Opera "Maria and Draco"

Maria and Draco is the name of the opera written by Nobuo Uematsu and Yoshinori Kitase that features in Final Fantasy VI.

In the game's original Japanese version the music is closely aligned with the lyrics, although because of technical limitations no voice is heard except for an attempt at recreating a voice on the SPC700 sound format.

The "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", one of Final Fantasy's most famous musical themes, is sung within the opera.

In Game
In order to establish contact with Setzer, the owner of the only functional airship in the World, the Blackjack, Celes impersonates the opera singer Maria, with whom Setzer is in love. Although Celes successfully poses as Maria for the majority of the opera, Locke discovers during the performance that Ultros is planning on dropping a gigantic weight on Celes from the rafters. The attempt to stop him ends with Locke, his allies and Ultros plummeting to the stage, knocking the actors playing Ralse and Draco unconscious. Locke thus attempts (and somewhat succeeds) to improvise this into the opera, and after battling Ultros, Setzer appears and kidnaps Celes as per the original plan.

The entire opera scene spans four tracks in Final Fantasy VI's original soundtrack: "Overture", "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", "The Wedding", and "Grand Finale?".

The opera is mostly in the game for one's enjoyment but also features a small game element. Three times during the opera the player has to pick the correct line for Celes to sing. Failing to do so will stop the opera and the player must do a new attempt; it is quite easy to guess which line is the correct one, however. The Opera scene is considered one of the most beautiful cutscenes in the game and is repeatedly voted as one of the most stirring moments in gaming history according to many sources.

Plot
The armies of the East are battling the forces of the West. The hero of the Western army is a warrior named Draco, who is in love with the Western princess, Maria. When the West loses the war against the East and Draco is presumed lost, Maria is forced to marry the Eastern Prince, Ralse. During a ball, the survivors of the West, led by Draco, launch a surprise attack. A duel ensues between Draco and Ralse, in which the latter is defeated. Maria and Draco then live together happily ever after.

Lyrics
The Opera has been arranged and performed live in its entirety numerous times, both in English and Japanese. Its lyrical content has varied accordingly, although it is possible to determine four different (albeit minimally) versions of it:
 * The Japanese and the English versions of the SNES release of Final Fantasy VI
 * The Japanese and the English versions of the GBA release of the game
 * The Distant Worlds/More Friends version
 * The VOICES/Darkness and Starlight version

Live performance in English lyrics (Distant Worlds/More Friends)
'''Draco:
 * Oh, Maria
 * Oh, Maria
 * Though I call you from afar,
 * Will this message reach your heart?
 * Oh, how I long to be with you!

'''Maria:
 * Oh, my hero!
 * My beloved!
 * Shall we still be made to part?
 * Though promises of perennial love
 * Yet sing here in my heart


 * I'm the darkness you're the starlight
 * Shining brightly from afar
 * Through hours of despair, I offer this pray
 * To you my evening star


 * Must my final vows exchanged
 * be with him and not with you
 * Were you only here to quiet my fear
 * Oh, speak! Guide me anew!

'''Draco:
 * Maria!

'''Maria:
 * Draco! I knew you would return to me, my love!

'''Ralse:
 * Insolent rogue! Knave of the Western Horde!
 * Would you address my Queen-to-be, Maria?

'''Draco:
 * Never shall you have Maria's Hand!
 * I would die before that day comes!

'''Ralse:
 * Then we duel!

'''Ralse:
 * I yield... this day is yours, Draco.
 * Curse you should you let Maria go!

'''Draco:
 * Peace, then! For you have my word:
 * With me she'll know nothing but peace!

'''Ralse:
 * Maria! Maria!
 * I love you so!

'''Draco and Ralse:
 * Maria! Maria!
 * Return to me!

'''Maria:
 * I am thankful, my beloved
 * For your tenderness and grace
 * I see in your eyes, so gentle and wise
 * All doubts and fears erased


 * Though the hours take no notice
 * Of what fate might have in store

'''Maria, Ralse, and Draco
 * Our love, come what may
 * Will never age a day
 * I'll wait forevermore...
 * I'll wait forevermore!

Live performance in Japanese lyrics (VOICES/Darkness and Starlight)
"Darkness and Starlight" is a rock arrangement of Maria and Draco included in the Black Mages's third studio album The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight. Because the opera scene in the game ends abruptly with Celes's kidnapping just before Draco and Ralse's duel, the whole lyrical content was unknown until this release. The album features the complete opera scene in a rock rearrangement which, while slightly deviating from the original version, was made to be as faithful to the original opera as it may.

The recording for the Black Mages' third studio album had already started when the idea of adding Maria and Draco came to Uematsu, and he decided to add it because he wanted to try something new with the album. He has stated that nothing had really changed from when he was composing Final Fantasy VI; he always wants the challenge of something new.

Personnel in "Darkness and Starlight"

 * Maria (Mezzo-soprano) - Etsuyo Ota
 * Draco (Tenor) - Tomoaki Watanabe
 * Ralse (Baritone) - Tetsuya Odagawa
 * Female Chorus - Manami Kiyota
 * Male Chorus - Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui, Michio Okamiya, and Arata Hanyuda
 * Impresario (Narrator) - Koori Masao