The music in the Civilization video game series has been composed by various composers.
![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
The soundtrack of the original Civilization game was available in either digital MIDI format for DOS version, or in tracker format for Amiga version. Most of original tunes were composed by Jeff Briggs, while others were taken from traditional or classic compositions, referring to each national culture (civilization) represented in the game. The same music used for the Aztecs was also applied to the Barbarians whenever they invaded a city.
Besides the main theme, sometimes known as "Civilization Opening Theme", other tunes used in the game were Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the "leader's day" celebration in cities, as well as the Funeral March from Beethoven's Third Symphony.
Civilization II's music is in the Red Book CD-audio format, the same as that found on normal music CDs. The songs are quite varied; some are from the 19th century classical era, such as the Blue Danube Waltz, while others have a tribal, tropical sound to them. The music can be played back through any CD-ROM drive. Over 200 MB of space on the Civilization II CD is taken up by the music, 280 MB is occupied by the videos (many of them are historical footages), whereas the actual program data takes up less than 30 MB.
The five different releases of Civilization II have added and subtracted tracks from the mix, with Fantastic Worlds containing the largest number of tracks of all releases.
Whenever a player builds a Wonder of the World, a short video with music is played. The music is often taken from other sources:
Most videos, however, feature original compositions with often discernible inspiration,[1] either from Peter Gabriel's soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ:
Trevor Jones' and Randy Edelman's soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans (1992):
Or various other sources:
Civilization III is a 2001 strategy game from Firaxis Games. As the game progresses, the music changes to reflect the era. There are five different mixes that represent the five major cultural groupings of the Civs in the game (European, North American, Middle Eastern, Greco-Roman, and Asian).
During diplomatic negotiations with leaders of other civilizations, there are both aggressive and passive tracks for each culture grouping that play depending on the mood of the civilization the player negotiates with. All the music in the game is stored in MP3 format.[2]
Roger Briggs and Mark Cromer are credited with the game's music.[3][4][5]
Civilization IV Soundtrack | |
---|---|
![]() The soundtrack CD | |
Soundtrack album | |
Released | 2005; 17 years ago (2005) |
The music of the computer game Civilization IV features a large variety of tracks both original and historical, from Gregorian chants to modern minimalism, and makes extensive use of classical music as well as both world music and folk music. Such a focus on the soundtrack and the inclusion of classical, world and folk music are rare among games, though relatively common for strategy games. Original music was created for the expansion Civilization IV: Warlords and includes specifically themed music for each of the several scenarios, and several new Leader pieces. Civilization IV: Warlords also uses music from Civilization III to fill out some of the areas overlooked in the original Civilization IV, such as music for the "classical" period, and adds eastern music for the Asian scenarios. All tracks are stored on the hard drive in mp3 format, making them perfectly usable outside the game.
Original music was composed by Jeff Briggs, Mark Cromer, Michael Curran, and Christopher Tin. Featured composers include John Adams, Gregorio Allegri, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antoine Brumel, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Francisco de la Torre, Josquin des Prez, Antonín Dvořák, Orlande de Lassus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Ockeghem, Michael Praetorius, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Camille Saint-Saëns and John Sheppard.
Each of the game's time periods has its own set of background music appropriate for the period. The Ancient and Classical ages are limited to four original tracks that mostly focus on ambience and primitive instruments such as drums and the flute. The Middle Ages feature medieval and renaissance music, both instrumental and chants, such as Kyrie by Ockeghem. The renaissance era uses baroque and classical music by Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. The soundtrack to the industrial period focuses on romantic music by Brahms, Dvořák and Beethoven, with one track each from Saint-Saëns and Rimsky-Korsakov. The modern age's music is composed exclusively of music by American minimalist composer John Adams. Orchestral samples in the game are from the Vienna Symphonic Library, which features recordings of classical music by members of the Vienna Philharmonic.[6]
Each leader has his or her own theme music as well, and each leitmotif has three variants, corresponding to different periods in the game. These are shorter and simpler pieces, from just under 40 seconds to three minutes. Each reflects the leader or country in question: Roosevelt's music is the Marines' Hymn, and Napoleon's is based on La Marseillaise. Some are renditions of famous pieces of classical music, such as Frederick's piece, which is a paraphrase of the fourth of the Goldberg Variations, or Bismarck's, which is the opening theme of the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3. Others, such as Mao Zedong and Alexander the Great have music that has been modified from earlier games, such as Civilization III.
