Music of Civ VI

[6uho Koe]

The soundtracks are great. However, I'm somewhat annoyed to hear viol da gamba or western violin played in almost every medieval tracks. Why would a violin be in aztec music, or even in Chinese music when they can use erhu instead?
Anyways, I found this video where someone extracted more tracks in the game. I listened to a few and they have neutral tracks and I think sone leaders themes without the violin.

 

[6uho Koe]

Well this is interesting...
Arabia's theme (available [here]) is Kâtibim - which is a great song, except it's actually Turkish, and is also known as Üsküdar'a gider iken ... And in true southeast European tradition the melody is also claimed by the Greeks, the Serbs... Basically it's claimed by everyone except the Arabs.

So, an odd choice to say the least.

There's an Arabic version of the song, don't know if that counts as claimed.
Talama Ashku Gharami

 

[Vesslan]

The main theme is epic and the music is fine but I'm a bit disappointed that there seem to be no war themes.

 

[ToothedBomb]

Aztec: ?, ?

For the Aztec theme they definitely used a native American flute (E. That's the actual name of the instrument). Roland Rizzo is credited for playing the instrument, and he did the same for the Shoshone themes in Civ V.
No clue about the origins of the song itself though.

 

[Red Khan]

For the Aztec theme they definitely used a native American flute (E. That's the actual name of the instrument). Roland Rizzo is credited for playing the instrument, and he did the same for the Shoshone themes in Civ V.
No clue about the origins of the song itself though.

Thanks, added that to my post. But the use of it is a bit dubious, since, as far as I understood, it's a Northern American, not Mesoamerican instrument.
Just googled Aztec music, a nice article came out with a video

 

[God of Kings]

I agree with 6uho Koe that the Chinese themes would have sounded better using an erhu instead of a violin-family instrument, especially the Medieval Chinese theme. Violin-family instruments sounded anatopistic for China.

Apparently, Geoff Knorr and other composers and arrangers were unable to find an erhu player, especially one trained in Western classical music. To be fair though, erhus are made using snakeskin, some of which come from endangered snakes.

 

[ToothedBomb]

But the use of it is a bit dubious, since, as far as I understood, it's a Northern American, not Mesoamerican instrument.

I'm no expert on the matter, but a lot of ethnic type music from the American continent uses the minor pentatonic scale, which is what the native American flute primarily plays as well.
I guess they thought it was close enough in that aspect.

 

[Suliot]

Does anyone know how I can access the music that's not a leader theme? I've bought the Digital Deluxe, and I downloaded the 25th Anniversary Music, but it only contains leader themes (which I love btw), but I would like to get the rest of the music too, I finished a Marathon game last night and I had a blast, the game is amazing and the music is just brilliant

 

[Asmodean]

I like much of the music in Civ VI, and I was especially happy when I heard the Chinese song "Fishing junks at sunset". Since I heard Jean Michel Jarres 1981 recording of that, I have loved that piece. Great that it is included in Civ VI.

You can hear the JMJ recording here:

/Asmodean

 

[Red Khan]

Did some lookup in the credits.xml file. There is a section with music performers.

Spoiler Performers :

[3]Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra
[4]Orchestra conducted by Andy Brick
[4]Rita Cepurcenko, Concertmistress
[4]Kühn Mixed Choir
[4]Marek Vorlícek, Choir Conductor
[4]Jan Holzner, Orchestra and Choir Recording Engineer
[4]Petr Pycha, Orchestra Contractor
[4]Tomás Kirschner, Orchestra Librarian
[4]Geoff Knorr, Orchestrator
[4]Chris Whittaker, Orchestral Parts Preparation
[4]Orchestra Recorded at Smecky Music Studios
[4]Niccolo Seligmann, Bass Viol, Vielle, Kemençe
[4]Deepak Ram, Bansuri
[4]Bing Xia, Guzheng
[4]Chakib Hilali, Oud, Ney, Kawala
[4]Kylie Hilali, Qanun
[4]Brad Kolodner, Banjo
[4]Patrick McAvinue, Fiddle
[4]Kahil Nayton, Cavaquinho
[4]Cesar Garabini, 7-string guitar
[4]Sissel Morken Gullord, Norwegian Bukkehorn
[4]Andrei Saveliev, Balalaika
[4]Mathew Poovan, Sitar
[4]Souvik Ghosh, Tabla
[4]Chris Reber, Mandolin
[4]Dave Hadley, Dobro
[4]Benjamin Beirs, Classical Guitar
[4]Sandro Freidrich, Duduk, Hotchiku, Recorder, Bombarde, Pivava, Tenor Pivana, Schwegel, Occorsoflute,
[4]Kaval, Ciaramella, Bass Recorder, Bena, Erdklangfloete, Ocarina, Floyera, Doucaine, Tin Whistle
[4]Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin, Shakuhachi
[4]Roland Rizzo, South American Flutes
[4]Geoff Knorr, 9-String Golden Lyre of Erato
[4]Jon Anders Narum, Norwegian Bukkenhorn Recording Engineer

