uncommon. You wouldn't associate VGM with sophisticated neoclassical music but I consider it as such.
I dislike concerts because of how loud it can get and and the huge crowd is a bit much. Too much stimulation for me. So it says a lot that, given the chance, I would totally attend a concert with Yu-Peng Chen in it. His music is so delightful to listen to.
Wow, you PC must be really old. You can try to upgrade your RAM, because it's the most likely reason you have problems. Anyway, I'm glad you can still enjoy the game.
@@Deltakryzzthe envoy sent by our music Archon 😇🪽 That's my point, though, unless Arcangelo Chen is literally his relative, student or something, somehow Fontaine still has strong YuPeng vibes, enough that even Marco sang a piece that is not composed by Chen yet it could completely be done by him
@@JustSomeGuyWithAMug ohh in that case then yeah I agree lol. Even now, his influence on Genshin's musical identity is still pretty evident in a lot of the newer songs still. Even Absolutio Absoluta Absolutissime feels like a very Yu-Peng Chen song to me for some reason, ignoring the dubstep part.
@@Deltakryzzi presume the reason is that he was still working with close ties to the game director (directors?) and other musicians of the game and so they probably ended up studying his methodology to stick to similar enough vibes that his absence wouldn't feel jarring to players. I think he truly meant it when he said he was leaving space to the new generations, and that he actually met many of these new gen people he mentioned, that would end up working for genshin
I would love to see your reaction to his whole album because all together it just so peak, especially the flow of emotional expression Yu-peng Chen dropped in himself!
listen to every tracks in album felt like journey in a world. in some way they are 'game OST', but the game does not exist outside of your head... fantasy-land indeed
as a music person who studied classical piano for 5 years, everytime we listen yu peng chen music, we know whats its all about, because yu peng chen tells a story on that piece. One of example that i really love is A moon in one cup tells a story about li yue. a bustling port china town, with bustling market, grand high mountain, and such an amazing town it is. The second piece circle dance of evernight castle is my second favorite on this album while my favorite one "Ring of the sky" i really love the vibe of longing lonely and hopeful which is such an amazing music.
8:38 The way it kinda dropped out there and came back in was so satisfying, all of this is really good 12:44 A little Yu-Peng Chopin before it so smoothly goes in a different direction, I love all the ways he makes it sound so colorful.
whom ever mixed this track was on top of it. normally when you mix something it is more mathematical which can sometimes hurt a classical set, but man this dude must have had some instructions from yu peng chen because it really does sound like it was mixed in a way to really highlight what is leading at the time.
I have limited music knowledge, but after listening extensively to YPC's music, including his non-game tracks, I've discovered why I appreciate it so much and why Genshin's music feels different now. YPC's music often starts with a memorable melody that's developed throughout the piece with additional instruments, eventually culminating in a cohesive whole. This core melody is highly memorable, a quality I find missing in recent Genshin nation OSTs and demos. While the music isn't bad, it lacks that staying power. I was particularly disappointed with the Arlecchino boss OST because it felt disjointed, lacking a strong connection between beginning and end.
I disagree. The "core melody" in fontaine is incredibly memorable. It's there in the tracks Fontaine, Tout est bien qui finit bien (Sinner Finale music), Le Souvenir avec le crepuscule. I especially love the 2nd and 3rd inclusion, Sinner Finale is arguable the single saddest moment in Genshin's history, and Le Souvenir is an ost that plays in the city during evening. Its such sn emotional track I'll just stop doing whatever I was doing to sit on a bench and listen when it kicks in. I agree Arle's ost isn't the best, but they were trying something pretty new for the hoyomix team, mixing the "tracks of Teyvat" (aka the normal genshin music) with the "tracks on the other worlds" (aka the dubstep and such of the abyss and such, which fits due to Arlecchino having ties to Perinheri, an otherworlder)
@@aduckonaplane3816 Yes, only few of them are actually good. But my point still stands. I don't think they were trying something new, that'd be pretty lame considering it's a weekly boss OST and not just any boss it's Arlechhino, one of the most popular characters in Fontaine.
This is so surreal bro.....i discovered your channel via genshin OST reaction which was one of the things that made me stuck with genshin, its just constantly high quality it's insane thanks to Yu Ping Chen and all of the other incredible composers at Hoyo-mix. It's so satisfying seeing how much this channel grew and seeing mr. YPC successfully releasing his debute album in his dream journey ❤️
Yu-Peng Chen and his co-workers' music is what brought me to your channel. Your reaction to La Signora's battle theme is what got me interested in the broad landscape of gaming music!
