Opera Singer Reacts: Polumnia Omnia (Live Version) - Scaramouche Battle Theme
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- The whole truth and nothing but the truth. Love this theme so much but I didn't like this. It leads to a deeper discussion about what symphonic music is, what a voice type can do for a piece, and leaning too far in one direction.
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Chapters:
00:00 listen through
03:42 Breakdown and critique
04:30 Moving away from "instrumental"
06:21 Let us hear the imperfections
07:41 Why voice types matter and how they change emotion
08:24 What is a Fach?
11:37 Keep it organic keep it natural
12:00 Sprechstimme
14:30 My frustrations - เกม
![MUSIC DIRECTOR REACTS | Genshin Impact OST [BOSS] - Scaramouche, the Prodigal](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HxMC-Iji7DM/mqdefault.jpg)
I also think there is something about Yu-peng Chen's not very opera sounding performance in the song where the rest of the singing is clearly operatic that really emphasizes his youth/pain/possibly even immaturity in taking the actions he is taking that is removed by having both someone with more obvious opera intonation as well as a deeper thicker voice.
I love Yu-peng Chen's "childish" voice, fits perfectly to Scara's voice imo. I liked this version as well but I'd prefer the original definitely. At least, they brought an Italian singer and even though there are problems, it is clear that he is super talented as well. Thanks for the reaction and explanation Marco!
my pleasure
Wdym "at least they brought an Italian singer" ??? Why does the nationality of the singer matter? Why does it have to be Italian ?
@@KeqingMain278 Because cultural appropriation and stuff
@@agustingimenez7084 genuine question. do you think non italian people can't sing opera because it would be cultural appropriation? then should non chinese people be forbidden from learning kungfu because of cultural appropriation? should non indian people be forbidden from doing yoga? hope i'm not coming off as argumentative because i just genuinely want to know to educate myself better.
@@vrynnie My brother Christ, sarcasm
The japanese lyrics at 10:47 apparently means "Why did you leave me on the fifth night"
In Japan it's a tradition that the name of a baby will be revealed on the seventh day after they were born. Which means that Scaramouche was abandoned 2 days before Raiden Shogun would have given him a name!
Glad he has a name (Hat Guy) now
More like Raiden Ei. Shogun is the puppet
@@irrelevantweirdo yes i know
@@irrelevantweirdo the quest is about 2 years old by now. I think most people know about this info
@@RaidenShogun_CookingChannel op wrote shogun instead of ei so like.. 🤷
A critic or reviewer needs contrast and consistency.
We want to not just know what you like, but also what you don’t like. Even if we disagree with you, that’s fine; that tells us something about ourselves, and helps us further define our own relationship with these songs. We also then know what you identify with, and that helps us not just copy your opinions, but also form our own opinions based on yours.
As I do like this version, I definitely like hearing and understanding why some people do not.
Very well said
I don't think most people now understand what a critic is anymore
Isn't this a dunkey quote? or do I just have brainrot
@@pieperson444 Almost.
Dunkey did make a video on videogame critics and he made the same points but not word for word.
it's worth noting that this person is a jp actor, the one performing this live performance. So he's clearly not an opera singer but knows how to imitate it well.
I’m actually relieved to see I’m not the only one who prefers the original voice, not to put this version down.
Thanks God, I feel less alone 😂
To explain the Freddy Mercury reference, because that does actually have a good reason. Scaramouche's character is based on Bohemian Rhapsody. Go through the song and you will find that his character fits it extremely well.
Things like "Any Way The Wind Blows" (He becomes Anemo and Collected Miscellany was called that), "Thunderbolts and Lightning" (Inazuma and his original element), "Will you do the fandango" (His theme is called Ominous Fandango), Wanderer being revealed on 24th of October (Bohemian Rhapsody), etc. There are many more reference you can find and the final bit of the live show where you had that Bohemian Rhapsody reference with the vocalist is just yet another reference to it! So the Bohemian Rhapsody reference is actually the LEAST out of place thing in the video!
I felt it was too on the nose but i hear what you mean! It's a cute little homage that i definitely shouldn't be taking too seriously since it's all in good fun :)
@@MarcoMeatball Oh, I can see what you mean of it feeling too on the nose! But for me and others who had long been on the "Scaramouche is a Bohemian Rhapsody reference" train, it was great!