The theme song is "Coronation" composed by Christopher Tin, and the main menu music is "Baba Yetu", also composed by him. The latter features lyrics based on a Swahili adaptation of the Lord's Prayer by Chris Kiagiri. Vocals were performed by Stanford Talisman.[7]
Stanford Talisman performs all the pieces written by Christopher Tin. The other tracks (especially the polyphony from the Medieval section) are performed by a variety of groups, who are not credited on the original soundtrack.[8]
![]() | This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021) |
Title | Artist/Composer | Other Information |
---|---|---|
Coronation | Christopher Tin | Intro video theme song |
Baba Yetu | Christopher Tin | Menu theme (sung in Swahili). Won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) |
Al Nadda | Rahbani brothers | Warlords menu theme (Lebanese, sung in Arabic) |
? | Michael Curran | Beyond the Sword menu theme (sung in English; lyrics based on Walt Whitman's Passage to India and Alfred Noyes' A Prayer in Time of War) |
Asoka | Jeff Briggs, Mark Cromer | Ashoka's theme |
Alexander | Jeff Briggs, Roger Briggs, Mark Cromer | Alexander the Great and Pericles's theme |
Mansa Musa | Michael Curran | Mansa Musa's theme |
Saladin | Mark Cromer | Saladin's theme |
Huang Shi Ti | Ancient folk tune, Jeff Briggs, Mark Cromer | Huang Shi Ti's theme |
Huayna Capac | Jeff Briggs, Michael Curran | Huayna Capac's theme |
Washington's Artillery Retreat | Michael Curran, Mark Cromer, Jeff Briggs | Washington's theme |
Harvest of the Nile | Hatshepsut's and Ramesses's theme | |
Joao | ? | Joao II's theme |
Lincoln | ? | Abraham Lincoln's theme |
Hammurabi | ? | Hammurabi's theme |
Domine, Ad Adjuvandum | ? | Charlemagne's theme |
Zara Yaqob | ? | Zara Yaqob's theme |
Ragnar | ? | Ragnar Lodbrok's theme |
Pacal | ? | Pacal II's theme |
Gilgamesh | ? | Gilgamesh's theme |
Sitting Bull | ? | Sitting Bull's theme |
Kent Gij Het Land | ? | Willem van Oranje's theme |
En Lordani | ? | Justinian I's theme |
Wang Kon | ? | Wang Kon's theme |
Suryavarman | ? | Suryavarman II's theme |
Mehmed | ? | Mehmed II and Suleiman the Magnificent's theme |
Shaka | ? | Shaka Zulu's theme |
Gautama Ponders | Gandhi's theme | |
Tenochtitlan Revealed | Montezuma's theme | |
Hammurabi's Code | Cyrus's and Darius's theme | |
The Shining Path | Jeff Briggs, Mark Cromer | Mao Zedong's theme |
Augustus Rises | Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar's theme | |
Marines' Hymn | Roosevelt's theme | |
Malagueña | Ernesto Lecuona, Mark Cromer | Isabella's theme |
La Marseillaise | Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle | Napoleon's and De Gaulle's theme |
Harpsichord Sonata K.380 "The Hunt" | Domenico Scarlatti | Louis XIV's theme |
Sakura Sakura | Traditional Japanese (Edo period), Jeff Briggs, Mark Cromer | Tokugawa's theme |
The fourth of the Goldberg Variations | Johann Sebastian Bach | Frederick's theme |
The second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 | Ludwig van Beethoven | Bismarck's theme |
The Song of the Volga Boatmen | Mily Balakirev, Jeff Briggs | Peter the Great's and Stalin's theme |
Fanfare-Rondeau | Jean-Joseph Mouret | Elizabeth's theme |
Rule Britannia | Thomas Arne | Victoria's and Churchill's theme |
Mongol Internationale | Magsarshawyn Durgarshaw (Mongol National Anthem), Jeff Briggs | Kublai Khan's and Genghis Khan's theme |
Fear an Dùin Mhòir | ?[9] | Brennus and Boudica's theme |
Polonaise in G minor, BWV Anh. 119 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Barbarian theme |
"Rock & Roll" | Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground | 'Rock and Roll' wonder construction theme |
The Alla Hornpipe from the Water Music Suite in D Major | George Frideric Handel | "Default Peace Music" |
The White-Haired Woman | Yan Jinxuan | "Chinese Unification" theme music |
Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition | Modest Mussorgsky | Hall of Glory theme music |
Conquests Fantasy 1 & 2 | unknown | Warlords soundtrack music |
First Delphic Hymn | Athenaios Athenaiou | "Classical Age" background music |
Miserere | Gregorio Allegri | "Medieval Age" background music |
Ay Santa Maria | Anonymous | "Medieval Age" background music |
La Gamba | Anonymous | "Medieval Age" background music |
