The keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen, the guy who indeed writes most of the music. This song came out in 1998, and it's from the album "Oceanborn" which is pretty much considered symphonic metal mastepiece. Tuomas always leave room for interpretation for the listeners - so mine is that this song is a dialogue between the devil and the mermaid. I also love this song, because it's so dramatic and impactful. And the song acts like an ocean; first there is darkness, chaos, storm and then the ocean calms down towards the end. Storm passes away, light overcomes the darkness. Devil is rejected and dolphins are free.
"We shall come to set the dolphins free We shall wash the darkened bloodred sea Our songs will echo over the mountains and seas The eternity will begin once again in peace"
There's always been a very strong environmentalist backdrop to Nightwish songs so that's a good interpretation! I recall Tuomas mentioning many times how the untouched and wild nature of Finland (at least where it is still untouched) combined with the extremes of the seasons and the preservation of all that for the generations to come is where he draws inspiration. Sacrament of Wilderness is a great example! Would actually love to see analysis of that, or Sleeping Sun! They're from the same album as Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean. Here's Sacrament of Wilderness, both Tarja version from 1999 and Floor version from 2018. th-cam.com/video/UhbRs0wcE-0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/q1E-1AqTuRM/w-d-xo.html
to me it’s obvious that this song (like a lot of songs up till Once album) was about Tuomas (the damned poet, the beast, the devil) unrequited love for Tarja (the lady in white, the virgin, the siren). You were too young to witness the drama in the late 90s-early 00s. They truly were star-crossed lovers. Damn, that anguish and torment (might I add horniness) gave us great stuff back in the day😅
This is why I come to this place, in depth knowledge of music, a gift for explanation and the ability to feel what the performers are trying to convey. As always, a great job of analysis. And a great choice of music to analyze.
Is it just me... or do others also think that Jess is definatly setting a high standard for reactionists.. The enthousiasm, the professionalism brings me from one new place to another, allbeit in my own area of music interest. That combined with in depth analisis... Goes to show how much impact a good reactionist can have.
I've been watching these reactions and analysis over again, as an antidote to the recent influx of sub-standard Nightwish reactions, and it really has me thinking we are long overdue more reactions from you.
Tuomas Holopainen is on the keyboard for Nightwish, he's the primary songwriter and lyrics writer for Nightwish. Marco has written some part for some songs, and Troy also has done some stuff as far as I remember, less than Marco though. Tuomas writes most of it and he's rightly called the Metal Mozart for it. These types of songs from Nightwish are very ambiguous, and there are various ways to interpret them. I can't offer a definitive explanation for what's going on here but if you liked it then Ghost River is another song where they engage in this type of back-and-forth. That one is slightly more atmospheric compared to this, and it has a few consensus interpretations amongst the fanbase. Ghost River @ th-cam.com/video/05eitd-EA6I/w-d-xo.html
im so glad to see someone with knowledge about vocals looking at this song. i genuinely believe its one of floors most impressive performances. cant wait!
Great reaction 😁😁 Floor is called the Valkyrie Goddess of Metal and Empathy Marko is the Viking Kai is the Human Metronome Emmpu is the Electric Hobbit Troy is the Bard ( not in this song) Tuomas aka the Metal Mozart is the bandleader, songwriter and composer (keyboardist) He looks like a cousin of one of the Musketeers...😁😁😁😁
dang, what a beautiful reaction. Thank you so much! ... But guys, please. Tuomas reminds me much more to Wagner as a composer as he reminds me to Mozart. Mozart is Pop music. Wagner is emotional, deep and sometimes dark but always genius.
I agree with that. Wagner also has a lot of fantasy and mythical aspects. Like the ring of the Nibelungen with Siegfried and the dragon etc. Also a lot of Wagner melodies could be film scores for epic movies just like the music of Nightwish.
Exactly! Mozart made popular music of the time, far from epic, which is everything that Nightwish - and Wagner - is about. My absolute Wagner favorite is Wesendonck Lieder, though - epicly beautiful! 😉
A little mythological musical theater style on this one lovey lady. Marko plays the role of the devil who is amorously pursuing the affections of Floor's Mermaid ocean spirit character. He fails to induce her to accept his proposition of wedlock. I think it is just a whimsical fantasy with a little romance between the dark and the light. The devil and the Mermaid/Siren. I loved your analysis and commentary on this special song. That is Tuomas the master composer for Nightwish. I think he is a genius. So unique and humble. You hardly notice him on stage sometimes. The ending key change to Major is due to her escaping the devil's clutches. Loved it Jess! Peace and love. ✌💖🙏🙏🙏😊👍
Beautiful analysis Jess. I love your enthusiasm and passion for this music. You bring a really fresh approach to reaction videos and I like it very much. Looking forward to the next one 💐
This is an excellent analysis. Thank you for noticing and talking about Floor's rapid fire jumps between pitches and timbres. Over the years Floor has moved from being able to switch between vocal colours for whole sections and lines of songs to being able to jump between them note to note within a single word. One other aspect of her performance that really stands out to me in this one is the insane amount of punch in her onsets on the staccato notes in the rapid keyboard note section.
à propos keyboard staccato, is that a trick of the video or is he even changing the top of the two rapidly alternating notes in the midst (and then back)?
That is not even much of an exaggeration. Her lung capacity is well above average. Furthermore her core muscles are tight as all hell. When she is wearing something tight and she needs some more diaphragm support, it looks like she can crush soup cans with her solar plexus. I am sure being just over six feet tall helps fit all that in one body.
Jess @SopranoNotes , thank you very much for analyzing Nightwish. Always very interesting and informative! Special thanks for adding subtitles because my english is not that good :) Greetings from Minsk, Belarus.
The keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen from Kitee, Finland. A little town quite near to Russian border. He is the mastermind behind Nightwish ("Metal Mozart"). He writes most of their songs (but not all). Haha, the name is a clue. Marko is "Devil" and Floor "Ocean". Their characterization could be open to interpretations (deities, human, good-evil, romance, imagination etc. ?). Very professional analysis. Thank you and by the way, they say that Floor was sick at that time (hides it quite well). ⛄👍
How exciting it is to listen to metal music. The high standard of composition and vocals can be compared to classical music where, however, a lot is prescribed. Everything is possible in symphonic and theatrical Metal and it also can have the same quality. Thanks for that recognition
Great reaction..🌹more Nightwish, please The Composer called Tuomas Holopainen ( the Keyboarder). A Music Genius . And Floor is his Voice. Forget. WELCOME IN THE NIGHTWISH FAMILY 👍
We Aquarians are very analytical, I appreciated your take on this song. Tuomas Holopainen on keyboards is the composer/founder, he writes like 90-95% of all lyrics and music, he also infuses sounds from the London Philharmonic Orchesta.
Oh my goodness, girl, love, love ,LOVE the passion, enthusiasm and incredible technical singing performance knowledge you bring to your reactions, especially to my beloved Nightwish! Aren't they all just extraordinary?! You are going to find that ever song Tuomas creates is just incredible, diverse in topic and development, and the band members interpret in just stupefying ways. They are out this world. Enjoy the magical unicorn that is Nightwish!
Not only does Floor hold those belts for an inhuman amount of time, she is also active on stage as well...headbanging, dutch-windmills, dancing....all of which requires air! She's simply one of the very best performing today. Tuomas incorporates a lot of storytelling into most of the songs, always helps to read the lyrics....but everything they do from the singing, music, lighting and special effects in Nightwish songs all contribute to a total experience that must be seen!
Hi Jess fantastic analysis as usual, so nice to see back with Nightwish and Floor , I'm the one early last yr that pestered you into a react to GLS :) there are a few songs from NW that are in your lane of expertise ,from their 2020 release Human//Nature ,lyric video of Shoemaker a tribute to Eugene Shoemaker,the ending is the part that you will have the most to say a few words on :) and Stargazers from Tampere 2016,Vlja Lied from Beste Zangers 2019, and Hows The Heart -live acoustic, cheers,hope you will be able to get to these as I am sure you will appreciate them. NIGHTWISH - "Shoemaker "(Official Lyric Video) th-cam.com/video/Rjp_DfvJimg/w-d-xo.html NIGHTWISH - "Stargazers" (OFFICIAL LIVE) Vehicle Of Spirit -Tampere 2016 th-cam.com/video/NhEuAPYm_Ug/w-d-xo.html Floor Jansen sings Vilja Lied for Henk Poort, Beste Zangers 2019 th-cam.com/video/lcLG5X1i2QM/w-d-xo.html Nightwish - How's The Heart Acoustic (Planet Rock acoustic session) th-cam.com/video/yYtkPpFYzOo/w-d-xo.html **Floors recent YT covers : Alone - Heart (cover by Floor Jansen) th-cam.com/video/1fu-yP6q6Gk/w-d-xo.html Adagio - Lara Fabian (cover by Floor Jansen) th-cam.com/video/KZRHLLM6AU4/w-d-xo.html Oblivion - M83 (cover by Floor Jansen) th-cam.com/video/zG-ptrlJ4pM/w-d-xo.html
I knew you'd love the complexity of this song, Jess! Yes, Tuomas Holopainen on keyboards is the composer, which is why he is known as the Metal Mozart. No matter how much he may deny it (and he does) he is undoubtedly a genius, and an absolutely incredible keyboard player (who also plays the clarinet although not in the band setting - if you feel like a bit of Nightwish trivia). Some of the flourishes like Emppu's initial slide down on the guitar or Marco and Floor's intonation, grit, or sliding up to or off a note can be added later by the individual artist while they refine the piece, some are asked for by Tuomas - some details are known only to the band. The process was for Tuomas to compose the music and write the lyrics and make a demo (which used to always involve Marco, so where that goes now, nobody knows), which is then brought to the band in a retreat deep in the Finnish countryside where they refine it into a complete form, which is then followed by the recording sessions for each of their parts (including orchestral and choral tracks where Pip Williams is involved), mixing, band approval, and mastering. Then they do it all again in preparation and rehearsal for live performances, as some studio techniques like layering are not available live, but audience participation is encouraged and dramatisation is added - so the live shows are really the final product, with recordings a step towards that (which is why Nightwish fans almost always recommend live shows in preference to music videos). He likes to leave a bit of mystery in a lot of his work, or maybe room for interpretation - he always says it means what the listener wants it to mean, but some aspects are clear - this is certainly a battle between the two vocalists characters or personas, and they do dramatise that on stage in many songs. The listener can choose which side to take in this one, I think, but some features are taken from Finnish folklore (Oceanborn and the use of owls as representative of spirits, for example). As for how difficult those very fast keyboard passages are, I'm no keyboard player myself, but my elder sister is an Associate of the Royal College of Music with piano as her principal instrument (oboe and recorders as secondaries) and qualified to teach the piano at the age of 15, so I've heard more practice than I could possibly remember (it was a constant background when I was growing up), and some of Tuomas' sections make Rachmaninoff look like exercises for the beginner! Bear in mind he is also constantly changing between (usually) 3 keyboards, too, only one of which is set up to sound and behave as a piano! Kai is a technical genius on drums, too - the complex rhythms and flourishes he adds are just amazing, and I think Tuomas enjoys challenging him as much as he does challenging Floor - apparently, he's had to add to his kit for the latest album! Some of the sounds are choral and orchestral backing, while some are installed as patches on Tuomas' keyboards, too - on the recorded parts some work is offloaded to Pip Williams - sometimes because Tuomas demands too much of some instruments, and sometimes Pip is just told to go nuts :-) I love the way the organised chaos resolves into a pleasing major key at the end, too.