@@legomaple long before the Honkai Star Rail trailblazer trash obsession, you have Genshin players pestering kunikuzushi to do the Fandango since unreconciled stars
@@legomapleI think the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese versions of Scaramouche's character are using the Commedia dell'arte as a basis and have more things related to that than Bohemian Rhapsody. I think EN version simply takes more liberties on what to represent and what's relatable to the players. I have nothing against the liberties taken because Freddy Mercury is an icon in NA and it's all in good fun but that's not really what Scaramouche is fully based on!
@@vorpalchoppers I have heard this before, but it makes no sendr. A lot of the characterization that people compare to Bohemian Rhapsody are not just EN things. And it's not like EN doesn't have Commedia dell'art. In all versions of him, it's a combination of both. I'm not saying Bohemian Rhapsody is the sole inspiration, but it is definitely a huge inspiration. Saying it's an EN only thing is dismissing a whole list of things that are inherit to his overall character, not the EN writing.
With the original, I feel like Scaramouche himself is telling us about his anger, frustration, and story. With the live version, I feel like someone else is narrating the story about Scaramouche.
It's not bad by any means, just feels different (at least for me).
I think the original version is for players who have experienced the story first-hand, while the live version is like a narrator saying "Let me tell you about this character and his story. Mind you, it will be different than experiencing it yourself".
I think the choose of the singer was more like marketing than musical, He is a very popular actor, tv personality and singer in Japan! so he is able to sing japanese and of course latin(he is italian) Honestly yes, the difference between the original voice from yu peng chen and the singer in this version is huge. And yes, It feels odd the first time you listen this.
I prefer the in game version, but this is excellent too!
I would love a cover with both the deeper voice sounding intimidating and the higher voice sounding more emotional, one representing Dottore, other representing Scaramouche
I would ADORE-ttre a cover like that!
@@sundalosketch4769 thanks, cyno!
7:47 You really hit the mark on that one. The voice type of the singer really matters, especially if the song is telling a story.
I think you've hit the nail on the head of what I found so strange about it! I didn't have the vocabulary to express what I didn't like about this version, I didn't have the technical know-how to say anything other than "I don't like this" but to hear what you think is wrong with it gives me great perspective on where I think I didn't like it!
Thanks for posting this!
you're welcome!
THIS! I felt completely alone in not being a huge fan of this performance cause I couldn’t articulate well what was wrong with it
Sameeee, I don't understand much about music, and my first impression when I heard this was just: His voice is too deep/low to represent Scaramouche's character
As much as I love the singer in this...that flute is slaying it
In my copium hopes and dreams that they're saving the symphonic version for their annual concert.
I think your criticisms are valid, while still thinking that what Hoyo did was pretty brilliant in the objectives that they had supposedly set up to do with that to which I would call an MV (music video) rather than a true live version. To have a basso cantante instead of a legero tenor was a surprise to many, which generates hype for a piece that we've heard in game to sound totally different with a different voice type.
Actually, I think that the MV is less a reference to Scaramouche, but rather your rendition of the piece, considering that I'm sure they've heard it since they hired you to as the VA for Dvorak, as well as tying up the obvious Bohemian Rhapsody reference they had put for Scaramouche, Beelzebul (Ei), the date of which he was officially released, etc. More of 4th wall references rather than lore reference to Genshin, which Hoyo has always done even before the memes of HSR had gotten hold the masses.
In the end, I've learnt a lot from your video through your experiences in opera, but at the same time, saw how different perspectives and head spaces can shape the enjoyment or the frustration of different renditions of the music that we enjoy.
Absolutely. There is no right or wrong in music and a discourse is very healthy
i heard your voice in a genshin hangout quest yesterday and was like “omg! that’s Marco!” it made me smile :) thank you for the video, opera mechanics are so cool to learn about
Which hangout event
Yeah, whose hangout quest is that?
faruzan’s, he’s the bookseller!
I noticed his voice, too!! It's great that he's getting more voice acting roles in genshin :)
would be cool if he would voice an in-universe opera singer....perhaps
Note: the Japanese kana ゑ (we) is an obsolete character, but is still used in traditional names of places or companies (yebisu beer for example is ゑびす). There are more modern ways to mark that, so it’s deliberately a choice to hold onto the past in that regard.