Ive just listened to the whole album for the first time and for every song, I felt so immensed and moved. It took me out of where I was and transported me to a different place each piece. In each, the melody sings. So expressive, full of soul. For me especially the piece 'Ring of the Sky', I found the music so honest, so sincere, so vulnerable to the point of nakedness. It gripped me and seemed to speak for me. My heart sang with it although I had never heard it before. It truly made the point to me of music being a language and Yu Peng uses this language with such proficiency and artistry. Its not about technical difficulty, although I'm sure playing for him requires high technical skills as well... It's the way he is able to tell a story without words, cast a vision with only music and to speak from heart to heart. I am absolutely in love with this album. I am so grateful I got to know him through Genshin and that Genshin itself had open the doors for him to have the connections, experience and finances to pursue his dreams in this manner.
I really hope that he works for other games too cuz his new album feels like something straight out of a video game and it is glorious. I listened to the album for hours and for me, it felt as if Genshin's music was not tied to any particular region or culture and he was making the best music he could and it worked wonders. I think restriction can stimulate imagination and creativity but also limit it, and I don't know which one I prefer more, especially since the Genshin OST doesn't work as a stand-alone experience so when I listen to them it reminds me of the experience I have with the game where I listen to the OST in context while the album was stand-alone that I listen to without any external stimuli. Like, for example, the first track in the album "A New Journey" has a very very similar vibe to the Genshin first Summer Event, Golden Apple Archipelago OST's "What a Hopeful Voyage" , "Vast and Blue", and "Mesmerizing Waves" mixed together. In "A New Journey" I find the mood to be more neutral, like a mix of Happiness and joy but with a twinge of sadness or melancholy because this new journey means leaving the previous location and on the way to the new one, yes you are excited and looking forward to the destination but also feeling sad for leaving a familiar place while in "What a Hopeful Voyage" the mood is that of pure joy and excitement (as well as innocence). After all, this journey is more of a momentary vacation than that of a real journey where you don't know when or if you will ever return, which is the journey that I feel in "A New Journey". In conclusion, Wuthering Waves needs his talent seriously. (Vanguard too for battle/boss music, so sad that 1.0 WW OST is so mid while PGR keep getting banger update)
I think what YPC did best is to make variation of a motif, similar to what Liszt do to La Campanella. The melody keeps going back but become more complex as it returns, and that's what I think keeps us all engaged. And of course variations is one of YPC strength given how he made a lot of version of the same melody in Genshin This can be observed in all of his music in the album
Chen's cascading piano part in 20:10, really sounds like it came straight out of one of Rachmaninov's piano concertos, in fact I'm pretty sure it's 90% similar just that he used the techniques differently and built differently on the piano part. It's killing me that I cannot recall which one. Gonna go find it if I can.
Yu-Peng Chen, Robert Ziegler and the wonderful troupe at the London Philarmonic Orchestra, are a match made in heaven. I don't have a lot of formal musical education but, In the first rondo I could hear a conversation between the piano and the accordion. Truly wonderful. I love how this music makes me feel.
Its actually really amazing and breathtaking. I listen to this on repeat all the time now! But claiming that this album is better than the music in the entirety of Genshin is just recency bias. I mean Yu Peng Chen is basically the archon of music to my ears, but there are genshin soundtracks composed by other amazing people at the hoyomix team, especially recent ones, that dont deserve to be thrown under the bus. If only you had the time to listen to more :(. I mean, I remember you when you first reacted to La Signoras theme and Tartaglias theme, so come on man, dont be like that. LOVE YOU Marco! Just my opinion
YPC definitely taking notes from Joe Hisaishi, you can hear the inspiration from Inazuma (and pretty prominent from Ayaka’s ‘prototype’ song). To be the pianist in an orchestra is another aspect of that as well.
Dude this guy just does not miss! I’m so happy Yu Peng Chen was able to go on and make his own music this way and I know he’ll do great, the guy just doesn’t miss
I just bought the album and cannot wait to listen to it. :D And I am so excited for Natlan music in Genshin. It's amazing how far this game has come and how far Yupeng Chen has taken his worldwide renown. I am so looking forward to his next steps on the stages in the music industry.
I love his Fantasyland album and the Circle Dance of Evernight Castle. It captured that same magic he had in Genshin - very fantasy vibes and basically trying to introduce you to his own fantasy world outside of Teyvat with just the use of his music.
Thank you for another wonderful video Marco. Your knowledge and passion always add la even more to how I experience the mastery of the music. Words cannot describe the talent that Yu-Peng Chen possesses, but you do a pretty amazing job 💕
Mmmmm really liked this video. Just wanted to say that in Finland our national opera has performed Phantom of the opera that of course is a musical. After hearing once this take on the musical piece with full orchestra and operasingers in the roles I was so absolutely sold. I do love the musical as such but this performanse by our opera is just something else
Yu-peng recently compossed soundtrack for certain game called Project Woolgatherer, you might want to look at it especially the title To Dream's End which is my favorite.
I knew something was off with the music in genshin since fontaine… I dont feel as drawn into the world as i used to. I would stand in liyue mountains just listening to the music and watching the lanscape…
I like these don't get me wrong, but this just sounds like classical music to me. The reason I fell in love with Genshin's music was the mix of classical and modern music with the added folk elements.
