In my opinion, I think the series could use a change from Morrowind and Oblivion. The city music in Oblivion always felt too fanciful and giddy, and the outdoors music in both games was decent, but it was very static, and it had a weird ethereal, dreamy quality which seemed a little indulgent. It was as if the lushly rendered landscapes dazzled the composer so much to the point where he focused on the beauty of the game world over everything else. The music never changed when you got near an Oblivion gate or stepped into the wild and dangerous woods. Since Skyrim is set in a much more untamed land, I think it would even more fitting for the composer put some effort into giving certain areas a more ominous feel while still retaining a sense of beauty in others. The snowscapes of Skyrim may be pretty, but you never know if there's any Volkihar vampires or Ice wraiths hiding about.

Personally I wouldn't mind if ES5 took after the Gothic games in this respect. Kai Rosencrantz always did a good job of presenting a varied and dynamic soundtrack in the series. If you were walking over a hill with a nice view of the countryside below, the music might change to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLyqSQhS6E0, only to change once again after you'd walked down the hill into the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFlIR3t7HH0 below. I also think the style of Gothic's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUODWSb-mk4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzXL9lycrh4&feature=related would also be a pretty good fit for the snowy solitude of Skyrim.

Anyway, just something I thought I'd share. What do you guys want Bethesda to do with the music this time round?

OOOOO, dam that was good music. I liked the first one. Anyways, back on topic, I agree with you, mate, we need mood setting music with the surroundings.

Honestly...I don't like music with the game anymore...just sound effects and speech. So as long as they keep the ability to turn the music down to zero...I will be OVERJOYED!

Something a little darker perhaps compared to Oblivion, maybe something kind of strong sounding you know what I mean?

Oblivion was very cosmopolitan sounding, and that fit it I think. But the people of Skyrim are a rough and tumble crowd. I think something a little strong sounding would fit them. It's really hard to put the music into words to describe what I'm thinking.

I wouldn't mind a more dynamic approach to music, depending on the area where the player is in and flow into one another as the player moves. This could make things a lot more interesting than hearing the same tunes over and over in every single dungeon/town/countryside and could add to the dramatic.

Imagine climbing the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar with the same generic exploration music you've been hearing the entire game. Now imagine it with a music score specifically designed to play for the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar. To me the latter could make the climb much more interesting; because of the music.

So kinda similar to the way the sky changed slowly when the player came near an Oblivion gate in TES4 (the road to Kvatch); but with music

This could also translate to towns and villages where each may have subtle differences in style and architecture (especially if there are different clans) but also in the music.

Regional and situational music would be awesome in my opinion, and make this game even more unique and feel more like walking through a fantasy movie. :goodjob:

Fanciful and giddy..I like that, especially for a medieval type city with common folk going about their business. Ethereal, dreamy for a fantasy series? Blasphemy..

I do agree there was a lack of dark/evil music and combat music, hopefully that's remedied in Skyrim. I think they should stick with Jeremy Soule and not gamble with someone different. What's the popular adage..if it's not broken don't fix it?

I'd love to hear some of Arena and Daggerfall's music return. That did a great job at setting the mood of the game in the past.

three words: HIRE MARTY O'DONNEL

So long as the battle music is anything like the teaser, I'll be fine. But I agree. Darker than Oblviion's OST was would be better for the game's environment.

There really does need to be some better action combat music.

Oblivion's was really underwhelming I think.

Hans Zimmer


Edit: Ideas for more intensiveness..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5bW0OrEl7Q
Garmana - Gamen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoaUYcwEpSw
E.S. Posthumus - Unstoppable

This is a great idea. I'm not sure how big of a score BGS would want for Skyrim, but definitely having different soundtracks for different areas of the game would make it a lot more interesting, memorable, and personal. The soundtracks in Morrowind and Oblivion are great, but the problem is they lack any diversity or amount. The more the merrier!

War to us is holy! We bleed for ancient gods!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUMo2yQuzD4

......

Morrowind had a mystical forlorning feeling to it, which is what it needed, a sense of magic, with a touch of dread. I do rather like the Gothic music you posted, it's very LOTR leaning, which is perfectly fine in my books. But the thing is, Morrowind had music that when I listen to it, makes me lapse into nostalgia. Oblivion's music offers no such feeling, so so long as the music is slower and a bit calmer, I'd agree with you on the rest. It'd be interesting to see JS's version of those Gothic songs.

Scandinavian Black Metal, of course. They are Nords, after all

Monks chanting it never gets old for me.

Jeremy Soule (spelling) should do the music. He was great in the last TES games.

Personally, I was a little upset with Reign of the Septims. And not for the normal reasons. The magnificent trumpet line lasts for all of nine seconds. Nine seconds, out of 1 minute, 52 seconds. I call that outrage.

This is the song that's supposed to be taken as the Imperial Fanfare? The personal music of the Emperor? Sorry, no.

As this will be taking place in Skyrim, I'd like to see the distinct influence of the Nords here, and for those important parts where the main theme has to play, I want it to be long and inspiring. The type of musical "pumping up" sequence to get me ready to take what's coming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIVdP29PpcE for the music from the trailer, with the rest of the sound (voice over and effects) stripped off to just leave the musical line. It's great. But more importantly, I want the part from 0:42 to 1:13 to be extended and more dominant.

I'd like some minimalist, isolationist piano music at parts. Something to contemplate to while walking over a snow covered landscape. something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnRyHPyGf-s&feature=related of course i think there should be epic high fantasy parts as well, but some slow sad melodies while exploring Skyrim would be quite cool

Hopefully it resembles the calm peacefull landscape type of compositions like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICn1O9uzd1g&feature=related

What can I say, I loved Oblivion's musical compositions personally. It made the game that much more immersive. Only thing they should improve is the combat music.

Music that doesn't tell you that an enemy is stalking you!

LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii2Adi2iFRM is great, as are Prokofiev's Battle on the Ice. Other works by Strauss, more by Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King, anyone?), these are all examples of the type of music I'd like to see in Skyrim, but I'm sure they'll come through with something good. I've got very little to complain about for ES music (at least in III and IV).

Haven't heard this one before. Thnx for the link, definitely beautifull!