I've gotten used to this version and enjoy it a lot now, but my first impressions agreed with a lot of these criticisms. The singer's amazing voice is not Scara's voice. The composition was not actually transformed into a symphony version, they just showed video of the symphony parts within the existing composition. Trying to be epic undermines how meaningful the original song and context was.
That said, the highlight of this version for me was getting official lyrics, the unofficial upload of the original version has had a wild journey of their closed captions updating to try to guess the lyrics. On day one, the only lyric was "*ominous laughter*", and turns out even that was wrong xD
I think it would have been 'better' if they didn't label the video as a "live version" but rather a music video. While concert video and live performance usually have some level of production, this one is very prominent and obvious.
4:29 I was once in a choir that sang an Eric Whitacre piece (his stuff is some of the coolest out there imo) that was obviously meant for studio only because the instrumentation was literally just synth, and not only was it hard to sell as legitimate in a performance hall, it was hard to sing with. there’s so little a choir can get across when overpowered by a synth, the nuances just can’t exist. the director literally told us “it says piano here, so just go forte” lmao
Lmao. I still love sleep by him so much
This is an amazing video. I always thought that version is inferior to everything I have heard so far from Hoyo's live-versiona, but I never could explain why exactly.
Now with you saying that they choose a different voicetype and that it just feels not "live"
At first i was like "what? What's wrong with this one? Yes, some parts feels lacking, but nothing to dislike".
But then you said it is not organic and i was like "YEEEEEEESSSSSS OMG THANK YOU".
This also happened during 2nd genshin concert and 2nd HI3rd concert. It feels like im not watching a live concert.
Yes first concert was much better. Second one was good but it was like watching a series of music videos.
@@zeth479 not only this, but when they covered Saltatio Favillae it was a HUGE dissappointment cause they just slapped the in game vocals over some instrumentalists who did the instrumentation a massive disservice.
So that's what that poll was about.
I totally see where you're coming and do see the value in doing it your way.
It would be cool for sure to see it happen.
As for the queen reference I'm not sure if you know but scaramouche is heavily inspired from bohemian rhapsody(you can look up some of the references they put) so I can see why they put it there.
I do know. I think my wording is confusing folks. I just think it's silly. 😃
@@MarcoMeatball I see.
I just think they were having a bit of fun although I did feel it was bit out of place the way they put it there.
Edit: also my new headcanon is this is the morning version when Scaramouche just woke up and he didn't sleep well so he's extra angry.
@@MarcoMeatball thats probably the point its meant to be silly because its just a fun little reference for fans of scara
Dude I think this is an awesome video! It highlights the decisions made that can give and take away from music like you said and it makes perfect sense. And while bringing it to a symphony hall is awesome I agree with you that it would give more to the music to make it more organic as it would be with a full orchestra and not used the synthesized sounds. Much like the way some Kingdome Hearts music may not be orchestra, but a group called Project Destati on TH-cam makes it full orchestra versions and its different, its amazing, its organic and the same idea I think is what you would have liked to see applied here.
oh?! i thought i was the only one who doesn't like the live version? because when i heard this live version, most people like it in the official site. don't get me wrong. i don't hate it. it's just imo, Yu Peng Chen's voice fits more to the theme, because as a player, we kind of becomes attached to the characters. So, Yu Peng Chen's version is closer to Scaramouche and the feeling of angst teen in pain feels better represented, The live one feels more arrogant and prideful rather than misunderstood abandoned kid projecting his own sadness and anger during his ascension. Yeah, Scaramouche did look down on people, but pride and arrogance is not the only thing he feels. He feels conflicted most of the time, since he felt betrayed by the three incidence. The live version isn't all bad, as there are parts which are better than original version, but overall, i like the original better.
and Marco, like the others said, its fine to say why you didn't like it, because not everything fits our interest. So long as we elaborate on why we don't like it. There are differences of saying you don't like it and instigating others to hate it. Because a critic also involve reasons of why you like it and why you don't. So, keep up the good work.
Thank you for that last paragraph
I really appreciate seeing you putting on your critical hat here because to be honest I was too dazzled by all the bright flashing lights and the “epic” sound to realize it didn’t actually sound like a live performance. 😅 And you’re totally right, I would love to hear what this actually sounds like in a real live performance!
