[Ramza]

Originally Posted by Jormungand

Yes. Hamauzu draws more color and texture out of the piano than any other arranger I have heard. His arranged piano work sounds like it was written specifically for the concert hall, while others in his field merely serve up minor showpieces at best and piano reductions at worst--like those piano books you find in music stores of popular films and their soundtracks.

It's not that I dislike other piano albums, but that none are nearly as creative and ambitious as Hamauzu's. I'd love to hear suggestions if you have them.

That said, yes, FFXIII is by far the weakest of Hamauzu's piano albums. And still there's his characteristically searching and whimsical voice in Nautilus, Nascent Requiem, Fang's Theme, and Reminiscence. I wish he had done a reprise of the original Hope's Theme, too, because that was a beautiful little piano theme and is so much better than the OST and in-game version.

I personally think Shiro Hamaguchi's work with FFVIII piano ... even if much of it is a "redux" of the Fithos Lusec orchestral arrange album ... is overall a better showing than XIII. I will give you this though ... Fang's Theme on piano is *amazing*