Yes, these specific pieces of music are more classical than others from the album. People compare it to Piazzolla, which is famous classical composer from 20-th century. The rest of the album has some folk like music with the mix of instruments of different cultures. But I wouldn't say he uses them as much as he did in Genshin. I'm also a fan how Yu Peng Chen does this kind stuff, and wish he did it more, but the album is very good regardless. He mentioned in his recent Q&A that he wishes to make more Guofeng music (if I remember correctly) which blends chinese traditional music with classical and modern music. So you can expect this type of music from him in the future, which is awesome news!
Everytime watching your reactions and your breaking down beautiful music pieces is such an enjoyment, and I am so glad that I am able to hear your analysis and appreciation of Yupeng Chen's debut album, for which I have been so long waiting since he left hoyomix.
In the same week I got tickets for the Genshin Concert in Paris and YPC album. I'm so glad he's back with new music. Hopefully waiting for his concert tour... Imagine his music live from Verona's Arena 🥹 One can dream...
you know when Rock Lee and Goku were already amazing fighters with their weighted clothes and then they take them off and are even better? Yu was "wearing weighted clothes" in Genshin's OST, and he was already amazing. But this album? Oh my god. This is... Generational
Thanks for making this video I was wondering where YPC went to. I went ahead and subbed to his channel too thanks to you. He really makes great music and I love your analysis of music as always.
I'm so excited and happy for this album. YPC is so wonderful in his writing and sense of musicality. I might have found him in Genshins OST - but I will now follow his journey well beyond Genshin. YPC and Genshin had an amazing effect on each other and, regardless of what the future holds for both, I will always be grateful for that.
Yupeng Chen was not awarded by the Games award in the West in any event, which to me, can be discouraging to future composers in games that want to use classical music.
I just went to his first personal work concert in Shanghai. He is such an introverted.😂 I could feel his voice shaking while giving speeches. Lol. The music is as fabulous as always.
I love how Chen got super popular before he even made his first official debut, he wrote music for Chinese shows and especially Genshin so people already knew about him.
i will be honest, ever since sumeru came out (which is around where yupeng stopped composing for genshin), i felt like there was a lack of cohesion in the soundtracks. but i’m very glad that hes back now! cant wait to hear more from him
Reminds me of professor Layton and the Curious Village theme vibes..! As well as some of master Astor Piazollas pieces from Yo-yomas "Soul of the Tango"
i know yu peng chen left genshin before fontaine but i can easily imagine those tracks in fontaine 😅 must be the accordion
well yu peng cheng set all the foundation for genshin already thats why it sound familiar
My guts is telling me this is partially an answer to Fontaine. I wouldn't be surprised if he strongly feels a part of his identity as an artist and composer is tied to Genshin (and maybe even that's why he left), and just had a "man i wish i stuck around for one more region, this is what I would have done"-moment. I mean, let's face it, how often do we see accordions used in orchestras. Also he had almost certainly already partially started working on the Fontaine stuff long before he left, considering Travail and all that. This could literally just be Fontaine music he didn't get to use.
@@crazykimI agree with you, even if it's just cope it feels like this was where his ideas for Fontaine went
Not just accordion, but everything has been so FONTAINE. I personally miss 1.x - 2.x especially chasm and enka.
@@TonaEleven Not as cope as you think, he said on his youtube channel that the reason he left to let smaller composers to have a chance at success and at broadening their horizons by working on the game like he did at the time when he joined the genshin team, not because he didn't like the game or something like that.
Yu-Peng Chen's compositional roots is tied to both his musical education and cultural upbringing. Any Chinese person who's brought up in a musical education environment would definitely have 2 very prominent influences if they decided to go the orchestral route - The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and The Yellow River Piano Concerto. Quite literally the contemporary bedrocks that shaped the Chinese Classical music psyche. Listen to these 2 pieces and you will instantly recognize the sharp storytelling, the straight-to-the-point drama and motific orchestrations that YPC so often employs in his writing.
If Marco is so enticed, the storied history of these two concertos is extremely significant as part of China's history in the past 80 years. The Butterfly Lovers Concerto is a musical interpretation of an ancient Chinese poem that is often described by westerners as China's 'Romeo & Juliet'. A 90s recording with the Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra was conducted and performed by the original conductor and players from the 1959 premiere of the concerto. It is in my opinion the best representation of this piece, and anyone listening to it will be swept away by the lyrical beauty of it.
As for the Yellow River Piano Concerto...I would argue that this very iconic piece in Chinese modern history may well be YPC's most referred to inspiration. Everything about the way Yu-Peng Chen writes for the piano and orchestra; how he infuses Chinese musical styles with western instrumentation, and how he approached writing Liyue's music, are all here within this heroic and epic concerto. If someone was to task YPC with scoring an ancient war epic film, this is what I imagine the music to be like - thundering, bombastic, not to mention VERY Virtuosic piano solos. China's most famous concert pianist Lang Lang recorded this concerto back in 2006, and would be the recording I recommend for someone new to this piece.