Thank you so much for being honest about it and not sugarcoating to appease others! A lot of reaction channels etc. tend to force themselves to like something for the views, especially when it comes to genshin music, so you offering an honest critique and a break down was such a nice change :)
I can’t say I dislike the performance, but you can clearly tell the direction was very much off and the live version will forever come up short in comparison to what the original one offered. I don’t wanna say it was bad - just a tad disappointing.
Thank you for putting in professional words what I felt about this live version despite absolutely loving it.
The live version doesn't sound live, and it doesn't sound like Scaramouche is singing it.
And if I ever get off my lazy ass I can look up a good translation because we finally have the correct lyrics.
The hype around this performance was kinda crazy when it first came out, so I was really surprised when I actually listened to it but was somewhat disappointed. I didn't mind the deep voice (though I definitely preferred the original one), but something about the whole performance just felt off to me and I couldn't really put it into words.
After watching your video, I realized it was the synthesized instrumentation that put me off. It didn't feel like a live performance to me, but rather like the usual soundtrack only with different vocals slapped on top of it. I kind of wished they created a full orchestral arrangement instead.
Thank you for the video! It really helped me understand the reason on why I felt that way!
Ooh this kinda explained to me (who no knowledge background in opera whatsoever) why i kept seeing the main singer as like embodying the evil Dottore instead of Scaramouche
Oh man i had the same reaction when i first heard this version. Hearing the computer made sounds in this piece saddened me a little, it felt out of place... and yet it's still ok, with just proves that the original piece is insanely good
thank you for the honest review on this! glad to see this kind of stuff. but to add on the bohemian rhapsody reference, without spoilers, scaramouche's backstory and character was heavily inspired by the song. hence the reference at the end
that aside, i agree with many of your points
Thank you for uploading this honest analysis, Marco.
My pleasure Jonah
Yeah when i first heard this i was super excited cus i love this track as well but this version was a let down, nice to know the details as to why it was lacking
Same here, I thought I was biased towards original because that was the first one I heard.
True, the first one was better, the live one tho was disappointing, it didn't do the song justice, the voice just didn't match 😅
Was wondering why you hadn't made a video on this until after the community poll. I definitely agree with your points. Part of why I love harbinger themes is the emotions they capture and i feel like this "live" version really misses the emotion in the original. This also makes me think that if they ever tried a signora live it would have similar problems.
mhy actually has referenced bohemian rhapsody a lot with scaramouche! they know what most people will know the name from lol
the song that plays when he first was revealed in game for the stars event was called 'ominous fandango,' and the first phase of his boss fight is 'rhapsodia roscida,' no doubt another reference to bohemian rhapsody. the last lyrics of polumnia omnia, 'i wish i had never been born at all,' is also widely considered to be a reference to bohemian rhapsody. they love referencing it in his music
I'll never forget the way i was rofl when i saw his miscellany being named "Anywhere the wind blows." There was nothing but pure joy being felt at that moment.
Honestly, I had the same exact thought as you when I heard the live version, but you were able to articulate all the points in a much more cohesive way. Thank you. Don't ever be afraid to voice your opinion or dissatisfaction with any of the stuff you listen/react to. Love hearing your insights.
I, actually, had similar thoughts, when I first saw this version. I listened to Scara's boss theme so much, that the voice used in the original version wasnt just a background noise for me, like during the fight itself, I got used to really associate it with Scara himself. And so when instead of young male voice I heard a bass, that was a bit dissapointing.
Of course, after I listened to this song a couple more times, I got used to it, but the bass for the lead voice really wasnt the best choice. I think it could be better, if they had 2 singers, cause there are parts where bass will actually sound really good, like the "robotic" part. During the live performance, instead of editing this part, or just playing it through speakers, they could replace it with bass.
The expression Marco had: "Bruh, If I would've been on that stage I would've nailed it." 😂
Thanks for letting us see this more technical part of this Live Performance, as someone who likes music it's good to hear when something is right and when it's not. Keep going Mark!
this is what im waiting for u to react!!! thank uuu
Hearing your sprechstimme for an example of the mechanical part begin organic makes me REALLY want that in this. That was beautiful and really captured the feeling well
SHEESH NEW UPLOAD early gang.
While not an actual "live" version, this also doubles as a promotional video. So the imbalance that an organic live version has was totally gutted out to give a production quality after editing and mastering, which I totally understand. It's kind of sad, but lets hope Hoyo will put the original version of this if they decided to make another concert this year.