I’ve been a Nightwish fan for a long time. And I love Floor , and you are teaching me so much about Floor’s vocals and the band and composition. Thank You !! Great reaction and analysis 👍👏👏
And ..... if you like a bunch of singers in just one song, then I hope you can find the time to react to this TOP LINEUP OF MANY MUSICAL INTRUMENTS/SINGERS: The Source is the 9th studio album from *AYREON* , a progressive metal/rock opera project by Dutch musician Arjen (Ahr-Yun) Anthony Lucassen, released on April 28, 2017. *_The Day That The World Breaks Down_* is a song that features all 11 (quite well known) main guest singers (you’ll be surprised) and is taken from that album. Arjen himself is telling (in subtitles) who the singers are and which instruments are used and by which standards. Btw. This creative original clip is 13 min. long and I think you won’t regret it !! Official (Arjen’s) clip: th-cam.com/video/oFuMKdrzPqU/w-d-xo.html
The keyboard player is Tuomas Holopainen and he is the main composer and song writer. For their pieces with heavy orchestral background they get help with the arrangements of that by Pip Williams. He is around 73 years old, from the UK and he worked with many famous bands and singers. Greetings from the Netherlands. 🇳🇱👍
Excellent reaction with detailed analysis. You know it when a 23 minute reaction video doesn't feel too long at all. Thank you! I think I appreciate this song even more now that I watched your reaction to it. Tuomas, is the founder in 1996, leader, the main man of Nightwish, but he also has a great bunch with him to make the most of his music. And he knows that. He said he doesn't want to go through any more line-up changes. And then Marko, the bassist/vocalist, told in January, he's going to take a break for the rest of the year, for mental health and music business issues, and that the only one who's allowed to contact him is Tony Iommi of The Black Sabbath, lol. Hopefully Marko comes back to Nightwish. I believe it is possible. He sang and played two songs a week ago on a YT live stream from his home town. The funeral of Henry's Pub was the sad event. He has been writing some music too.
so Jess finally met "Metal Mozart"...... and this is one of most beautiful, accurate, clear, knowledgeable, passionate reaction I've ever watched!!! Thanks Jess!!!
Jasmine, you are rapidly becoming one of my favorite reactors. You bring so much knowledge and energy to your reactions. Also, happy to have you in the Army now!
Oh my gooooood, GIRL you own so much knowledge about music since composition to (your specialty) singing, that i am Always overwhelmed by: 1 - your smartness 2 - your technicality 3 - your beauty doing all that LOVE YOUR REACTIONS
“I’m an Aquarius, I’m weird”. Haha I felt that one hard. 😆 As an aspiring singer myself, I absolutely love your musical and vocal analyses. Thanks for being super rad and just a joy to watch and listen to. ❤️
Loved your breakdown of Tuomus's composition and keyboard mastery, and of Marko and Floor's distinctive vocal styles. Every member of Nightwish are masters of their craft.
I think I can hear a choir backing track when she does these short, high operatic sounds. If so, the correct moment has already been chosen, Floor just has to time it really well to match it.
You reacted on every single detail, but one. When Floor hits the four short notes in that crazy fast part, there's just a fraction of a second to be able (???) to breathe for the long sustained melody line right after it. I put the question marks in parentheses, because frankly, I don't even think there's enough time to breathe and get enough air in the lungs to sing that phrase. I tried it and I couldn't do it. It's such a hard part. I was hoping for you to react to that specific bit. Nobody else has. I enjoyed every second of what you did react to, so thanks! 😊❤️
You absolutely NEEEEEEEEEED to react to Shoemaker th-cam.com/video/Rjp_DfvJimg/w-d-xo.html Some SERIOUS opera technique there, and even Floor herself was like ”What, is that ME?” when she first heard the take. And wow, is that a smasher! (I myself simply couldn’t believe it is Floor until I found her personal confirmation that it is indeed her.)
I absolutely love your reactions.. So dead on and professional, yet fun and appreciative of how music touches souls. 🎶 And of course it bares repeating ! 🙄 "FlOOR" is a rare and beautiful ,talented "Rock Goddess!"❤
Great analysis, again! Fun trivia; Floor said in some interview that she had cold at this concert and that she was not sure if she could perform at all. Show's how crazy good singer she is. Love your reaction/analyses and might I add that you are a very beautiful lady. Keep up the good and very professional take on songs and performances! Greetings from Finland!
Magnificent analysis, kudos! What this song really means, I think as with most of text from Tuomas it is a canvas to paint your own picture onto. My humble interpretation is that Marco represents the Greek god Poseidon (deity of the sea, storms, and earthquakes), and Floor represents a Nereid (a good and kind sea nymph).
More of Marco’s voice in: *_”The Islander”_* : th-cam.com/video/Zo8ncK_5kzc/w-d-xo.html *_”While Your Lips Are Still Red”_* : th-cam.com/video/5V7PKv493Ic/w-d-xo.html *_”The Voice Of My Father”_* : th-cam.com/video/dwvqpRRCDdE/w-d-xo.html (Marko solo) *_”Isäni ääni”_* : th-cam.com/video/Kp_kNvPQlq8/w-d-xo.html (Voice of my Father in Finnish (original))
the melody on that last verse just gets me, everytime.... it's so smooth and beautifull and uplifting ! Thank you for your insights and taking the time to do that video !