I love how it's not "it sounds like Genshin" but rather Genshin has been making use of Yu-Peng Chen's artistry
Only shows how much of integral part of Genshin soundtract he was. If I didn't know better, I would believe if someone said those tracks were from Genshin. He really poured all his identity into it.
That's similar to how much Yuki Kajiura-like .hack games OST sounds even tho she only worked on .hack//Sign and .hack//Liminality and not the games.
And all the people who may end up involved in the soundtrack will surely build upon the foundation he created
It's actually more Genshin sounding like him than him still sounding like Genshin--some of the themes and ideas in Genshin were directly from songs he had composed before Genshin ever existed.
So Yu wasn't taking inspiration from genshin world, but genshin tried to comprehend Yu's perspective to use it. Marvelous!
His DNA is deeply ingrained in Genshin's world - you can say that it became the framework of the game's soundscape.
Though, I'm glad artists like Dimeng Yuan are still able to incorporate their style while maintaining cohesion thus far.
@mirumizure Dimeng Yuan himself is a university with YPC, before joining HOYO-MiX he was also a member of Yu-Peng Music Studio
Eh no
I got introduced to Yu-Peng Chen's music (and your channel XD) through Genshin Impact, and was very saddened when he left, just as I was hopeful to listen to even more of his music outside of Genshin. This Debut Album was delightful, and your Analysis even more so! It's always fun to find out more about the music I enjoy through Marco and this channel! It really helps me appreciate the music better. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks for your sweet comment
This was so wholesome 😭
It absolutely feels like the Yu-Peng Chen feel in Genshin, but there's some Joe Hisaishi vibes going on too for me. I love all of it!
I listened to the whole album when it came out and it made me cry 😢 I missed Yu-Peng Chen’s music so much. He is absolutely no question my favorite composer
Im so glad that through Genshin Impact, Yu-Peng Chen has made connections with so many awesome people. His passion for creating music just warms my soul.
Great analysis as always! :D
On the topic of Yu peng chen shaping genshin's world and not the other way around.
There was a dev interview once, and it talked about the process of making Liyue.
The team struggled on the vibe and overall atmosphere of the region, until the music team showed them the OST they had composed for the region.
They decided on the atmosphere and vibe right away.
Source: trust me
Ypc wasn't dev
This isn't entirely accurate. If i'm not wrong the interview your talking about is the azdaha video. While i'm sure Yu-peng Chen's compositions helped they at other times, that comment was specifically about Azdaha, not the entirety of Liyue.
Caelestinum finale termini was the thing that brought me to genshin and I'm really happy to see yu peng chen create more music outside of the game that still feels like the yu peng chen that composed countless genshin soundtracks but also bring its own uniqueness
Regarding the first piece, from the very first seconds it sounds very familiar to us argentinians. Not only because from the first seconds we realise it's a tango with a very distinct rioplatense flavour, but also because it is clearly Piazzolla inspired. An amazing piece by Yu-Peng Chen!
My mom is Chilean, and it instantly asked me if it was an Argentinian tango
yes! i too noted some inspiration in Piazzolla. also i don't really know how to differentiate them but can someone affirm if the instrument used is not an accordion but a bandoneón?
saudações brasileiras aos nossos irmãos argentinos! fiquei feliz de ver um pouco de samba na música de natlan, com certeza vai ser muito interessante ainda mais se buscarem instrumentos latinos 😄
I think Yu Peng Chen is also a master of mixing emotions and feelings. A piece is never just joyful, there is an undertone of sorrow, sacrifice or anguish. Triumph always hides some secret loss. Grandeur is accompanied with mystery, mischief is somehow sneaking around the melody in faint piano notes
This is why I subscribed to Marco in Patreon from the start. I appreciate his analysis. Honest and professional. Not everyone can get into a music career and understand its language.
Tyvm.
Should cover the whole album
Just wanted to add that in a Q/A he did for this album, he mentioned this
Q: Hello, Mr. Chen. I would like to ask you, when you wrote the ending song "Farewell, my friend," did you study Chopin's Heroic Polonaise and arrange a softer version of the melody as your farewell to this album?
A: There weren't really any references. I cried a lot on the day I resigned (At his own request from the Genshin Team), and then this song came to be. That world was filled with all my precious memories, and leaving was really hard for me.