I was excited about it and actually liked it a lot when I listened to it on my earphones, until I start blasting it on my audiophile speakers and then realize something feels off.
I can't help but compare the two Polumnia Omnia performances, as well as contrast them with another Mihoyo song that was performed both in game and live, namely Regression.
The studio version of Polumnia Omnia is of a young man as you've said. Yu Peng Chen has a very youthful voice, so he is able to convey Scaramouche's sadness (the Japanese lines), lost innocence (the intro), and desperation to find his reason for existing (the high notes). While Mr. Paolo's version has the creepiness down which befits the boss fight ("lugis ipsius..." is so frightening), the qualities of Scaramouche that Yu Peng Chen delivers are lost.
I understand the reasoning why they went with that singer. The Shakuhachi is such an iconic part of the track, and with the Fatui being an Italian reference they have to get an Italian opera singer. It's either they'll bring in a suitable Shakuhachi player/Italian opera singer from elsewhere, or make do with an Italian opera singer located in Japan (IIRC he's working on the soundtracks of Japanese games) where there's more likely to be Shakuhachi players.
I mentioned Regression because the studio (Ayanga) and the live version (Yusuf) have had different singers. They're probably both tenors, but Ayanga has a higher voice than Yusuf. Ayanga delivers Otto's emotional arc, in a sort of first person way, and the lesser instrumentation allows the listener to focus on the emotional indications of the singer's voice. Yusuf delivers Otto's conclusion from a more external view and compounds the orchestra well. That's because Otto's ending, in spite of being a personal journey to save his love, was actually bombastic in the big picture by creating a new timeline.
The live version of Polumnia Omnia subtracted from the studio version, while Regression's live version added to the studio version.
Additional thoughts I had since this original comment
Regarding the Polumnia Omnia cover: I had an urge to listen to both this live version and to your cover. I absolutely prefer you belting out the high parts on your cover over this live version, where the singer sort of did a falsetto of the high parts. That's you pushing for Yu Peng Chen's desperate rendition in an operatic way.
Regarding Ayanga vs Yusuf on Regression: Yusuf's lower voice on the song's verse fits Akira Ishida's higher Otto voice better. Ayanga's higher verse would clash with Akira Ishida. On the flip side, Zhao Lu's lower Otto voice would suit Ayanga better, so if Regression was performed on the first concert where they used the CN VAs, it'd be a nice fit for Ayanga.
When I hear the words 'live performance' for video game music, one of the things I look forward to is how they will handle a song might be heavily synthesized. Hoyoverse has proven themselves to be very capable of using instruments to play synthesized parts, so the fact that they chose not to is a missed opportunity. I think the singer did a fantastic job. However, the decision to have a deeper voice made it less personal to Scaramouche. Them not fully committing to the singer's deeper voice takes away from what could've made this performance unique. They could've had one with a gentler voice, fit for Scaramouche's past, and another one with a deep voice with the intensity to represent current Scaramouche's anger.
I agree
Nice, you were able to put into words what I was feeling abut this performance. I felt something were off but couldn't figure what.
You see I have to agree because we both reacted the same exact way when we first heard this. I was saying to myself “why isn’t the voice not sounding like the original Scaramouch high pitched voice but this low sounding bass singer”. I mean there is some parts in the live version that I would say I liked but that very little.
It's great to hear the opinion of an expert like you. I also agree that "Polumnia Omnia" is not suitable for a live version.But do you think "Saltatio Favillae" is suitable for a live version?
Oh yes
This is such a wonderful breakdown of the live version and also encapsulates how i felt about it personally! I'm not a huge fan of the synthetic sound as i felt it took from what truly makes a live orchestra stand out from a studio edition: the raw vocals and authentic instrumentation. Thank you for sharing your perspective! It will always be such a treat to hear what you have to say from a professional perspective and not just to pander to an audience.
"Less about Show, and more about Music."
Perfectly placed words, I agree 100%.
Wonderful video! Even though I love this track so much, I was really put off by the choice in vocalist and how "manufactured" the performance sounds. It was hard to put into words, but you nailed it!!!
Many other comments have highlighted the same thing but I truly appreciate your analysis and insight into this, Marco.
