The case of the unused music pieces of End of Evangelion

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chaosakita
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The case of the unused music pieces of End of Evangelion

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Postby chaosakita » Mon Sep 23, 2013 8:34 pm

According to Reichu's super informative S-2 works page, this the music menu intended for the End of Evangelion:

Neon Genesis Evangelion Movie Edition Music Menu November 11, 1996

M-1 Piano music (piano version of A-4)
M-2 Piano music 2 (light etude)
M-3 Anthology compilation theme music (Mainly with piano and strings and a bolero-like repeat.)
M-4 Serious choir music; religious (Arrangement of A-10? The strength of human voices is overpowering. Heavy with strings and percussion instruments.)
M-5 Tragic choir music (human voices grieving; heavy with strings)
M-6 A real pinch; driven to the brink of death; a perilous feeling
M-7 EVA-02's revival (heavy with strings and percussion)
M-8 A tragic battle; Asuka's death; religious (like E-13)
M-9 Liberation of souls (starts out quietly with strings and builds up to a climax)
M-10 Song that isn't in Japanese. Starts out light, with piano, and gradually builds up; the number of singers increase, as well. The last part should be raised to climax recklessly and have the same phrase repeating. Strings and handclapping required.
M-11 Song that isn't in Japanese 2
M-12 Pachelbel's Canon; for anthology compilation ED
M-13 A-4 heavy version (mainly with chorus and strings)
M-14 Dignified battle music (heavy with strings and percussion, etc.)
M-15 Love theme (piano, female chorus)


However, as you can see by crossreferencing the S2 works page, not all the pieces were used.

Let's take a look at the songs that were used and what their eventual titles would be:

M-3 (Munashiki nagare), M-4 (Hajimari e no touhi), M-6 (Tanin no kanshou/Manatsu no shuuen), M-7 (Itsuwari no, saisei), M-9 (Heisoku no kakudai), M-10 (Komm, süsser Tod)

So we can see that only 1/5 of the intended songs ever made it to the final soundtrack. However, it's clear that each of the songs used do correlate to their original description. (If you look at the music menu for the main series, it does not match up nearly as well) But by looking at some of the song choices, it seems like this music menu was thought up before Death was made, well before EoE's release.

However, many of the songs were included in the S2 works (though some were not), so I would like to examine these songs.

M-1
This is actually not included anywhere. However I have reason to believe it is some precursor to Yume no Sukima, the final song of the movie. Yume no Sukima is labeled as the "piano/choice" version of A-4 (which is also the melody for Borderlline Case/Do you love me?). Two other piano versions of A-4 are also included in the S-2 works. In total, 13 versions of A-4 are included in the S-2 works, with four of those in the EoE soundtrack. Actually, the original A-4 melody is very lovely and it's a shame it wasn't included in the series, although Zeijaku na, jiga kyoukai is very close.

M-2
Apparently this song is a collection of various classical works that sound vaguely familiar, but I have no idea what they are. Some parts kind of remind me of Fly Me to the Moon. I have no idea how this would've fit into EoE, but maybe it was meant for Death instead.

M-5
This is a fairly ominous piece of music. I have no idea what it would be used for though. Apparently, it's a choirless version of Mozart's Lacrimosa.

M-8
Like the description implies, this is actually a choral variation of E-13, Thanatos. It looks like it was supposed to be have used for Asuka's death but was replaced with M-3 instead (while M-3 seemed to be used for Death originally). If you do want to hear the music in action, check out One More Final: I need You(tube) Poop.

M-11
This is actually Everything you've ever dreamed. It seems this might have been the original ending song for 26'.

M-12
This classical song is actually Pachabel's Canon, the ending song for Death, probably from while Death and the End of Evangelion were planned to be one release.

M-13
This is basically another version of Borderline Case. It looks like they decided to go with one of the other versions of A-4 instead.

M-14
This is an incredibly triumphant-sounding and upbeat song. It pretty much goes against the tone of End of Evangelion. Maybe the movie was planned with something different in mind? Makes you really wonder. It might have something to do with Asuka's fight, but there's other songs that look like they were intended for that.

M-15
This is the real kicker. I think it sounds even more out of place than M-14. I have no idea when it could have been used, because it sounds incredibly cheerful and even romantic. Maybe it could have been used sometime around the end, but that would've given a completely different feel to the end of the series. If anyone has any speculation on this, I would love to hear.

Well, that's it folks. I might sometime do an analysis of the original series music menu, but that would be much more difficult, since it goes back to when Aruka and similar concepts were being considered for Evangelion.
Last edited by chaosakita on Wed Sep 25, 2013 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The case of the unused music pieces of End of Evangelion

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Postby Guy Nacks » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:43 pm

The only music i've been able to place that wasnt used in the series proper (and actually syncs up with the scene in question) was B-6 ("Anxiety") which syncs up perfectly with the first part of Hallelujah that plays during Asuka's mindrape in ep 22.

I'm 99% positive that this was the original intended music for that scene, but Anno probably decided on Halelujah because lolart.
Among the people who use the Internet, many are obtuse. Because they are locked in their rooms, they hang on to that vision which is spreading across the world. But this does not go beyond mere ‘data’. Data without analysis [thinking], which makes you think that you know everything. This complacency is nothing but a trap. Moreover, the sense of values that counters this notion is paralyzed by it.

And so we arrive at demagogy. - Hideaki Anno, 1996

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Postby chaosakita » Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:28 pm

Apparently M-5 is Mozart's Lacrimosa.
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Postby hui43210 » Tue Sep 24, 2013 11:17 am

Is there anywhere I could hear this music at?
I mean, predictability is the central attraction and the narrative hook that we've all come to expect from the Evangelion franchise. How come Anno can't realize this? Twice? - FreakyFilmFan4ever

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Postby chaosakita » Tue Sep 24, 2013 12:54 pm

View Original Posthui43210 wrote:Is there anywhere I could hear this music at?


Evageeks doesn't allow links to copyrighted materials. Not sure if I could directly tell you either.

Look up S2 works on youtube though, something might pop up.
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Postby hui43210 » Tue Sep 24, 2013 1:17 pm

View Original Postchaosakita wrote:Evageeks doesn't allow links to copyrighted materials. Not sure if I could directly tell you either.

Look up S2 works on youtube though, something might pop up.


Found it......In the future there is PM'ing.
I mean, predictability is the central attraction and the narrative hook that we've all come to expect from the Evangelion franchise. How come Anno can't realize this? Twice? - FreakyFilmFan4ever


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