#frozen ost

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Focus on Frozen (1) score (1/?)

Sisters theme

I’m celebrating 1000 followers today! Thank you all my followers, it’s been 9 months and 3 days since I started this blog (kinda like a pregnancy LOL! and I...erm...gave birth to this post?! haha) and I’ve posted 615 original posts. For some weird reason I don’t appear on Tumblr’s top #frozen or #elsa blogs...I’ve given up on trying to fix that...thank you all still for following me. And a great big thanks to my close friends who reblog everything I post!! Really appreciate it!!

I’ve been listening to Frozen 1 soundtrack incessantly for the past few days and I might make some more posts focusing on the major themes.

This is not my first post on the F1 sisters theme. I made one here a while back aaaaand I’m pretty embarrassed to say that I missed out quite a few more instances of the theme! So this post supercedes that one.

AND - I want to credit @let-it-show​ for pointing out that F2 sisters theme contains 3 notes of F1 sisters theme!! How did I miss that!! Watch till the end of the video for that part!

1. Children snowplay scene

The first instance of this theme. The first 2 bars are the essential 4 notes of this theme. The theme is fun-filled and exuberant initially. After Anna’s accident it is emotional (poor Elsa...she didn’t mean for it to happen)

2. Confrontation before disaster

A slight variation on the third note. And the theme is so ominous and foreboding here, being played by very high violins.

3. Anna pursues Elsa

Again a slight variation here on the 4th note. Some might call it a stretch to consider this the Sisters theme. But anyway, I included it.

4. She’s a stinker!

Cute. I love the way Kbell says “Stinker”. (tho I know what you’re gonna say @99884321​ the real pungent one is K =)

5. We need Elsa to bring back summer

So after carefully listening to the score and the movie, I realised that they cut this out of the final scene (but it’s in the CD). It would have played when Kristoff said those words. So cool of composer Christophe Beck to insert a tiny musical reference here! Although it was cut out eventually (maybe it interfered with the flow of the scene?). It’s very cutely played by the glockenspiel.

6. Reunion at the ice palace

Ah...one of my favourite tracks of F1 soundtrack. We Were So Close is so beautiful, a fitting musical backdrop to the ethereal beauty of the ice palace and the revealing of Elsa’s beautiful new form to Anna. And their first reunion.

7. The greatest sacrifice

Anna makes the greatest sacrifice T.T Ugh my heart...Kbell’s whimper just before she turns and runs just gets me everytime.

8. Elsa’s worst fear

This is another bit that is cut out of the final scene. I think Beck wrote this for Elsa’s sobbing and clinging on to frozen Anna, her worst fears coming true and having lost everyone dear to her (UGH MY HEART!!!! ELSAAA!!!) but directors made the right call to have it cut out (not that it’s bad or what) so that there is absolute silence in the movie theater except for Elsa’s desperate sobs. Slaying us all. But still, this little 12 seconds of strings is wonderfully written and terribly sad. T.T

9. Sisters reunited, forever!

Ohhh such joy in this hug!! HUGZ!!!!! Finally we hear the theme in a happy mode again!!

Frozen 2 sisters theme

Again, kudos to @let-it-show​ for pointing this out to me!! Although the chord structure is different, Beck definitely referenced the F1 sisters theme here with the unmistakable 1st note, then down 1 step to the 2nd note, and then down 5 notes to the 3rd note.

(please unmute and watch till the end)

Focus on Frozen (1) score (4/?)

Scene analysis - Climax of the movie

(Tracks: Whiteout and The Great Thaw)

Here’s the fourth post in this series. Instead of focusing on a specific theme, I am analysing a whole scene. This scene is the climax of the movie, and it starts from Hans lying to Elsa that she killed Anna; Anna calling out to Kristoff and him running to her; Anna turning away from K to save Elsa; Elsa weeping and sobbing over Anna; and the Great Thaw.

In this scene we see 5 of the movie’s major musical themes one after another. Christophe Beck really tells a story with his music, to complement what we see with our eyes. I have also separately covered 4 of the themes in other posts, links will be shared below.

1. Hans and Elsa

We hear the “Hansorcery” theme here - an amalgam of Sorcery theme and Hans’ theme. Links: Sorcery post and Hansorcery post, Hans is a monster here and a “sorceror” for deceiving everyone. Also - up till this point, “Sorcery” theme was only used for Elsa’s magic doing bad things - Beck is telling us that Hans’ evil deeds are worse than everything Elsa accidentally caused. Amazing how Beck turned Hans’ fairytale prince theme into a very very dark and murderous theme.

2. Kristoff runs to Anna

We hear what I loosely named the “Kristoff’s love for Anna” theme. This is the 5th and final instance of this theme - the other times are when Kristoff carries Anna to the castle, Kristoff “speaks” to Sven outside of the castle; Olaf speaks about Kristoff’s love for Anna and Olaf using his “telescope” and sees Kristoff galloping back to the castle.

3. Anna runs to Elsa

We hear the “Elsa and Anna sisters theme” here. This theme appears a total of 7 times in the movie and is even referenced in Frozen 2′s Sisters theme.

4. Elsa weeps (silent score)

In the CD of the OST, there is actually music written for this (the Elsa and Anna sisters theme), but it was cut out of the movie and I think, for good reason. The sonic impact of the deafening silence, except for Elsa’s sobs, is SO moving. Also because up till that point, our ears have been blasted by the track of Whiteout, as well as all the wind blowing and ice cracking noises!