I'm really glad his experience at genshin was something he enjoyed and I can't wait to see both what Hoyomix does with Natlan as well as what Yu-Peng Chen does next! Thanks for the analysis Marco and just in general for all the vids
Yu-Peng Chen is such a master. I can't wait to see what his future projects will be like
I've said this for a while and this just solidified it for me: Yu-Peng Chen was born to write broadway - his melodies are so musical theatre coded and would lend so well to on-stage lyricism and acting. This is like Debussy and Rachmaninoff meets Hammerstein and Webber. The classic impressionism and romanticism mixed with the large orchestrations of modern symphony made with the foundation for a singer to project across a stage.
I listened to this album and I get classical music now. It has such raw emotion and it paints such vivid pictures in my mind, unlike anything I've ever heard. And it's magical that the thing that made me find out about Yu-Peng Chen, and by extension made me want to listen to more classical composers is a F2P gacha game, as dumb as it may sound to some people that listen to this kind of music regularly.
And on the topic of "getting" classical music. I think classical music requires some kind of literacy to understand fully, in a same way you can read a book and understand the words in it, but miss the point. And I think that video games help to build up that literacy by using music as backdrop in very emotional, immersive experiences.
There's nothing dumb about that at all! So many people got into classical music from listening to some advertisement jingle, or movie soundtrack, or some other completely unrelated and "uncultured" entrance point. One friend I know started exploring the music just from being curious about what was the (classical) tune being played to signal the end of recess. It doesn't matter--it's an entrance point, and it opened the door to another world that's greater than the door you entered from. That's the important thing!
Speaking as a classical pianist my whole life, I definitely agree with you on the idea of literacy. I've been playing the piano since I was 3--I'm now almost 40. And emotional vocabulary is what helped music to "click" differently (or at all) when I was 7, compared to when I was 16, compared to now in my 30s. The books and plots I've read, the life experiences I've had, these enrich and deepen what I play as well as what I take out of say, a random piece of Brahms. In a way, the richer the life you've lived, the more fully you've lived, the more music can enrich and fill your life. The beauty is that music is a dialogue, not a one-way process of "getting it".
@@talamioros I'm an amateur classical pianist but I always liked VGM OST more... idk what it makes of me. I just love melody more than anything else and VGM put clear emphasis on melody. But at the same time I'm hiding my interest because it makes me look geeky and uncommon. You wouldn't associate VGM with sophisticated neoclassical music but I consider it as such.
I dislike concerts because of how loud it can get and and the huge crowd is a bit much. Too much stimulation for me. So it says a lot that, given the chance, I would totally attend a concert with Yu-Peng Chen in it. His music is so delightful to listen to.
Honestly my PC is so shit that is really hard to play Genshin Impact but the soundtracks made the game so much more enjoyable to me it's crazy
Wow, you PC must be really old. You can try to upgrade your RAM, because it's the most likely reason you have problems. Anyway, I'm glad you can still enjoy the game.
Marco hummed "poesy of chrysolite" 5:16 when talking about melodic writing, that's how much this composer left his mark in the game.
Poesy of Chrysolite is composed by Arcangelo Chen though, no?
@@Deltakryzzthe envoy sent by our music Archon 😇🪽
That's my point, though, unless Arcangelo Chen is literally his relative, student or something, somehow Fontaine still has strong YuPeng vibes, enough that even Marco sang a piece that is not composed by Chen yet it could completely be done by him
@@JustSomeGuyWithAMug ohh in that case then yeah I agree lol. Even now, his influence on Genshin's musical identity is still pretty evident in a lot of the newer songs still. Even Absolutio Absoluta Absolutissime feels like a very Yu-Peng Chen song to me for some reason, ignoring the dubstep part.
I first thought of “Halcyon Times” but I think “Poesy of Chrysolite” sounds more like it yeah. But more or less the same I guess.
@@Deltakryzzi presume the reason is that he was still working with close ties to the game director (directors?) and other musicians of the game and so they probably ended up studying his methodology to stick to similar enough vibes that his absence wouldn't feel jarring to players.
I think he truly meant it when he said he was leaving space to the new generations, and that he actually met many of these new gen people he mentioned, that would end up working for genshin
I would love to see your reaction to his whole album because all together it just so peak, especially the flow of emotional expression Yu-peng Chen dropped in himself!
listen to every tracks in album felt like journey in a world.
in some way they are 'game OST', but the game does not exist outside of your head...
fantasy-land indeed
as a music person who studied classical piano for 5 years, everytime we listen yu peng chen music, we know whats its all about, because yu peng chen tells a story on that piece. One of example that i really love is A moon in one cup tells a story about li yue. a bustling port china town, with bustling market, grand high mountain, and such an amazing town it is. The second piece circle dance of evernight castle is my second favorite on this album while my favorite one "Ring of the sky" i really love the vibe of longing lonely and hopeful which is such an amazing music.
8:38 The way it kinda dropped out there and came back in was so satisfying, all of this is really good
12:44 A little Yu-Peng Chopin before it so smoothly goes in a different direction, I love all the ways he makes it sound so colorful.
whom ever mixed this track was on top of it. normally when you mix something it is more mathematical which can sometimes hurt a classical set, but man this dude must have had some instructions from yu peng chen because it really does sound like it was mixed in a way to really highlight what is leading at the time.