Missa Et ecce terrae motus. Gloria | Antoine Brumel | "Medieval Age" background music; performed by the Tallis Choir |
Deus Judex Justus | Chant | "Medieval Age" background music |
Laudate | Chant | "Medieval Age" background music |
Regem cui omnia vivunt | Chant | "Medieval Age" background music |
La Spagna: Danza alta | Francisco de la Torre | "Medieval Age" background music |
El grillo | Josquin des Prez | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Capilla Flamenca. |
Lamentatio super morte Josquin des Pres (O mors inevitabilis) | Jheronimus Vinders | "Medieval Age" background music |
Alma Redemptoris Mater | Orlande de Lassus | "Medieval Age" background music |
Intemerata | Johannes Ockeghem | "Medieval Age" background music |
Kyrie | Johannes Ockeghem | "Medieval Age" background music |
Recercada Tercera | Diego Ortiz | "Medieval Age" background music |
Missa Papae Marcelli: II. Gloria | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Oxford Camerata. |
Missa Papae Marcelli: III. Credo | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Oxford Camerata. |
Ballet du Roy from Terpsichore | Michael Praetorius | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Bourrasque Ensemble and Westra Aros Pipers |
Bransle Gay / Bransle de Montirade from Terpsichore | Michael Praetorius | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Bourrasque Ensemble |
Volte from Terpsichore | Michael Praetorius | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by Bourrasque Ensemble and Westra Aros Pipers |
Media Vita | John Sheppard | "Medieval Age" background music. Performed by the Tallis Scholars. |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047: III. Allegro assai | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: I. Allegro | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049: I. Allegro | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051: I. Allegro | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051: III. Allegro | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: II. Allemande | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: IV. Sarabande | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: V. Menuet I and II | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 1010: V. Bourrée I and II | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011: VI. Gigue | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: II. Largo ma non tanto | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: III. Allegro | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041: III. Allegro assai | Johann Sebastian Bach | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Romance No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra in G major, Op. 40 | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21: II. Andante cantabile con moto | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466: II. Romance | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Serenade No. 10 in B-flat major, K. 361 – "Gran Partita": III. Adagio | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 – "Jupiter": II. Andante cantabile | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | "Renaissance Age" background music |
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: II. Andante con moto | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Industrial Age" background music |
Symphony No. 6 in F major "Pastoral", Op. 68: I. Awakening of Cheerful Feelings upon Arrival in the Country: Allegro ma non troppo | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Industrial Age" background music |
Symphony No. 6 in F major "Pastoral", Op. 68: II. Scene by the Brook: Andante molto mosso | Ludwig van Beethoven | "Industrial Age" background music |
Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor | Johannes Brahms | "Industrial Age" background music |
Hungarian Dance No. 16 in F minor | Johannes Brahms | "Industrial Age" background music |
Hungarian Dance No. 3 in F major | Johannes Brahms | "Industrial Age" background music |
Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: II. Andante | Johannes Brahms | "Industrial Age" background music |
Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90: III. Poco allegretto | Johannes Brahms | "Industrial Age" background music |