I remember being extremely excited to listen to this version when it first came out and then just being puzzled because it was a completely different voice. I'm not knowledgeable about opera so to me althought the voice sounded great, I couldn't quite place why I didn't really enjoy it as much. But your explanations really clarified my feelings towards it and even added more insight that I didn't realize were what felt off to me! I had thought it was just the vocal difference and my strong attachment to the in-game version that made the new voice jarring for me to experience!
I'm extremely thankful to your explanation and the points you brought up within the video as they were extremely educational and really led me to think more deeply about the music. It's been a budding hobby of mine to think about music in various ways since I've started watching your channel (even crafted some English class lessons around it!) so I can't place into words how much your videos and perspectives matter to me! Thank you Marco!!
i really appreciate this video because it helped me make sense of some of the reasons why i was not a fan of this either. i completely agree that it's a misstep to have so much synthesided music mixed in and would much rather have seen a different arrangement of the piece, i also was not aware of the fach concept you explained, which made it make a lot more sense why the singer just felt off at times. a more minor thing i also giggle at is the overly dramatic camerawork around the very simple flute theme, it feels like a music video especially with the game clip being shown. hope they make an orchestral arrangement if theyre doing another concert this year
i watch your videos to learn, and while i love the usual positivity, i'm very happy to also see a more critical side because it's a vauable perspective
I'm not an expert on music/voice theory especially on orchestra but as soon as I heard this version, I noticed that his voice doesn't blend well with the backup singers or the music (maybe his voice was a little louder than intended?). I guess Yu-Peng Chen's voice just fits perfectly with the song, with softer and darker tone. The original does a great job of portraying Scaramouche's pain, hatred and suffering too. This guy is still an amazing singer though so props to him.
Honestly I really appreciated this kind of video. You provided even more insight on a track that I enjoy. Your criticisms are something I definitely overlooked; I had quite a few “aha moments” while watching. Thankyou for allowing me to understand more about music in a way that someone who has zero musical talent could understand. Keep up the great work Marco
Thanks for doing this Marco, I've been waiting a lot for you to give your opinion and well, i don't understand half of the things you say, but still, i understand enough your point.
Keep doing it, now I'm gonna patiently wait until you reach Chapter 3, Act 5 and fight against Scaramouche!
I was waiting for this video for a while Ty
Wow thank you for this reaction, man, I've always wanted to know about this video from an opera singer perspective. So interesting
I like how you kept the honesty and kept it frank and too the point :DD i really liked hearing your opinion on this ^^
(also. hear me out. imagine yu peng chen actually came up on stage and sang himself. HEAR ME OUT!!!)
Awesome video Opera Uncle. Thank you for sharing your perspective for this performance.
It really is nice to see a sound criticism of this performance. It points out things outside my own perspective and enlightens me
Nice to see a professional review on this music video...nice to know what is good and great & some things that can be improved.
I can't say that when first time I listen to that live version, I got instantly loved into it just like the original. I feel a little off from the original (I'm well-aware that live version would sound different the live) but knowing myself with no knowledge about this stuff, I'm guessing it just my lacks of knowing what's what. So, I just listen to it until I like it. I'm glad I wasn't the only one
I heard this for the first time today (I don't make a habit of watching the live versions) and it just felt off? a cool coincidence I found your channel and your explanation fits exactly to why I felt this way. I originally loved this game for the BOTW-esqe open world rpg style gameplay, but I grew even more attatched due to the music. I love this series on genshin music! It's so cool to hear a professional's opinion, especially as someone who does music (mostly theater) as a hobby :)
:))))
Ahh I've been waiting for this 😌
i think i finally understand what didn't work for me when i listen to this version, and you put everything to words. i think my biggest problem is that, as good as the singer is, he just doesn't sound like scaramouche in my ears. legitimately banger song, still super great! but since boss music always acts as a sort of musical deep dive into the character in question, this works a lot less efficiently than the game version in my book.
All the Harbinger battles are so cool and epic, especially this one. I will be shocked if they also make epic and cool music for the next Harbinger, I'm looking forward to 4.0-4.6 (judging by the leaked information, it will most likely be either Dottore or Arlecchino, but that's not for sure)
You managed to put into words my feelings regarding this video. Thank you.
You put words on my exact feelings. I wasn't quite sure why I did not like this version.