I have limited music knowledge, but after listening extensively to YPC's music, including his non-game tracks, I've discovered why I appreciate it so much and why Genshin's music feels different now. YPC's music often starts with a memorable melody that's developed throughout the piece with additional instruments, eventually culminating in a cohesive whole. This core melody is highly memorable, a quality I find missing in recent Genshin nation OSTs and demos. While the music isn't bad, it lacks that staying power. I was particularly disappointed with the Arlecchino boss OST because it felt disjointed, lacking a strong connection between beginning and end.
That’s completely right
@@MarcoMeatball That's why Scaramouche OST was so good. A complete story told through music.
I disagree. The "core melody" in fontaine is incredibly memorable. It's there in the tracks Fontaine, Tout est bien qui finit bien (Sinner Finale music), Le Souvenir avec le crepuscule. I especially love the 2nd and 3rd inclusion, Sinner Finale is arguable the single saddest moment in Genshin's history, and Le Souvenir is an ost that plays in the city during evening. Its such sn emotional track I'll just stop doing whatever I was doing to sit on a bench and listen when it kicks in.
I agree Arle's ost isn't the best, but they were trying something pretty new for the hoyomix team, mixing the "tracks of Teyvat" (aka the normal genshin music) with the "tracks on the other worlds" (aka the dubstep and such of the abyss and such, which fits due to Arlecchino having ties to Perinheri, an otherworlder)
@@aduckonaplane3816 Yes, only few of them are actually good. But my point still stands.
I don't think they were trying something new, that'd be pretty lame considering it's a weekly boss OST and not just any boss it's Arlechhino, one of the most popular characters in Fontaine.
I love the ending so much and can also tell that YPC loves Rachmaninov so much 😂
I was so excited for this video. We all seem to share such a cultured love of his music, he deserves so much fame
This is so surreal bro.....i discovered your channel via genshin OST reaction which was one of the things that made me stuck with genshin, its just constantly high quality it's insane thanks to Yu Ping Chen and all of the other incredible composers at Hoyo-mix.
It's so satisfying seeing how much this channel grew and seeing mr. YPC successfully releasing his debute album in his dream journey ❤️
Yu-Peng Chen and his co-workers' music is what brought me to your channel. Your reaction to La Signora's battle theme is what got me interested in the broad landscape of gaming music!
Marco's analysis is always so on point and insightful. Would love to get an analysis or stream listening to the entire album!
Coming soon!
I haven’t clicked on a video fast enough🎉 ❤
Accordion + strings is gorgeous
If you see some familiar face, yes, the conductor is the same person in the Fontaine Stream Orchestra - Robert Ziegler
Ive just listened to the whole album for the first time and for every song, I felt so immensed and moved. It took me out of where I was and transported me to a different place each piece. In each, the melody sings. So expressive, full of soul.
For me especially the piece 'Ring of the Sky', I found the music so honest, so sincere, so vulnerable to the point of nakedness. It gripped me and seemed to speak for me. My heart sang with it although I had never heard it before. It truly made the point to me of music being a language and Yu Peng uses this language with such proficiency and artistry. Its not about technical difficulty, although I'm sure playing for him requires high technical skills as well... It's the way he is able to tell a story without words, cast a vision with only music and to speak from heart to heart.
I am absolutely in love with this album. I am so grateful I got to know him through Genshin and that Genshin itself had open the doors for him to have the connections, experience and finances to pursue his dreams in this manner.
I really hope that he works for other games too cuz his new album feels like something straight out of a video game and it is glorious.
I listened to the album for hours and for me, it felt as if Genshin's music was not tied to any particular region or culture and he was making the best music he could and it worked wonders. I think restriction can stimulate imagination and creativity but also limit it, and I don't know which one I prefer more, especially since the Genshin OST doesn't work as a stand-alone experience so when I listen to them it reminds me of the experience I have with the game where I listen to the OST in context while the album was stand-alone that I listen to without any external stimuli. Like, for example, the first track in the album "A New Journey" has a very very similar vibe to the Genshin first Summer Event, Golden Apple Archipelago OST's "What a Hopeful Voyage" , "Vast and Blue", and "Mesmerizing Waves" mixed together.
In "A New Journey" I find the mood to be more neutral, like a mix of Happiness and joy but with a twinge of sadness or melancholy because this new journey means leaving the previous location and on the way to the new one, yes you are excited and looking forward to the destination but also feeling sad for leaving a familiar place while in "What a Hopeful Voyage" the mood is that of pure joy and excitement (as well as innocence). After all, this journey is more of a momentary vacation than that of a real journey where you don't know when or if you will ever return, which is the journey that I feel in "A New Journey".