5. Anna thaws

I did not mention this in my previous analysis, but I believe, the first four notes played when Anna thaws could be seen as a variation of Elsa and Anna sister’s theme. So, in a sense, the Elsa and Anna sister’s theme is the “True Love” musical theme of the movie =)

6. Return to the start

Ah, Christophe Beck, what GENIUS again. At the emotional climax of Anna’s revival and Elsa and Anna’s first hug in forever (I still tear!!) he unleashes the “Peace” theme on us. (named by me) 

This 5-note “Peace” theme is only one note different from Sorcery theme. Specifically, the 4th note, if sharpened by a half-step, will give you the Sorcery theme. 

This theme appears when the girls were little kids playing snow!

 I have cut the video at that point, but actually, if you watch on, as the girls continue to play, the Sorcery theme makes its appearance, foreshadowing Anna’s accident. What great musical storytelling!

So it is worth noting that, the Peace theme plays at the start, and at the end of the movie! At the start - when there was true love between the girls, untainted by the accident and Pabbie; in between, we hear the Sorcery theme 10+ times and no Peace theme; and finally at the end, after Hansorcery, the PEACE THEME RULES!!!!!!! After Elsa has been healed by Anna’s mighty sacrifice and act of true love. We never hear the Sorcery theme again in F1 after Anna has thawed. (Sorcery theme appears in OFA and F2, but not because Elsa’s magic is doing bad stuff. It’s used as an “ominous” musical theme)

Why did I call it the Peace theme? Well, actually that’s from my F2 musical analysis! The Peace theme also appears in F2 in 3 significant moments - 1) in the Northuldran village after the tribe sings Vuelie, when everyone is at peace. 2) sadly, as Olaf flurries away in a devastated Anna’s embrace. He is, metaphorically speaking, “at peace”. 3) Happily, when Olaf is resurrected by Elsa! 

What fantastic musical storytelling!! And as I write this, I learned that F2 Soundtrack has WON the Billboard 2020 Music Awards TOP SOUNDTRACK!!!

(please unmute and watch till the end)

Focus on Frozen (1) score (2/?)

Kristoff’s love for Anna theme

I have been listening to Christophe Beck’s Frozen (1) score incessantly and I’m discovering so many little gems inside. This is the second post in this series, the previous one was on the Elsa and Anna sisters theme. The next post in this series is going to reveal a JAW DROPPING discovery I made in the score that just blows my mind to smithereens. And that’s a pretty big deal considering how much my mind has already been blown by the F2 score.

This melancholic theme is hidden in the score, because it is quite soft in the actual movie or hidden by dialogue. The second reason it is hidden, is that on the CD track, this soft theme is sandwiched in between loud, fast moving music which may turn one off from listening to that track and just skip that track, which I did for years (I’ve owned the F1 double disc for 7 years). 

The more I listened, I was shocked to find that this theme appears 5 times, so it’s a pretty major theme! To help us appreciate the track more, I have tweaked some of the audio to make the music louder where I thought it necessary, so don’t be surprised that the dialogue sounds soft - it’s intentional.

This theme is played when the movie portrays Kristoff’s love for Anna.

1. Kristoff carrying Anna back to the castle

The first instance of this theme is in Bminor. (It starts when Kristoff lowers Anna to the ground at the door) It is a melancholic theme played by the strings on the background of a gentle harp motif. The high strings have extra emotion - it’s a type of reverb effect that is applied, I think.

2. Kristoff feels sad to leave Anna with Hans

This one (in C#minor) caught me by surprise cos it’s not on the CD. I think Sven loves Anna too! I’m curious whether a reindeer can truly lift a man by its antlers? I just realised something - I always thought Sven made this face to describe disgust for Hans (and what an awesome face it is!):

BUT: Sven (and Kristoff) have never met Hans before!

Fun fact: Sven is voiced by the GOD of voice acting and cartoon animal sounds, Frank Welker. You may have heard of him as the voice of Abu, the Cave of Wonders (Aladdin); Pascal, Maximus (Tangled);...the list goes on...his nearly 6-decade long resume is amazing.

3. Olaf talks about Kristoff’s love

C#minor again. The notes are almost the same as in # 2. The theme is played very slowly here, again on the backdrop of the gentle harp motif. In the movie, it is really soft so I augmented the music volume.

4. Olaf sees Kristoff rushing back

The theme sounds a bit more cheerful as Olaf gets excited! The background music is active, to portray Kristoff’s galloping back on Sven.

5. Kristoff runs to Anna

In the last part of “Whiteout” (which is an AMAZING track that I will analyse separately) we hear the theme (in G#minor) as Kristoff runs to Anna to save her. Notes are more similar to # 4 than #1, 2, or 3, but it is still unmistakeably the theme.

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Lastly, we do not hear the theme during the epilogue sequence when Kristoff receives his new sled and kisses Anna. I think that’s because this theme would be too jarringly sad for the overall upbeat and happy feel of the Epilogue score.

Can’t wait to make the next post to share with you all my mega discovery!

(please unmute and watch till the end)

Focus on Frozen (1) score (6/?)

<Help me name this theme!>

Now, if I were to ask you what is the most common musical theme in all of F1, you’d probably say Sorcery theme if you have been following my series.

However, here I present to you the ???? theme! (unnamed at this point!) 

This video edit contains 20 segments of video from F1 (and 1 from Frozen Fever) and they all contain this musical theme in some form:

You will definitely recognize this theme from the title logo of Frozen Fever (which is the last video in the edit)

What to name it though? 

I cannot find a common theme for the 20 times this theme appears. Clearly - Elsa is never seen on screen with this theme. This theme first appears when Anna is riding on her horse, going after Elsa. Anna appears in 15 of my 20 video segments. But...I wouldn’t really call this Anna’s theme? Kristoff and Anna appear together for 11 out of 20 video segments. But I already have a Kristoff’s love for Anna theme. Or maybe we could name it after the track “Onwards and Upwards” because a lot (but again, not all) of the times the theme appears is when Anna is on her journey going after Elsa.

Maybe we should just call it the Frozen theme? Lol.