Wow what an intense informative analysis. Really enjoyable. Tuomas is the keyboard player and main composer of most of Nightwish's songs. The song's meaning as far as I can ascertain is Marko is the Devil who is trying to seduce Floor who is an uninterested mermaid. Hope this helps. Of course I could be totally wrong in the meaning lol. Stay safe 🤘✌
Until when you will punish us without a reaction to "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "The Greatest show on Earth" that are Nightwish's masterpieces? :p *read the lyrics before or choose the video version with lyrics would improve your understanding xD
Nightwish is a new band for me. It's a whole new experience that I have fallen in love with mainly because of Floor. I've come to notice quite a bit on my own but I love this particular reviewer I feel bad I don't remember her name but she's excellent.🌹 I love how excited she gets and how knowledgeable she is. I appreciate that very much. I'm learning so much. She really is my favorite. One thing I've noticed on my own is a tell that Floor has when reaching for a particularly high note. She strokes her hair with her left hand from her forehead down. 🙆👀 Is it just me? Never have I ever been into any band/orchestra, that would let me notice this tell. I love it!!! 💖🙋
Good observation with Floor's hair. I also like how easily she snatches the mike off the stand to sing certain challenging parts and then, just as easily, returns it so she can gesture with both hands, or sing softly.
I enjoyed your reaction, it's nice to have another professional singer to explain what is going on with my two favorite singers: Floor and Marco. Take care.
Whelp it is obvious that you have a large fanbase of actual singers and performers....wich is friggin awesome. Looking forward to learning from all of you. just because I like to expand my horizons....looking forward to reactions and commentary and Jess.
There are free-divers who seriously envy Floor's lung power!.... and Mermaids/Sirens saying "I can't do that underwater and I have gills!"... The Devil is trying to seduce a mermaid in the song.... Keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen, composer, poet, lyricist and mastermind of Nightwish. Capricorn. Christmas baby!....... I expect that when he writes "The Cetaceans Dream" and Floor sings it, porpoises and dolphins everywhere will be chanting "Nightwish"!!!!
Thank you so much for these reactions, I love Nighwish reactions and the way you do these are realy awesome. The breakdowns and diving in to the song is not something you see/hear a lot of the reactors. Keep the Nightwish video's coming, loking forward to them.
Well not only your analyze the song on the pure technical layer of the song but also you're interested in the psychological and lyrical side of it ! The passionate way you offer us your knowledge is just admirebal !
Keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen. He is the creative mind of the band Nightwish. He has composed 95% of the all songs of the band; 9 studio albums all together plus several side works as well. He also arranges all the orchestration and composes all the shows. Naturally he is playing keyboards all the time and way. He is many times called as the metal Mozart because of his music complexity and genius variety, not say very beautiful melodies and lyrics he also writes for the music and songs. Two characters of this song are the devil and the mermaid for who the devil is in love with.
When Nightwish start playing live for crowds again, the crowd is going to be 90% youtubers with reaction channels xD
It's going to be like a YT reunion!
😆So funny, the Nightwish Army grows! I vote for Tuomas as President of the World! 😁🤘
I am at the 10% then
LMAO, yes ahaha.
Lol, I’ll definitely be contributing as part of that 90%
Tuomas Holopainen the "Metal Mozart" composes 95 % of Nightwish music.
He’s a genius!!!! 💪🏼💪🏼
Mozart was early Tuomas Holopainen is his time!
@Jacinto Gonzalez In Finland Classical music is considered the father of Metal
I love that.. Metal Mozart! I agree!!❤️
Marco represents the devil, Floor is a Mermaid. The devil tries to haunt the mermaid
oh god
The keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen, the guy who indeed writes most of the music. This song came out in 1998, and it's from the album "Oceanborn" which is pretty much considered symphonic metal mastepiece. Tuomas always leave room for interpretation for the listeners - so mine is that this song is a dialogue between the devil and the mermaid. I also love this song, because it's so dramatic and impactful. And the song acts like an ocean; first there is darkness, chaos, storm and then the ocean calms down towards the end. Storm passes away, light overcomes the darkness. Devil is rejected and dolphins are free.
"We shall come to set the dolphins free
We shall wash the darkened bloodred sea
Our songs will echo over the mountains and seas
The eternity will begin once again in peace"
I love this interpretation! It makes sense 😊
There's always been a very strong environmentalist backdrop to Nightwish songs so that's a good interpretation! I recall Tuomas mentioning many times how the untouched and wild nature of Finland (at least where it is still untouched) combined with the extremes of the seasons and the preservation of all that for the generations to come is where he draws inspiration. Sacrament of Wilderness is a great example! Would actually love to see analysis of that, or Sleeping Sun! They're from the same album as Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean.
Here's Sacrament of Wilderness, both Tarja version from 1999 and Floor version from 2018.
th-cam.com/video/UhbRs0wcE-0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/q1E-1AqTuRM/w-d-xo.html
What dolphins are you talking about!? there are none in the lyrics of the song.😁
The Devil has fallen in love with a mermaid and she is rejecting his love. Interesting storyline for a romance song.
That is interesting!
to me it’s obvious that this song (like a lot of songs up till Once album) was about Tuomas (the damned poet, the beast, the devil) unrequited love for Tarja (the lady in white, the virgin, the siren). You were too young to witness the drama in the late 90s-early 00s. They truly were star-crossed lovers.
Damn, that anguish and torment (might I add horniness) gave us great stuff back in the day😅
This is why I come to this place, in depth knowledge of music, a gift for explanation and the ability to feel what the performers are trying to convey. As always, a great job of analysis. And a great choice of music to analyze.
Awe, thank you!
Is it just me... or do others also think that Jess is definatly setting a high standard for reactionists.. The enthousiasm, the professionalism brings me from one new place to another, allbeit in my own area of music interest. That combined with in depth analisis... Goes to show how much impact a good reactionist can have.
Thank you, Martin!
Totally!
I had given up on this song until Floor came along and made me love it again....nothing else to add that hasnt been said before...
Tuomas, the keyboardist is basically the center of Nightwish. Most of the compositions and the lyrics are from his brain.