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, B 83 (after piano 4-hands version): No. 3 in A-flat major | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, B 83 (after piano 4-hands version): No. 7 in C minor | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, B 147: No. 2 (10) in E minor | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, B 147: No. 4 (12) in D-flat major | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Suite in A major "American", Op. 98b, B 190: I. Andante con moto | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B 178, "From the New World": II. Largo | Antonín Dvořák | "Industrial Age" background music |
Scheherazade, Op. 35: III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess | Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | "Industrial Age" background music |
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33: II: Allegretto con moto | Camille Saint-Saëns | "Industrial Age" background music |
Christian Zeal and Activity | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Common Tones in Simple Time | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Grand Pianola Music: Part 1A | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Grand Pianola Music: Part 1B | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Harmonielehre: Part I | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Harmonielehre: Part II. The Anfortas Wound | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Harmonielehre: Part III. Meister Eckhardt and Quackie | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Shaker Loops: I. Shaking And Trembling | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Shaker Loops: II. Hymning Slews | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Shaker Loops: III. Loops And Verses | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music, also heard during credits |
The People Are The Heroes Now (from Nixon in China) | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music, also heard during credits |
Two Fanfares: Tromba Lontana | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
Violin Concerto: II. Chaconne: Body Through Which The Dream Flows | John Adams | "Modern Age" background music |
The soundtrack of Civilization V contains many hours of licensed music as well as an original score of primarily leader music written by Geoff Knorr and Michael Curran. The original score features new compositions as well as folk songs and famous compositions. Some of the songs in the game were released as a 2-disc soundtrack as part of the Deluxe Edition.[10] The track listing of the soundtrack is:[11]
# | Title (in game) | Civilization | Original Title | Playtime |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alexander Peace | Greece | Epitaph of Seikilos | 6:44 |
2 | Alexander War | 5:06 | ||
3 | Askia Peace | Songhai | Gambia Folk Song | 3:47 |
4 | Askia War | 5:02 | ||
5 | Bismarck Peace | Germany | Ode to Joy | 5:35 |
6 | Bismarck War | 4:52 | ||
7 | Caesar Peace | Rome | Ancient Roman Melody Fragments | 4:37 |
8 | Caesar War | 5:43 | ||
9 | Catherine Peace | Russia | Montagues and Capulets | 4:07 |
10 | Catherine War | 4:17 | ||
11 | Darius I Peace | Persia | Morghe Sahar | 5:16 |
12 | Darius I War | 5:49 | ||
13 | Elizabeth Peace | England | I Vow to Thee, My Country | 5:23 |
14 | Elizabeth War | 5:05 | ||
15 | Gandhi Peace | India | Raga Asa | 5:15 |
16 | Gandhi War | 3:48 | ||
17 | Harun al-Rashid Peace | Arabia | Thikriati; Hijaz Maqam | 6:23 |
18 | Harun al-Rashid War | 4:47 | ||
19 | Napoleon Peace | France | Cancan | 3:06 |
20 | Napoleon War | 4:25 | ||
21 | Oda Nobunaga Peace | Japan | Rokudan no Shirabe | 5:44 |
22 | Oda Nobunaga War | 5:56 | ||
23 | Civilization V Opening Movie Music | - | - | 3:31 |
24 | Civilization V Opening Menu Music | - | - | 5:17 |
25 | Ramesses II War | Egypt | Ancient Egyptian Melody Fragments | 3:50 |
26 | Suleiman Peace | Ottoman Empire | Ceddin Deden | 5:05 |
27 | Suleiman War | 5:08 | ||
28 | Washington Peace | America | America the Beautiful | 3:13 |
29 | Washington War | 3:42 | ||
30 | Wu Zetian Peace | China | Gao Shan Liu Shui | 4:40 |
However, some leader themes, city state themes, and the ambient music are omitted from the soundtrack.