Finally! I've been waiting for a commentary on the live version... I definitely agree on some parts that you said. The singer was great but the vocal range change definitely threw me off. It painted a different story in my mind as I listened to it compared to I was listening to the lighter voice of the tenor in the original version.
This was a super interesting video to me. I absolutely love the ost recording for basically all the reasons you outlined in your original video, but when watching this I felt like something was off. I couldn't put my finger on what that was though, probably because i have absolutely zero musical/opera training.
Not only did this help me to understand what it was I didn't like about this performance, its really interesting to hear you breakdown something that you don't like as much. Not from a persoective of bashing/hating on the performers, but of an honest and constructive critique of the choices made.
I'd really love more videos like this, where you explain why a choice in a piece/performance doesn't work, its just really fascinating to hear about! Love your content as always, keep up the amazing work!
Thank you so much for your reaction! I know on stream you discussed how you were worried to share your dissatisfaction about this preformance, but you handled it with a lot of respect and thorough explanation! And just like with your other videos, I learned something new about the musical world I didn’t know before (I’ve never heard what a Fach was or it’s intricate role in voice). While I do like this preformance, I’m happy to hear your deep dive and how you with your experience would change things and that more real live orchestra tone to it. The idea that stood out to me was the ability to directly play this in a symphony hall and with that you explained your point ver well.
Also I applaud you for being bold in stating what you thought. In this day and age it is hard to start a discussion without directly antagonizing the other party, the this video you showed how you handle it with giving praise where it’s due, giving your own criticism and opinion gently and never belittling the creators. Well done Mi dood!
thanks for actually react to this! and its good to see you give honest reactions 👍
i like the ingame version more, but still just wanna see your reaction as this related to you
Love the comment about imperfections. How ironic and beautiful that sometimes the imperfections are what makes a thing / person / situation perfect. I need to apply that philosophy more in my life.
I think synthesised sound was necessary to tie the music to scaramouches "mecha" kind of boss fight, and it should stand out from the rest of the soundtrack due to the scara himself. It might be subjective, because I also like edm (like creo, you can try to listen to that man), but I like a bit of experimentation with the soundtrack.
Just, I am so glad I found your channel...
Welcome!
Thank you for giving your opinion on this! It's honestly nice to get some professional insight on things that most people wouldn't normally think of 💜
Also, I love your version of this song so much 🥰
I was waiting for when you were gonna see this ^^
Imagine it was YOU there singing :D
In my opinion with this it seems to also reflect the inorganics of the fight that does show itself in the song from that it is an artificial god based with a connection with a created puppet/robot by a god that has been thrown and casted away by the gods and people alike so the unison of the voices and the deep and almost godlike vocals from him shows is changes and experiences that scaramuche had felt and transformation he has gone through in his life.
yeah I was wondering why it didn’t feel right to my ears but you conveyed it very well!
@MarcoMeatball Can we just say the only positive thing is we finally have the correct latin lyrics? XD ❤
I learn SO MUCH from listening to you. I have no issues hearing you say what you do or don't like because it educates rather than discourages. You explain so thoroughly why something might not work and why it does. Honestly, I agree with your opinion on this. The original captures Scaramouche far better than a deep tone. But just like how you mentioned, it's not that the live was bad or done by people who weren't skilled. It just didn't completely convey what we feel when we hear the original and that's okay.
Thank you so much for giving everyone your own thoughts on this. It was absolutely incredible to listen to and hope to learn more from you!
Wow thank you so much
Ah finally, you made this video reaction!
Finally
I've been watching you on and off for quite some time now and I think this is the first time I see you openly disliking something. It's really refreshing hearing you critique something and your reasoning why 👌
FINALLY
I'm happy to finally see someone sharing the same opinion as I about this performance, especially someone like you who definitely has the technical knowledge to explain why this doesn't work.
Im not a musician nor an expert, but I hear a ton of different music and different styles, and I could tell right away when the singer starts that his voice was 100% "detached" from the instruments. To me, it sounds off mostly due to a mixing / sound engineering issue, and I cannot "unhear" how strange it sounds. Like you said, the singer is awesome but something isn't right.
About the whole electronic elements vs orchestra here, I still think it could have been possible to have both in a true live performance - I'll bring back the example of Armin Van Buuren, a Dutch DJ, making orchestral versions of his works years ago, but still keeping a bit of the electronic sounds even live (good examples to anyone interested, look for orchestral versions of "In And Out of Love" and "Wall Of Sound").