I've been watching these reactions and analysis over again, as an antidote to the recent influx of sub-standard Nightwish reactions, and it really has me thinking we are long overdue more reactions from you.
Tuomas Holopainen is on the keyboard for Nightwish, he's the primary songwriter and lyrics writer for Nightwish. Marco has written some part for some songs, and Troy also has done some stuff as far as I remember, less than Marco though. Tuomas writes most of it and he's rightly called the Metal Mozart for it.
These types of songs from Nightwish are very ambiguous, and there are various ways to interpret them. I can't offer a definitive explanation for what's going on here but if you liked it then Ghost River is another song where they engage in this type of back-and-forth. That one is slightly more atmospheric compared to this, and it has a few consensus interpretations amongst the fanbase. Ghost River @ th-cam.com/video/05eitd-EA6I/w-d-xo.html
Gotta add: Emppu has done some stuff too.
Thanks for the link 😊
I found a website where people leave their interpretation of songs. There were some very cool ideas.
im so glad to see someone with knowledge about vocals looking at this song. i genuinely believe its one of floors most impressive performances. cant wait!
Indeed, except made to the songs from the new album Human:Nature... those songs are from other planet vocally speaking.
@@sleeepwalk oh defs. HN is otherworldly, but with live performances (so far) devil takes the cake imo
@@magicmicah27 Good point!
I would still give the edge to Ghost Love Score, but this is probably my second favorite Floor performance. Poet and the Pendulum is up there too.
I think this is the first reaction video where I've focussed on the reaction rather than the reacted....amazing ears!
Thank you, Michael!
Best performance Analysis ever made for this track!! ❤️🤘😁🤘❤️ I so love Jess's passion & drive | Much Love, Peace & Respect | Stay Safe Ya'll 🤘
second that!
Third here.... 😋
Great reaction 😁😁
Floor is called the Valkyrie Goddess of Metal and Empathy
Marko is the Viking
Kai is the Human Metronome
Emmpu is the Electric Hobbit
Troy is the Bard ( not in this song)
Tuomas aka the Metal Mozart is the bandleader, songwriter and composer (keyboardist)
He looks like a cousin of one of the Musketeers...😁😁😁😁
dang, what a beautiful reaction. Thank you so much!
...
But guys, please. Tuomas reminds me much more to Wagner as a composer as he reminds me to Mozart. Mozart is Pop music. Wagner is emotional, deep and sometimes dark but always genius.
I agree with that. Wagner also has a lot of fantasy and mythical aspects. Like the ring of the Nibelungen with Siegfried and the dragon etc. Also a lot of Wagner melodies could be film scores for epic movies just like the music of Nightwish.
Yeah, but Metal Wagner isn't as alliterative as Metal Mozart. Metal Wagner is not fun to say, and even less fun to hear.
Ayreon is Wagner though.
Exactly! Mozart made popular music of the time, far from epic, which is everything that Nightwish - and Wagner - is about. My absolute Wagner favorite is Wesendonck Lieder, though - epicly beautiful! 😉
A little mythological musical theater style on this one lovey lady. Marko plays the role of the devil who is amorously pursuing the affections of Floor's Mermaid ocean spirit character. He fails to induce her to accept his proposition of wedlock. I think it is just a whimsical fantasy with a little romance between the dark and the light. The devil and the Mermaid/Siren. I loved your analysis and commentary on this special song. That is Tuomas the master composer for Nightwish. I think he is a genius. So unique and humble. You hardly notice him on stage sometimes. The ending key change to Major is due to her escaping the devil's clutches. Loved it Jess! Peace and love. ✌💖🙏🙏🙏😊👍
Thanks!
One of the most wonderful works and performances I have ever seen. I had the opportunity to see it live.
I have six tickets for their concert in Uros Live Arena in Tampere, Finland in 29.12.2021, yeah!
Talent overload - Nightwish has it all. Floor was sick this evening - She still slays...
Beautiful analysis Jess. I love your enthusiasm and passion for this music. You bring a really fresh approach to reaction videos and I like it very much. Looking forward to the next one 💐
You are very good at educating me, thank you😃🏈🤘🏼
This is an excellent analysis. Thank you for noticing and talking about Floor's rapid fire jumps between pitches and timbres. Over the years Floor has moved from being able to switch between vocal colours for whole sections and lines of songs to being able to jump between them note to note within a single word. One other aspect of her performance that really stands out to me in this one is the insane amount of punch in her onsets on the staccato notes in the rapid keyboard note section.
à propos keyboard staccato, is that a trick of the video or is he even changing the top of the two rapidly alternating notes in the midst (and then back)?
No, it’s real. Billy Joel does that same thing on his song “Angry Young Man”.
Best reaction on that song that I’ve even seen! Thank you!
100% - I've liked & Shared this among the Nightwish Army - really most excellent content! 🤘😁
What helps Floor to hold those impossibly long notes is having lungs twice the size of we puny humans.
When does Floor breathe.....
In on Tuesdays, out on Fridays 🤘🤘🤘
That is not even much of an exaggeration. Her lung capacity is well above average. Furthermore her core muscles are tight as all hell. When she is wearing something tight and she needs some more diaphragm support, it looks like she can crush soup cans with her solar plexus. I am sure being just over six feet tall helps fit all that in one body.
Jess @SopranoNotes , thank you very much for analyzing Nightwish. Always very interesting and informative! Special thanks for adding subtitles because my english is not that good :) Greetings from Minsk, Belarus.
The keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen from Kitee, Finland. A little town quite near to Russian border. He is the mastermind behind Nightwish ("Metal Mozart"). He writes most of their songs (but not all). Haha, the name is a clue. Marko is "Devil" and Floor "Ocean". Their characterization could be open to interpretations (deities, human, good-evil, romance, imagination etc. ?). Very professional analysis. Thank you and by the way, they say that Floor was sick at that time (hides it quite well). ⛄👍
How exciting it is to listen to metal music. The high standard of composition and vocals can be compared to classical music where, however, a lot is prescribed. Everything is possible in symphonic and theatrical Metal and it also can have the same quality. Thanks for that recognition
Absolutely stunning guidance on singing structure of this song, never figure about this by myself.
Easily the best reaction to this song. So in depth and spot on!
Great reaction..🌹more Nightwish, please The Composer called Tuomas Holopainen ( the Keyboarder). A Music Genius . And Floor is his Voice. Forget. WELCOME IN THE NIGHTWISH FAMILY 👍
Did you see her drinking red wine with Tuomas right before this song?
That's the secret😂
We Aquarians are very analytical, I appreciated your take on this song. Tuomas Holopainen on keyboards is the composer/founder, he writes like 90-95% of all lyrics and music, he also infuses sounds from the London Philharmonic Orchesta.
A fellow Aquarian 😊
These sample tracks were recorded by Praga Orchestra...
Love your professional analyses. You're awesome!
Oh my goodness, girl, love, love ,LOVE the passion, enthusiasm and incredible technical singing performance knowledge you bring to your reactions, especially to my beloved Nightwish! Aren't they all just extraordinary?! You are going to find that ever song Tuomas creates is just incredible, diverse in topic and development, and the band members interpret in just stupefying ways. They are out this world. Enjoy the magical unicorn that is Nightwish!
Best reaction of this song i've seen so far! Congrats
Not only does Floor hold those belts for an inhuman amount of time, she is also active on stage as well...headbanging, dutch-windmills, dancing....all of which requires air! She's simply one of the very best performing today. Tuomas incorporates a lot of storytelling into most of the songs, always helps to read the lyrics....but everything they do from the singing, music, lighting and special effects in Nightwish songs all contribute to a total experience that must be seen!
Hi Jess fantastic analysis as usual, so nice to see back with Nightwish and Floor , I'm the one early last yr that pestered you into a react to GLS :) there are a few songs from NW that are in your lane of expertise ,from their 2020 release Human//Nature ,lyric video of Shoemaker a tribute to Eugene Shoemaker,the ending is the part that you will have the most to say a few words on :) and Stargazers from Tampere 2016,Vlja Lied from Beste Zangers 2019, and Hows The Heart -live acoustic, cheers,hope you will be able to get to these as I am sure you will appreciate them.
NIGHTWISH - "Shoemaker "(Official Lyric Video)
th-cam.com/video/Rjp_DfvJimg/w-d-xo.html
NIGHTWISH - "Stargazers" (OFFICIAL LIVE) Vehicle Of Spirit -Tampere 2016
th-cam.com/video/NhEuAPYm_Ug/w-d-xo.html
Floor Jansen sings Vilja Lied for Henk Poort, Beste Zangers 2019
th-cam.com/video/lcLG5X1i2QM/w-d-xo.html
Nightwish - How's The Heart Acoustic (Planet Rock acoustic session)
th-cam.com/video/yYtkPpFYzOo/w-d-xo.html
**Floors recent YT covers :
Alone - Heart (cover by Floor Jansen)
th-cam.com/video/1fu-yP6q6Gk/w-d-xo.html
Adagio - Lara Fabian (cover by Floor Jansen)
th-cam.com/video/KZRHLLM6AU4/w-d-xo.html
Oblivion - M83 (cover by Floor Jansen)
th-cam.com/video/zG-ptrlJ4pM/w-d-xo.html
This is a trick one... Love it...
I knew you'd love the complexity of this song, Jess!
Yes, Tuomas Holopainen on keyboards is the composer, which is why he is known as the Metal Mozart. No matter how much he may deny it (and he does) he is undoubtedly a genius, and an absolutely incredible keyboard player (who also plays the clarinet although not in the band setting - if you feel like a bit of Nightwish trivia). Some of the flourishes like Emppu's initial slide down on the guitar or Marco and Floor's intonation, grit, or sliding up to or off a note can be added later by the individual artist while they refine the piece, some are asked for by Tuomas - some details are known only to the band.
The process was for Tuomas to compose the music and write the lyrics and make a demo (which used to always involve Marco, so where that goes now, nobody knows), which is then brought to the band in a retreat deep in the Finnish countryside where they refine it into a complete form, which is then followed by the recording sessions for each of their parts (including orchestral and choral tracks where Pip Williams is involved), mixing, band approval, and mastering. Then they do it all again in preparation and rehearsal for live performances, as some studio techniques like layering are not available live, but audience participation is encouraged and dramatisation is added - so the live shows are really the final product, with recordings a step towards that (which is why Nightwish fans almost always recommend live shows in preference to music videos).
He likes to leave a bit of mystery in a lot of his work, or maybe room for interpretation - he always says it means what the listener wants it to mean, but some aspects are clear - this is certainly a battle between the two vocalists characters or personas, and they do dramatise that on stage in many songs. The listener can choose which side to take in this one, I think, but some features are taken from Finnish folklore (Oceanborn and the use of owls as representative of spirits, for example).
As for how difficult those very fast keyboard passages are, I'm no keyboard player myself, but my elder sister is an Associate of the Royal College of Music with piano as her principal instrument (oboe and recorders as secondaries) and qualified to teach the piano at the age of 15, so I've heard more practice than I could possibly remember (it was a constant background when I was growing up), and some of Tuomas' sections make Rachmaninoff look like exercises for the beginner! Bear in mind he is also constantly changing between (usually) 3 keyboards, too, only one of which is set up to sound and behave as a piano!
Kai is a technical genius on drums, too - the complex rhythms and flourishes he adds are just amazing, and I think Tuomas enjoys challenging him as much as he does challenging Floor - apparently, he's had to add to his kit for the latest album!