[3]Kongolese Instrumental Recording by Regulus Sound Productions (PTY) LTD – South Africa
[4]Caleb Vaughn-Jones, Producer, Recording Engineer, double bass, nyunganyunga, mbira
[4]Simphiwe Funde, Production assistant, African instruments
[4]Brent Kennedy, Production assistant and language transcriber
[4]Joe Van Der Linden, guitar
[4]Massi Bambino, vocals and Kongolese music researcher
[4]Sebastian Sala, vocals and Kongolese music researcher
[4]Candice Bowkers, Recording Engineer

Updated my previous post with some information. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can figure our something else? For example Sandro Freidrich is credited with playing Scythia's ancient score which is surely played on a woodwind instrument. But he is credited with playing too many woodwind instruments and I'm not that good at music to distinguish them.

 

[Sagax]

Apparently, Geoff Knorr and other composers and arrangers were unable to find an erhu player, especially one trained in Western classical music.

Oh come on, they couldn't coordinate that with 2k_China?.....
And also I don't think the erhu player would need that much Western music training for the Medieval theme, which is pretty much a carbon copy of the original piece.

 

[Morningcalm]

I'm still waiting on the composers (especially Geoff Knorr) to reveal their secrets on the composition of the pieces (and the source melodies). I miss Geoff Knorr's extensive and interesting coverage of Civ V songs, including insight into his research process for the source melodies.

 

[dexters]

I'm still waiting on the composers (especially Geoff Knorr) to reveal their secrets on the composition of the pieces (and the source melodies). I miss Geoff Knorr's extensive and interesting coverage of Civ V songs, including insight into his research process for the source melodies.

Would love for Geoff to be interviewed by one of the gaming outlets or by CFC staff. He is highly under-appreciated. And with Civ6 especially, Christopher Tin has been given credit for his impressive title theme, but we're not listening to that when we're playing, it's mostly Geoff's work.

 

[Guandao]

Germany's theme was misidentified, it is actually Ich hab die Nacht geträumet,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajIopaqC7Cg

India's theme is Gandhi's favorite hymn, Vaishnava Janato or Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov2TlqIrZak

So that leaves the Aztecs, Japan ( I don't think it's Rokudan no Shirabe, it sounds different from Japan's war theme in Civ5), Rome, Scythia, and Sumer's themes as being currently unidentified.

 

[bcaiko]

I don't think I'm a fan of the music so far after completing my first game. Civ5's music was impressively distinctive, but throughout the game, I found the music bland. And it was jarring hearing non-Asian music when I was playing as Japan. Scarborough Fair must have played 200 times throughout the game, even after I removed Victoria.

There was nothing I listened to this weekend that I would put on my iPhone. That wasn't the case with Civ5 vanilla, even.

 

[Bonci]

 

[Zaarin]

Germany's theme was misidentified, it is actually Ich hab die Nacht geträumet,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajIopaqC7Cg

India's theme is Gandhi's favorite hymn, Vaishnava Janato or Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov2TlqIrZak

So that leaves the Aztecs, Japan ( I don't think it's Rokudan no Shirabe, it sounds different from Japan's war theme in Civ5), Rome, Scythia, and Sumer's themes as being currently unidentified.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the soundtrack separately yet, but I'd guess there's a high probability that Sumer's theme is "Hymn to Nikkal," given that it's the most ancient music extant and the Hurrians are highly unlikely to ever make an appearance as a civ...

 

[Red Khan]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the soundtrack separately yet, but I'd guess there's a high probability that Sumer's theme is "Hymn to Nikkal," given that it's the most ancient music extant and the Hurrians are highly unlikely to ever make an appearance as a civ...

Here is Sumeria's theme separately:

 

[kul]

Here is Sumeria's theme separately:

Yep, that it. Sumer theme is Hymn to Nikkal

 

[CivLuvah]

It's a big disappointment that the music is in wem files. I converted some to ogg files, but not all made it, not sure what I can do about those.

Saladin's music sounds really familiar...I think I heard this song in music for a Civ5 mod civ

How were you able to access the files though? What's the folder path? I can't seem to find the music in the Assets folder.