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Merregnon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Merregnon is an orchestral music series that combines symphonic compositions with fantasy storytelling. Since its launch in 1999, the project has produced several albums and live concert performances.[1][2][3] The most recent works, Merregnon: Land of Silence (2021) and Merregnon: Heart of Ice (2024), were premiered by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, respectively.[4][5] They were designed to introduce families and younger audiences to orchestral music, following in the tradition of The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.[6]

The Merregnon series is directed and produced by Thomas Böcker, founder of Merregnon Studios.[7][8] It has involved contributions from renowned composers in the video game industry, including Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, Chris Hülsbeck, and Yuzo Koshiro.[9]

Merregnon: Heart of Ice

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Nobuo Uematsu, composer for Merregnon: Heart of Ice

Merregnon: Heart of Ice features an original score by Nobuo Uematsu.[5] The story was written by children’s author Frauke Angel. It premiered on 29 February 2024 in Ludwigshafen, Germany, performed by the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, conducted by Eckehard Stier.

The work is Uematsu’s first orchestral concert piece created specifically for the concert hall.[10] The next performance is scheduled for 25 June 2026 at the Philharmonie de Paris, with the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France.[11]

Story

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The story is set in the frozen world of Merregnon. It follows Kjugo, a cheerful wooden robot, and the dog Beru on their quest to find Kjugo’s creator, Nuobi, in a realm of eternal frost ruled by the Ice Wind Dancer, Goyakai. As they journey through the icy landscape, Kjugo and Beru must overcome numerous obstacles before confronting Goyakai. In the decisive encounter, Kjugo breaks the magical grip keeping the land frozen. Nuobi is found, and warmth returns to the world.[12]

Reception

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Merregnon: Heart of Ice was described as "a thrilling adventure with high drama and a fulminant battle for humanity" by the German newspaper Die Rheinpfalz. Writer Ulrike Dansauer, who attended the premiere, highlighted the project's broad appeal, noting, "The story is very popular with young audiences: devout listening from even the youngest children, closed eyes from adults, completely absorbed in the tale."[13]

Thomas Nickel, a writer for the German gaming magazine M!Games, echoed this sentiment, stating: "Despite the late hour, the younger visitors are just as fascinated as the older ones." He compared the musical style of Merregnon: Heart of Ice to early Final Fantasy soundtracks, but found it "fresh and original." Nickel further commented on the expressiveness of the compositions, saying that "the joy of the music and composition is very evident" and "the compositions speak for themselves" without needing to support graphics or gameplay, allowing them to "convey drama and characters" independently.[14]

Merregnon: Land of Silence

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Yoko Shimomura, composer for Merregnon: Land of Silence

Merregnon: Land of Silence features original music by Yoko Shimomura and a story by children's author Frauke Angel.[1] This project marks Shimomura's first concert work.[15] It was first performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Hanson, and filmed at the Stockholm Concert Hall in June 2021. The video was made freely available on the orchestra's website, premiering on September 10, 2021.[16][4]

Since 2022, Merregnon: Land of Silence has been performed by orchestras worldwide.[1]

Story

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In the grey landscape of Merregnon live Miru and her dog Mako. One day they discover a wounded bird named Ikari, who sings of a colourful region far to the north. Together with her friend Hikito and the bird Ikari, they embark on a journey. They encounter the warrior Skissor, who has imprisoned the dragon Yamakito at a massive wall separating the vibrant north from the bleak south. Forced by Skissor to guard this region, Yamakito preserves the only remaining beauty in Merregnon. With Ikari’s help, the group frees the dragon, whose song defeats Skissor, causing the wall to crumble.[16]

Reception

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Merregnon: Land of Silence was described by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as a “symphonic anime”.[4] Klassik Radio referred to the concert as a “symphonic anime fairy tale for the whole family” that introduces children to the world of orchestral music in a playful way.[17] A Deutschlandfunk report highlighted the collaboration with a video game composer in the context of music education.[18]

