One word that could easily be used to describe Breath of the Wild would be epic. The world you explore dwarfs any other version of Hyrule in size as does the possibilities afforded the player. Link’s arsenal is also incredibly expansive, and his wardrobe is so diverse that he’d need a shrine-sized closet just to fit all his looks. RebeccaETripp’s “Breath of the Wild Epic Orchestral Medley” lives up its use of the adjective in many ways from its whopping twenty-five minute long runtime to its ability to weave twenty-four different tracks together in a way that not only transitions in an incredibly harmonious way but is also often beautifully moving.
Rather than breaking down the entire medley, which could make reading this article a time commitment of epic proportions, I will share a few of my favorite moments instead.
The cluster of themes related to the Gerudo was particularly enjoyable for their ability to tell a story. The use of small bells and cymbals as the “Gerudo Town” theme played added to the exotic feels of the iconic desert town, but the use of a series of ascending and descending notes during the theme adds an unconventional touch to the background. It almost creates a sense of viewing the fortress town through time lapse as both the day and night versions of the “Gerudo Town” theme are merged and mixed together. It’s like we’re just another one of the warrior women who live there, spending day after night after day finding a way to thrive under the harsh desert sun.
The deep notes that end this theme and lead into the “Molduga” theme flow so smoothly together yet conjures up violent images of an attack on the Gerudo. You can imagine how the calm of a normal desert day is suddenly smashed into as many bits as there are grains of sand in the dunes as the ferocious predator bursts from the middle of the marketplace.
From one biome to the next, the introduction to “Kakariko Village” nearly caused me to crow with laughter as it begins with the sounds of cock-a-doodle-doos and clucking. The sounds continue in the background as the theme continues to play and adds a sense of life to this part of the medley that is juxtaposed with the feeling of death and decay that comes with the introduction of the “Hyrule Castle” theme that follows. Tripp’s transition between these two tracks perfectly captures the conflicting feeling of abundant nature and life and encroaching ruin and death that is at the heart of Breath of the Wild.
This same deft hand, or perhaps ear would be the better phrase, is found when Tripp emphasizes the “Zelda Main Theme” that’s normally found in “Hyrule Castle” before transitioning into “Zelda’s Theme/Lullaby.” The triumphant sound of this music contrasts with the haunting feeling of the melody prior to it and reminds the listener of the heroism and commitment that the Princess has displayed in holding back the Calamity that has ravaged not only the castle but the entire land for one hundred years.
Listening to RebeccaETripp’s Breath of the Wild medley lives up to the term epic in a multitude of ways. It lets us relive countless memories of each of our treks through this version of Hyrule, it calls a mixture of emotions to well up, and it also invites each individual to pull out their own favorite moments and proclaim them as masterful. All of those are enough reasons to give this medley multiple listens and to name RebeccaETripp “Musician of the Wild.”