Leader | Civilization | Piece |
---|---|---|
Genghis Khan | Mongolia | Traditional Mongolian Long Song (Urtiin Duu) |
Harald Bluetooth | Denmark | "Drømte mig en drøm i nat" and "Nobilis Humilis" |
Hiawatha | Iroquois | Ho, Ho, Watanay |
Isabella | Spain | Ay Carmela |
Kamehameha | Polynesia | Hole Waimea |
Montezuma | Aztec | Cora Mitote Song |
Nebuchadnezzar II | Babylon | Hurrian Hymn |
Pachacuti | Inca | Traditional Inca Melody Fragments |
Ramkhamhaeng | Siam | Melody in "The Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music" |
Sejong | Korea | Arirang |
Also omitted from the music credits are Gabriel Fauré's Berceuse, the Berceuse from his Dolly Suite, and his Sicilienne.
The full list of licensed music is as follows:[12]
The following tracks are courtesy of APM Music, LLC:
The following are courtesy of Dewolfe Music:
The Civilization V expansion, Gods & Kings, includes the soundtrack within the game files.
1. Opening Movie Music
2. Gods & Kings Theme, based on Te Deum
3, 4. Gustavus Adolphus – Sweden – "Du Gamla, Du Fria"
5, 6. Boudicca – The Celts – "Lord Gregory, The Lass of Aughrim"
7, 8. William of Orange – The Netherlands – "In Naam van Oranje"
9, 10. Maria Theresa – Austria – "Requiem Mass" in D minor; "Still Still Still"
11, 12. Attila – The Huns – "Li Ling Si Han"
13, 14. Dido – Carthage – "Hymn to Nikkal"
15, 16. Theodora – Byzantium – "Phos Hilaron"
17, 18. Haile Selassie – Ethiopia – "Traditional melody"; Selassie's National Anthem
19, 20. Pacal – The Maya – "Traditional melody fragments"
21. Fall of Rome
22. The Medieval World – "Messe de Notre Dame"
23. Smoky Skies
The second Civilization V expansion, Brave New World, contains the following original music:[16][17]
The soundtrack for "Civilization: Beyond Earth" was composed entirely by Geoff Knorr, Michael Curran, Griffin Cohen and Grant Kirkhope. The soundtrack was critically acclaimed and won the 2014 IFMCA Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media, in addition to many other accolades.[19]
Music in Civilization: Beyond Earth includes:
Christopher Tin again wrote Civilization VI's main theme, "Sogno di Volare" (translated as "The Dream of Flight"). The theme was written to capture the spirit of exploration not only in "seeking new lands, but also the mental exploration of expanding the frontiers of science and philosophy". Tin premiered the song at a London concert in July 2016.[20] The game's original score was written and orchestrated primarily by Geoff Knorr, who was assisted by Roland Rizzo and Phill Boucher.[21] The themes of each civilization are played as different variations of the same song throughout the eras. In every playable civilization, simple single instrument melodies in the Ancient era turn into orchestral versions of the same melodies in later eras, symbolizing the evolution and growth of one's civilization throughout the ages.[22] The score was nominated for 2016 Music of the Year by the Game Audio Network Guild.[23]
Each civilization has its own main theme which evolves as the player progresses throughout the eras. Each theme has four versions, each musically corresponding to one of the following eras: Ancient, Medieval, Industrial and Atomic. The eras without an era-specific version will feature the most recent one. For example, the Classical era features the theme of the Ancient era, and the Renaissance era features the theme of the Medieval era.
Every civilization excluding Sumeria also feature specific "ambient" themes that play during the Ancient, Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance eras.
During a game session, the themes (main and ambient) of each participating civilization (including eliminated ones) will be featured in the in-game music. The versions correspond to the current era of each civilization.
The main theme of each civilization is written in bold.
The first Civilization VI expansion, Rise and Fall, contains the following original music:[25]
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Civilization | |
---|---|
| |
Video games |
|
Tabletop games |
|
Predecessor games |
|
Related games |
|
Free games and mods |
|
Miscellaneous | |
|