Ending (theme from Kirby's Dream Course)
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"Ending"[Japanese title][1] is a track that was first heard in Kirby's Dream Course. Composed by the game's sole music composer, Hirokazu Ando, the light-hearted and fun composition draws elements from music accompanying the ending cutscenes of all two mainline games preceding Kirby's Dream Course, these being Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure.
Composition[edit]
The track is a brisk, bright allegro track at just under 154 bpm. Set in 4/4 time, the track predominantly features light, airy samples such as wind-like synths and soft strings, with only basic percussion.
The track begins with its driving figure, whose ascending melody recalls the rising intro to "A New Wind for Tomorrow". The eight-measure figure modulates internally from G-flat major plausibly through B major to A-flat major, then repeats, a semitone higher for the first half (G major plausibly through C major) and unusually a whole tone higher for the second half (B-flat major).
After taking a moment to sway around some third intervals for four bars, the middle section of the track builds in increasingly elaborate ways on the track's key melodic figure, first through a 16-bar interlude in A major and then B major that acts as a bridge passage, then returning to the original figure but introducing counterpoint lines in multiple instruments. The latter part sees numerous changes in key, with each eight-bar iteration on the key figure modulating through D-flat major, plausibly G-flat major, E-flat major; B major, plausibly E major, D-flat major; and finally E major, plausibly A major, G-flat major.
"Ending" ends by again swaying around third intervals (now Bb-Db-C-Db x2, C-Eb-D-Eb x2) as it fades out; this figure strongly resembles a treble synth counterpart line from the intro and final parts of "Ending Demo" from Kirby's Adventure (also composed by Hirokazu Ando), except the arrangement of "Ending Demo" is rooted in C-flat major instead of G-flat major and is considerably more complex.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Dream Course[edit]
In its origin game, "Ending" plays during the staff credits, after defeating Robo Dedede and freeing all the stars. It's listed as song 002 in the game's Sound Room, with the debug name of "EPILOGUE".
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, "Ending" reappears for the first time in over 20 years. It can be heard playing in Rhythm Route - Stage 7 EX, specifically in the room with the Spring Notes. It can also be listened to in the game's Jukebox as Track 125. Interestingly, though the track has a proper ending in Kirby's Dream Course, in this game, it loops.
Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]
In Kirby's Dream Buffet, "Ending" gets a bouncy and energetic rearrangement courtesy of Hirokazu Ando, which can be heard during minigames. Clocking in at just under 185 bpm, this version features a ska-rock style with prominent off beats and an electric organ sound. The arrangement undergoes oddly complex transposition relative to the original, starting from G major to modulate plausibly through C major to A major, but on repetition first transposing a semitone up (A-flat major), transposing another semitone up after only four bars (plausibly through D major), and finally transposing up by a whole fourth interval relative to the first iteration (thus staying in D major) before the swaying interlude leading into the loop point.
Other appearances[edit]
This track was included in The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks, as Track 32 on the CD.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | エンディング [1] endingu |
Ending |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Taken from The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks.
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