Some of the sounds are choral and orchestral backing, while some are installed as patches on Tuomas' keyboards, too - on the recorded parts some work is offloaded to Pip Williams - sometimes because Tuomas demands too much of some instruments, and sometimes Pip is just told to go nuts :-)
I love the way the organised chaos resolves into a pleasing major key at the end, too.
I've watched a lot of reactions to this song and yours is definitely one of my favorites.
I’ve been a Nightwish fan for a long time. And I love Floor , and you are teaching me so much about Floor’s vocals and the band and composition. Thank You !! Great reaction and analysis 👍👏👏
that was one of the best interpretations of this song I have seen . Great job I really enjoyed this
Brava!! Go on with Floor and Nightwish! Subscribed from Italy
Without a doubt, you give some of the most technically complete vocal analyses of songs of any TH-cam reactor out there! Great reaction.
And ..... if you like a bunch of singers in just one song, then I hope you can find the time to react to this TOP LINEUP OF MANY MUSICAL INTRUMENTS/SINGERS: The Source is the 9th studio album from *AYREON* , a progressive metal/rock opera project by Dutch musician Arjen (Ahr-Yun) Anthony Lucassen, released on April 28, 2017. *_The Day That The World Breaks Down_* is a song that features all 11 (quite well known) main guest singers (you’ll be surprised) and is taken from that album. Arjen himself is telling (in subtitles) who the singers are and which instruments are used and by which standards.
Btw. This creative original clip is 13 min. long and I think you won’t regret it !!
Official (Arjen’s) clip: th-cam.com/video/oFuMKdrzPqU/w-d-xo.html
The keyboard player is Tuomas Holopainen and he is the main composer and song writer. For their pieces with heavy orchestral background they get help with the arrangements of that by Pip Williams. He is around 73 years old, from the UK and he worked with many famous bands and singers. Greetings from the Netherlands. 🇳🇱👍
Excellent reaction with detailed analysis. You know it when a 23 minute reaction video doesn't feel too long at all. Thank you! I think I appreciate this song even more now that I watched your reaction to it.
Tuomas, is the founder in 1996, leader, the main man of Nightwish, but he also has a great bunch with him to make the most of his music. And he knows that. He said he doesn't want to go through any more line-up changes. And then Marko, the bassist/vocalist, told in January, he's going to take a break for the rest of the year, for mental health and music business issues, and that the only one who's allowed to contact him is Tony Iommi of The Black Sabbath, lol. Hopefully Marko comes back to Nightwish. I believe it is possible. He sang and played two songs a week ago on a YT live stream from his home town. The funeral of Henry's Pub was the sad event. He has been writing some music too.
so Jess finally met "Metal Mozart"...... and this is one of most beautiful, accurate, clear, knowledgeable, passionate reaction I've ever watched!!! Thanks Jess!!!
Jasmine, you are rapidly becoming one of my favorite reactors. You bring so much knowledge and energy to your reactions. Also, happy to have you in the Army now!
Awesome break down, Jess. I think it's the best one I've seen on this song! Loved it.
thanks Jon!
I find it unnecessary to break down every word
Oh my gooooood, GIRL you own so much knowledge about music since composition to (your specialty) singing, that i am Always overwhelmed by: 1 - your smartness 2 - your technicality 3 - your beauty doing all that
LOVE YOUR REACTIONS
Thanks for a really good reaction!! You are awesome!!! Welcome as NW fan! 🤘😁
“I’m an Aquarius, I’m weird”. Haha I felt that one hard. 😆
As an aspiring singer myself, I absolutely love your musical and vocal analyses. Thanks for being super rad and just a joy to watch and listen to. ❤️
I love your reactions. I feel they are very sincere and I learn from them. I also love your excitement.
Loved your breakdown of Tuomus's composition and keyboard mastery, and of Marko and Floor's distinctive vocal styles. Every member of Nightwish are masters of their craft.
I love this performance!
Second and the third albums of Nightwish are the best and unique especially the second one it is pure divinity
Here someone really knows what she's talking about. Kudos to you. Nobody has ever gone into such great detail. Super super super.
Looove it, I wonder how she finds the correct moment of her Ah's in operatic voice
I think I can hear a choir backing track when she does these short, high operatic sounds. If so, the correct moment has already been chosen, Floor just has to time it really well to match it.
I'm sure she doesn't have to count but you can count 10 beats 😊
You reacted on every single detail, but one. When Floor hits the four short notes in that crazy fast part, there's just a fraction of a second to be able (???) to breathe for the long sustained melody line right after it. I put the question marks in parentheses, because frankly, I don't even think there's enough time to breathe and get enough air in the lungs to sing that phrase.
I tried it and I couldn't do it. It's such a hard part. I was hoping for you to react to that specific bit. Nobody else has.
I enjoyed every second of what you did react to, so thanks! 😊❤️
Definitely need a reaction to "Yours is an empty Hope" by nightwish
You absolutely NEEEEEEEEEED to react to Shoemaker th-cam.com/video/Rjp_DfvJimg/w-d-xo.html Some SERIOUS opera technique there, and even Floor herself was like ”What, is that ME?” when she first heard the take. And wow, is that a smasher! (I myself simply couldn’t believe it is Floor until I found her personal confirmation that it is indeed her.)
I absolutely love your reactions..
So dead on and professional, yet fun and appreciative of how music touches souls. 🎶
And of course it bares repeating ! 🙄
"FlOOR" is a rare and beautiful ,talented
"Rock Goddess!"❤
Great analysis, again! Fun trivia; Floor said in some interview that she had cold at this concert and that she was not sure if she could perform at all. Show's how crazy good singer she is. Love your reaction/analyses and might I add that you are a very beautiful lady. Keep up the good and very professional take on songs and performances! Greetings from Finland!