In conclusion, Wuthering Waves needs his talent seriously. (Vanguard too for battle/boss music, so sad that 1.0 WW OST is so mid while PGR keep getting banger update)
I think what YPC did best is to make variation of a motif, similar to what Liszt do to La Campanella. The melody keeps going back but become more complex as it returns, and that's what I think keeps us all engaged. And of course variations is one of YPC strength given how he made a lot of version of the same melody in Genshin
This can be observed in all of his music in the album
Chen's cascading piano part in 20:10, really sounds like it came straight out of one of Rachmaninov's piano concertos, in fact I'm pretty sure it's 90% similar just that he used the techniques differently and built differently on the piano part. It's killing me that I cannot recall which one. Gonna go find it if I can.
Yu-Peng Chen, Robert Ziegler and the wonderful troupe at the London Philarmonic Orchestra, are a match made in heaven. I don't have a lot of formal musical education but, In the first rondo I could hear a conversation between the piano and the accordion.
Truly wonderful.
I love how this music makes me feel.
Its actually really amazing and breathtaking. I listen to this on repeat all the time now! But claiming that this album is better than the music in the entirety of Genshin is just recency bias. I mean Yu Peng Chen is basically the archon of music to my ears, but there are genshin soundtracks composed by other amazing people at the hoyomix team, especially recent ones, that dont deserve to be thrown under the bus. If only you had the time to listen to more :(. I mean, I remember you when you first reacted to La Signoras theme and Tartaglias theme, so come on man, dont be like that. LOVE YOU Marco! Just my opinion
your appriciation and passion for music always brings me joy, its always delightful to listen to people talking about what they love so dearly
YPC definitely taking notes from Joe Hisaishi, you can hear the inspiration from Inazuma (and pretty prominent from Ayaka’s ‘prototype’ song). To be the pianist in an orchestra is another aspect of that as well.
Dude this guy just does not miss! I’m so happy Yu Peng Chen was able to go on and make his own music this way and I know he’ll do great, the guy just doesn’t miss
i was hoping you would react to this ive had yu peng chens new songs on repeat for days and really wanted to listen to a musical analysis of it
This guy's work is iconic, just hearing the accordion is enough to know who it was composed by
I just bought the album and cannot wait to listen to it. :D
And I am so excited for Natlan music in Genshin. It's amazing how far this game has come and how far Yupeng Chen has taken his worldwide renown. I am so looking forward to his next steps on the stages in the music industry.
I love his Fantasyland album and the Circle Dance of Evernight Castle. It captured that same magic he had in Genshin - very fantasy vibes and basically trying to introduce you to his own fantasy world outside of Teyvat with just the use of his music.
OH HOW WE HAVE WAITED FOR THIS.
Gods please, it would be so damn cool if you could get YuPeng Chen on the channel for an interview!!
Amazing and interesting analysis as always. 😊
He’s too busy right now though I asked :(
@@MarcoMeatball Aww, that's a shame. There's always a chance in the future though, no?
:( @@MarcoMeatball that's a shame, hope he will have time for an interview in future
@@MarcoMeatball I feel like that would almost be the climax of this channel, the video everyone has knowingly or unknowingly been waiting for
Thank you for another wonderful video Marco. Your knowledge and passion always add la even more to how I experience the mastery of the music.
Words cannot describe the talent that Yu-Peng Chen possesses, but you do a pretty amazing job 💕
This is what real modern classical music should be. I'm for sure going to be following YPC along this new journey
Mmmmm really liked this video. Just wanted to say that in Finland our national opera has performed Phantom of the opera that of course is a musical. After hearing once this take on the musical piece with full orchestra and operasingers in the roles I was so absolutely sold. I do love the musical as such but this performanse by our opera is just something else
Yu-peng recently compossed soundtrack for certain game called Project Woolgatherer, you might want to look at it especially the title To Dream's End which is my favorite.
I knew something was off with the music in genshin since fontaine…
I dont feel as drawn into the world as i used to.
I would stand in liyue mountains just listening to the music and watching the lanscape…
Circle Dance of Evernight Castle ... I see Fischl in her full glory 🎉
When Fischl finally mature yet still have that "princess" inside of her
I like these don't get me wrong, but this just sounds like classical music to me. The reason I fell in love with Genshin's music was the mix of classical and modern music with the added folk elements.
Yes, these specific pieces of music are more classical than others from the album. People compare it to Piazzolla, which is famous classical composer from 20-th century.
The rest of the album has some folk like music with the mix of instruments of different cultures. But I wouldn't say he uses them as much as he did in Genshin.
I'm also a fan how Yu Peng Chen does this kind stuff, and wish he did it more, but the album is very good regardless.
He mentioned in his recent Q&A that he wishes to make more Guofeng music (if I remember correctly) which blends chinese traditional music with classical and modern music. So you can expect this type of music from him in the future, which is awesome news!