For Gramophone magazine, Böcker wrote a guest article on the importance of family concerts, emphasizing the value of an entertaining and engaging approach to orchestral music.[8] Wired called Merregnon: Land of Silence “a welcome hand for struggling concert halls.”[6] In a webinar hosted by the German Embassy in Tokyo, Yoko Shimomura, Frauke Angel, and Thomas Böcker spoke about the creation of the project.[19]

Performances

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Performances
Date City Country Venue Orchestra Concerts
September 10, 2021 Stockholm Sweden Stockholm Concert Hall Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra Video premiere
September 17, 2022 Recklinghausen Germany Festspielhaus Recklinghausen Neue Philharmonie Westfalen 1
September 25, 2022 Gelsenkirchen Germany Musiktheater Gelsenkirchen Neue Philharmonie Westfalen 1
November 22-23, 2022 Lausanne Switzerland Salle Métropole Lausanne Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne 3
March 5, 2023 Jena Germany Volkshaus Jena Jenaer Philharmonie 1
March 7-11, 2023 Stockholm Sweden Stockholm Concert Hall Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra 13
March 17-18, 2023 Hong Kong China Tuen Mun Hal Hong Kong Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra 2
April 20-23, 2023 Ludwigshafen Germany Feierabendhaus Ludwigshafen Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz 4
June 1, 2023 Shanghai China Symphony Hall Shanghai Shanghai Symphony Orchestra 2
July 1, 2023 Chautauqua, New York United States Amphitheater, Chautauqua, N. Y. Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra 1
April 23, 2024 Eindhoven Netherlands Muziekgebouw Eindhoven South Netherlands Philharmonic 1
April 24, 2024 Tilburg Netherlands Concertzaal Tilburg South Netherlands Philharmonic 1
April 25, 2024 Venlo Netherlands De Maaspoort Theater Venlo South Netherlands Philharmonic 1
April 26, 2024 Kerkrade Netherlands Theater Kerkrade South Netherlands Philharmonic 1

Early Productions: Merregnon Vol. 1 and 2

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Producer and Artistic Director Thomas Böcker

In 1999, producer and artistic director Thomas Böcker launched the Merregnon project by inviting international composers to contribute to an original music production inspired by video game soundtracks.[6][20] Merregnon, Volume 1 was released in 2000, distributed by synSoniq Records and featured orchestral-style music with narration, accompanied by a booklet containing story and illustrations.[21]

Merregnon, Volume 2 premiered in 2003 at the first Symphonic Game Music Concert held in Leipzig, Germany, and also produced by Böcker.[22][23] The full album followed in 2004, released by Totentanz Records and distributed by SoulFood / Sony Music.[24] A Japanese edition was published in 2005 by Dex Entertainment.[25] Unlike the first volume, which was primarily produced using synthesized and sampled sounds, Volume 2 featured recordings by a live orchestra under the direction of music director Andy Brick.[26] The principal composer for both volumes was Fabian Del Priore, who developed the core musical themes.[27]

Reception

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Merregnon, Volume 1 received positive reviews upon release. The German magazine Amiga Plus noted that its orchestral style was particularly appealing to younger audiences, while the website Epic Sound highlighted the collaboration of emerging international composers. Music4Games described the album as setting “new standards in the world of videogame music.” The German outlet Krawall praised its ability to evoke vivid imagery, and PC Joker called it “a hit.”[28]

Merregnon, Volume 2 was also well received. The gaming site DemoNews described it as “breathtaking,” while the magazine Nautilus emphasized its cinematic quality, appealing to fans of epic film scores. MacLife referred to the music as comparable to “Hollywood quality,” and publications like Astan and MangasZene praised both the musical content and the high production values of the accompanying booklet.[29]

The German website 4Players published a multi-part special on the project, including several interviews with Böcker and the participating composers.[30] According to Böcker, working on the two Merregnon albums laid the foundation for his later Game Concerts series.[6]