Well i loved your reaction. Your appreciation of nightwish really shines through thankyou.
Magnificent analysis, kudos! What this song really means, I think as with most of text from Tuomas it is a canvas to paint your own picture onto. My humble interpretation is that Marco represents the Greek god Poseidon (deity of the sea, storms, and earthquakes), and Floor represents a Nereid (a good and kind sea nymph).
what an awesome video analysis for this song, I love it!! very looking forward to your next nightwish video :)
theres too much cramming of music to appreciate
You're very good at this!..I've watched far too many of these reactions but your analysis was very informative. Thanks!
More of Marco’s voice in:
*_”The Islander”_* : th-cam.com/video/Zo8ncK_5kzc/w-d-xo.html
*_”While Your Lips Are Still Red”_* : th-cam.com/video/5V7PKv493Ic/w-d-xo.html
*_”The Voice Of My Father”_* : th-cam.com/video/dwvqpRRCDdE/w-d-xo.html (Marko solo)
*_”Isäni ääni”_* : th-cam.com/video/Kp_kNvPQlq8/w-d-xo.html (Voice of my Father in Finnish (original))
August 2022 - come back to Nightwish! 💚
Floor is sooooo good, so amazing, her voice is so control, so powerful, so beautiful! And she’s sooo tall! Love Floor, love Nightwish! ❤️❤️👏🏼👏🏼
the melody on that last verse just gets me, everytime.... it's so smooth and beautifull and uplifting !
Thank you for your insights and taking the time to do that video !
Love your hands, so Informative :]
I have listened to Nightwish since 1998, and only after your analyzes I've realised the actual reason why I love this band. So thank you 💖.
I always think of Floor as Ocean born, not a Mermaid but a Siren. Someone who lures you with her enchanting music and singing voice.
Wow what an intense informative analysis. Really enjoyable. Tuomas is the keyboard player and main composer of most of Nightwish's songs. The song's meaning as far as I can ascertain is Marko is the Devil who is trying to seduce Floor who is an uninterested mermaid. Hope this helps. Of course I could be totally wrong in the meaning lol. Stay safe 🤘✌
Goddess talking about Goddess!!!
Until when you will punish us without a reaction to "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "The Greatest show on Earth" that are Nightwish's masterpieces? :p
*read the lyrics before or choose the video version with lyrics would improve your understanding xD
Hi jess, thank you for this expertly and enjoyable reaction/analysis of this fantastic song. greetings from germany.
Thx a lot for the analyse of my fav Nightwish song!👍😀 I love this song so much!!!💕
Please next The greatest show on earth
I don't think she is ready yet...
Plessers do more of Floor Jansen with beste zangers 2019
So it begins..
Hihi, for me ,it was GLS. But with the Devil and... Respect for her 🤗
Nightwish is a new band for me. It's a whole new experience that I have fallen in love with mainly because of Floor.
I've come to notice quite a bit on my own but I love this particular reviewer I feel bad I don't remember her name but she's excellent.🌹
I love how excited she gets and how knowledgeable she is.
I appreciate that very much. I'm learning so much. She really is my favorite.
One thing I've noticed on my own is a tell that Floor has when reaching for a particularly high note. She strokes her hair with her left hand from her forehead down.
🙆👀 Is it just me?
Never have I ever been into any band/orchestra, that would let me notice this tell.
I love it!!! 💖🙋
Good observation with Floor's hair. I also like how easily she snatches the mike off the stand to sing certain challenging parts and then, just as easily, returns it so she can gesture with both hands, or sing softly.
You are so much fun to watch, so upbeat and connected, I really appreciate you.
This is my favorite Nightwish song. Thank you very much.
I enjoyed your reaction, it's nice to have another professional singer to explain what is going on with my two favorite singers: Floor and Marco. Take care.
Whelp it is obvious that you have a large fanbase of actual singers and performers....wich is friggin awesome. Looking forward to learning from all of you. just because I like to expand my horizons....looking forward to reactions and commentary and Jess.
There are free-divers who seriously envy Floor's lung power!.... and Mermaids/Sirens saying "I can't do that underwater and I have gills!"... The Devil is trying to seduce a mermaid in the song.... Keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen, composer, poet, lyricist and mastermind of Nightwish. Capricorn. Christmas baby!....... I expect that when he writes "The Cetaceans Dream" and Floor sings it, porpoises and dolphins everywhere will be chanting "Nightwish"!!!!
very nice explanations...thanks
Oh I do like your way to react, and your accurate observes
are nice to watch. Thank for your reaction to Nightwish.
Stay safe.
I prefer Storytime myself, but this was good. Great reaction.
Thank you so much for these reactions, I love Nighwish reactions and the way you do these are realy awesome.
The breakdowns and diving in to the song is not something you see/hear a lot of the reactors.
Keep the Nightwish video's coming, loking forward to them.
Nightwish will be onboard 70000 Tons of Metal in 2023, the heavy metal cruise. Was just announced yesterday.
One of the best breakdowns of a Nightwish song I've ever heard. Thank you. 😀
Well not only your analyze the song on the pure technical layer of the song but also you're interested in the psychological and lyrical side of it ! The passionate way you offer us your knowledge is just admirebal !
Keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen. He is the creative mind of the band Nightwish. He has composed 95% of the all songs of the band; 9 studio albums all together plus several side works as well. He also arranges all the orchestration and composes all the shows. Naturally he is playing keyboards all the time and way. He is many times called as the metal Mozart because of his music complexity and genius variety, not say very beautiful melodies and lyrics he also writes for the music and songs. Two characters of this song are the devil and the mermaid for who the devil is in love with.
Mama, this is my favourite Nightwish reaction video from all TH-cam. I want to be your friend and talk about Nightwish for eons lol