IT'S SO GOOODD!! AAAHHH!! 😭💕
Everytime watching your reactions and your breaking down beautiful music pieces is such an enjoyment, and I am so glad that I am able to hear your analysis and appreciation of Yupeng Chen's debut album, for which I have been so long waiting since he left hoyomix.
In the same week I got tickets for the Genshin Concert in Paris and YPC album. I'm so glad he's back with new music.
Hopefully waiting for his concert tour...
Imagine his music live from Verona's Arena 🥹
One can dream...
you know when Rock Lee and Goku were already amazing fighters with their weighted clothes and then they take them off and are even better? Yu was "wearing weighted clothes" in Genshin's OST, and he was already amazing. But this album? Oh my god. This is... Generational
RAWR gosh darn it, the fact that Yu-Peng Chen's music direction gives me more chills than the soundstracks we currently have in Genshin
Thanks for making this video I was wondering where YPC went to.
I went ahead and subbed to his channel too thanks to you.
He really makes great music and I love your analysis of music as always.
this melody is a motif throughout genshin too! you can hear it in the court of fontaine and in cafe puspa in sumeru! he uses this melody a lot!
I'm so excited and happy for this album. YPC is so wonderful in his writing and sense of musicality. I might have found him in Genshins OST - but I will now follow his journey well beyond Genshin.
YPC and Genshin had an amazing effect on each other and, regardless of what the future holds for both, I will always be grateful for that.
its rly satisfying watching you how you enjoy all that :D
Yupeng Chen was not awarded by the Games award in the West in any event, which to me, can be discouraging to future composers in games that want to use classical music.
Are you going to listen to Natlan's Orchestra music later? will you also be watching the 5.0 live stream too?
Not at this moment - taking an extended break from Genshin music. I’m sure I’ll be back. My priority rn is zzz :)
@@MarcoMeatball okay Marco, I will really be waiting for your thoughts after you listen to Natlan's orchestra music in the future 😉🥰
Marco you have to listen to ascending dive towards the pyramidion, it is a work of art
That's crazy how strong of an identity his music has, it just "sounds like Genshin Impact OST"
A man who said "there are no earworms in Genshin since Sumeru" easily hummed theme from Fontaine... Ah yes, no earworms it seems.
Which theme is that? I was humming back a melody from the song 😂
A theme that's copied from Sumeru... Poesy of Chrysolite is a rip off of the Sumeru tavern theme
I've listened to the whole album and it was fantastic!
I adore the debut album! It's a masterpiece and a great inspiration to aspiring and seasoned composers alike :DDD
I just went to his first personal work concert in Shanghai. He is such an introverted.😂 I could feel his voice shaking while giving speeches. Lol. The music is as fabulous as always.
Aw I can imagine.
Another amazing video, I love to just hear you talk about music man!
18:47 Fav so far
Now I'd like to see an orchestra battle between Yu Peng Chen and Nobuo Uematsu, I'm sure that they have fun doing something like that as composition
I love how Chen got super popular before he even made his first official debut, he wrote music for Chinese shows and especially Genshin so people already knew about him.
will you do Ascending Dive Towards the Pyramidion ?
Was waiting for this!!!
Is that the same guy that conducted the Fontaine Orchestra?
Yes
Literally unofficial Fontane OST here
In a another universe ,the first piece is the fontaine battle theme
Imagine if YPC composed for Kingdom Hearts. Him and Yoko would be a dynamic duo.
LAGU IKLAN TEH GELAS 😍✨✨☕🍵🌿
i will be honest, ever since sumeru came out (which is around where yupeng stopped composing for genshin), i felt like there was a lack of cohesion in the soundtracks. but i’m very glad that hes back now! cant wait to hear more from him
You gotta check out his piano etudes EP and his "Being Towards Death" album sometime!
Sounds like what we would have gotten if he stuck around for the fontaine soundtrack
very Piazzolla, ahk lieks eet!!!!
Reminds me of professor Layton and the Curious Village theme vibes..! As well as some of master Astor Piazollas pieces from Yo-yomas "Soul of the Tango"
I don't know if i should say this, can you review the On-Lyne "party of your lifetime" song?
Large portions of this sound like Skies of Arcadia and I'm all for it.
Fischl visits Fontaine with Eula. It shall be my head canon.
Genshin's music didn't make Yu Peng Chen. Yu Peng Chen MADE Genshin Music. YU PENG CHEN THE GOAT
This one is YPC challenging Fontaine's team 😂.
I miss his music in game so badly😢
hope in the near future yu peng chen's studio colab with hoyomix produce new masterpiece 😊
The accordiam really is is own character in the song. While the bigger Orchestra is like a majesty figure
I thought Fountain music was good, but now this is way more sophisticated~!
Hey Marco, just a small thing but it would be nice if you linked the videos that you react to in the description ^^
You will react to "A Promise of Dreams", the songs that YPC composed for a new game called Project Woolgatherer?