Composers

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Merregnon: Land of Silence". www.merregnon.com. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  2. ^ Merregnon soundtrack. 1, S.l.: Merregnon Development Team, 2001, retrieved 2025-04-14
  3. ^ Merregnon soundtrack. 2: Video game world symphony, S.l.: Merregnon Studios, 2004, retrieved 2025-04-14
  4. ^ a b c Weidemann, Axel. "Videospiel-Komponistin: Chopin und Super Mario waren meine Helden". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  5. ^ a b Kılıç, Sinem (2024-02-25). "Nobuo Uematsu: "Das war die einzige Arbeit, die mir angeboten wurde!"". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  6. ^ a b c d Ombler, Mat. "Video Games Inspire a Generation of Classical Music Fans". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  7. ^ Redakteur, News von Benjamin Schmädig (2023-11-27). "Merregnon: Heart of Ice – Weltpremiere mit Final-Fantasy-Legende Nobuo Uematsu". Eurogamer.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  8. ^ a b "The power of video game music to inspire audiences - old and new". Gramophone. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  9. ^ a b c d "Release "Merregnon, Volume 2" by Various Artists - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  10. ^ Tony (2023-04-27). "Merregnon: Heart of Ice feiert mit Uematsu-Musik in Deutschland Weltpremiere • JPGAMES.DE". JPGAMES.DE (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  11. ^ "Symphonic Selections | Philharmonie de Paris". philharmoniedeparis.fr. 2026-06-25. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  12. ^ "Nobuo Uematsu composes for Merregnon: Heart of Ice". Game Concerts. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  13. ^ "Boshafte Blechbläser: Premiere von "Merregnon: Heart of Ice" im BASF-Feierabendhaus - Ludwigshafen". www.rheinpfalz.de (in German). 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  14. ^ Schultes, Oliver (2024-04-17). "Die neue M! Games 368 | MANIAC.de". www.maniac.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-27.
  15. ^ "Concert jeune public au Métropole – «La musique de jeu pourrait être appelée classique»". 24 heures (in French). 21 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  16. ^ a b "Merregnon: Land of Silence". www.konserthuset.se. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  17. ^ Redaktion. "Sinfonisches Animé-Märchen für die ganze Familie". Klassik Radio (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  18. ^ deutschlandfunk.de (2021-10-06). "Merregnon - Musikvermittlung mit einer Videospiel-Komponistin". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  19. ^ GermanyInJapan (2022-01-12). Neue Wege in der Orchestermusik. Retrieved 2025-04-15 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ "Merregnon 2 - Special, Sonstiges, Thomas Böcker". 4Players (in German). 6 May 2003. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  21. ^ "MRRG1 | Merregnon Soundtrack Volume 1 - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  22. ^ Boecker, Thomas (2003-11-24). "The Making Of The First Symphonic Game Music Concert In Europe". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  23. ^ "First live videogame concert outside of Japan". Guinness World Records. 20 August 2003. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  24. ^ "TOT23009 | Merregnon Soundtrack Volume 2 - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  25. ^ "DECX-0018 | Merregnon Soundtrack Volume 2 - VGMdb". vgmdb.net. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  26. ^ "Merregnon 2 - Special, Sonstiges, Andy Brick". 4Players (in German). 17 May 2003. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  27. ^ "Merregnon 2 - Special, Sonstiges, Fabian Del Priore". 4Players (in German). 10 May 2003. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  28. ^ "Merregnon.com || Official Website, Reviews CD1". 2005-02-04. Archived from the original on 2005-02-04. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  29. ^ "Merregnon.com || Official Website, Reviews CD2". 2005-02-04. Archived from the original on 2005-02-04. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  30. ^ "Merregnon 2 (PC): Test, News, Video, Spieletipps, Bilder". www.4players.de. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Release "Merregnon, Volume 1" by Various Artists - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
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