Someone down there mentioned it and I agree with them, the 2022 live show mihoyo hosted for Genshin's soundtrack was a major let down to me as well for very similar reasons this one was they, did a huge disservice to a lot of the tracks there - specially La Signora's theme. Might be the Symphonic metal fan in me but I was expecting something much more badass, and a Tarja Turunen-esque voice singing it live and we got none of it.
Anyway, overall I think your opinion matches mine a lot, the singer and the presentation looks awesome here but there's definitely something wrong with how these things were put together. Ironically though, the Bohemian Rhapsody ref is the thing I liked the most in this lol, but because I know why it's there (as people explained in other comments, it's not a random ref).
although I figured that the synthesizers were done in a studio and not live, somehow it didn't occur to me that the other live versions were genuinely done live with multiple instruments
Is it possible for you to react to stuff by Hideki Nagamura (probably ruined the spelling) mainly songs like concept of love, funky dealer, aint nothing like a funky beat and jack da funk
maybe
I really enjoy your passion for music and hearing your thoughts on video game music really shows how impactful the music itself is in a game. I'd love to see you react and hear your thoughts on the main theme of Digimon Survive - Kizuna.
Great video as always! While i do think the singer is very talented his performance was wonderful
But I'd be lying if i said it wasn't kinda weird to have such a deep voice representing Scaramouche of all things, but alas I guess Yu Peng Chen was too shy to perform it live (at least thats my assumption as to why they brought someone else to sing)
Also I am kinda disappointed as well that it wasnt a truly "live" performance, im really hoping Hoyo would go back to doing proper live concerts like they did with the first couple of concerts
There was always something that bothered me about this live performance. I could neverquite put my hand on it, but it sounds so much more restrained than ingame. In his boss fight Scaramouche is both at his height, while simultaneously falling apart at the seams, and this live performance, to me, is not conveying that. I do not know what the lyrics mean I will admit, but somehow the live performace is more darkly accepting of what has happened. Meanwhile actually Scaramouche is fighting desperately to cling on, hanging on the tips of his fingernails... That desire, I just don't feel it in the live
fr its like the live voice was made for a different story/version
I was waiting for this
i learned a lot from this channel, thank you marco
Welcome!
today i learn something new and thank you Marco music part my life and always be😁
Those robo heavy sounds in the original are my favorite part of the piece as they really do capture the uncontrolled and anguished death drive. Would have liked to see a version that went heavier there and agree with you that they could have done a live and more acoustic version in the orchestral venue and an even more studio feel version on another album if they wanted to ratchet to 11 (maybe Alex Moulala or Sam Kim will do one).
That feeling elicited by the heavily modified vocals is such a contrast to the lighter and more peaceful music elsewhere in GI and gets a lot of impact from standing out like that. Have been wondering how Genshin will achieve that kind of contrast in Fontaine, but thinking Jarillo in HSR might offer some hints.
I was in comments hoping you’d do this piece having been impressed by the quality of the singer’s ability, so it was really interesting to hear your take. Going to have to go find your version knowing you’ve put this much thought into it.
Such a valuable review of a work!
So that's why you were considering negative reviews... I'm going to be honest as well since you opened up too. When you released your Polumnia Omnia cover, I also wasn't very much into it despite you doing a great job and putting a lot of passion and love into it. It was a pretty impressive cover but somehow it just didn't click for me. I always felt bad about it since I dig your Signora cover just fine but not this one. And your explanation about the voice ranges in this video made me realize what's going on. I like Yu-Peng Chen's Fach as Scaramouche so much that your voice and Paolo (the official singer)'s Fächer sound odd in my ears despite the big effort, like you guys are too deep for the part. Like you said, it's unfair to expect a cover's singer to sound the same as the original's voice, because then there's no point for any of us to sing our favorite songs at all. By all means, should no one ever sing Queen songs unless they're a baritone that sounds like Freddie Mercury? (sorry, gotta slip the Bohemian Rhapsody reference... but I think that's also why I don't see Queen songs being covered all that much in general?) Anyway, it kinda sucks that human minds and ears work like that, but the technical explanation you gave is pretty helpful to see it
this was more insightful than I anticipated, especially on the issues of the live version
Your opinions are super valid and I comepletely understand where you're coming from ✨️