Celes impersonating Maria.
The Opera Maria and Draco (オペラ〜マリアとドラクゥ, Opera~Maria to Dorakū?) is an event in Final Fantasy VI and the collective name of a set of four tracks, written by Nobuo Uematsu and Yoshinori Kitase, featured in the original soundtrack, later released as a single track in multiple album compilations. It is sometimes referred to as The Dream Oath, though this title is never used in the game or in any of the compilations.
The four tracks that play during the sequence are "Overture", "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", "Wedding Waltz - Duel", and "Grand Finale".
In the original Japanese version the music is closely aligned with the lyrics, although because of technical limitations the "voices" are created on the SPC700 sound format. In the Pixel Remaster edition, the song is voiced by real opera singers.
The "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", one of the Final Fantasy series' most famous musical themes, is performed within the opera.
The development team had an idea to include an opera scene and Yoshinori Kitase wrote lyrics for it, while Uematsu composed the music. Translator Ted Woolsey found the opera scene unique and interesting and thus spent plenty of time on that scene; the scene had multiple files that combined to provide the experience: battle texts, the opera text displayed during the different cinematics, and the usual screen text all had to work in concert.[1]
Gameplay[]
The opera.
To establish contact with Setzer, the owner of the only functional airship in the World of Balance—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 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 kidnaps Celes as per the original plan.
SNES / PS / GBA / 2014 versions[]
Celes throws the flower bouquet off the terrace.
The opera 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 easy to guess which line is the correct one, however. Although if one "overthinks" the line to be chosen, the game will automatically select the highlighted line after a couple of seconds. The lines to be chosen are the first, then the second, and then the first one again. Then Draco appears on the scene and turns into a flower bouquet. The player has to pick it up and walk upstairs to throw the bouquet off the terrace to finish the mini-game. Doing it too fast (Pixel Remaster version only) or too slow will also get the party kicked out of the Opera House. Failing the opera four times in total will be resulted as a game over. Story-wise, the actions are intended to be performed so that the events of the opera are performed in time with the music, thus performing the actions too quickly would throw off the musical cue. Throughout portions of the opera sequence, the player is not permitted to advance dialogue.
Final Fantasy VI: Pixel Remaster[]
The castle set has been redone in a 2.5D isometric style and all musical parts are voiced in Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Korean. The English version has subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese and Russian while the Japanese version has subtitles in Thai, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. Many of the above sequences are automated, meaning that the player will not be required to move Celes save to run toward Draco's avatar. Button cues will appear that the player must press to advance in the scene. On the third cue, the player must wait until Celes approaches the balcony to throw the bouquet, or the attempt will fail.
Story[]
Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.
The armies of the east are battling the forces of the west. The hero of the western army is Draco, who is in love with the western princess, Maria. When the west loses the war 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 and Maria and Draco go on to live happily ever after.
After Ultros threatens Celes (who doubles as Maria's actress to draw out Setzer), Locke and the other Returners stop him from dropping a 4 ton weight onto the stage during the opera. The Returners end up knocking out the actors for Draco and Ralse during the "duel", and ad-lib the confrontation as if it were part of the opera while also dealing with Ultros.
In an early draft of the opera sequence, Biggs and Wedge disrupted the opera instead of Ultros, using icicles rather than an anvil.[2]
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 6 different versions of it:
- The Japanese and the English versions of the SNES release.
- The Japanese and the English versions of the GBA and smartphone releases.
- The Distant Worlds/More Friends version.
- The The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight version.
- The Distant Worlds V: more music from FINAL FANTASY version.
- The Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin version.
Super Famicom Japanese lyrics with English translation
- Impresario
- 西軍と東軍の戦いは
- 日ましに激しくなっていった。
- 西軍のガルー城の戦士ドラクゥは
- 激戦の戦地で母国に残してきた
- マリアの事を思う……
- Draco
- ♪ オー マリア
- オー マリア
- わたしの こえが とどいているか
- おまえの もとへ ♪
- Impresario
- 西軍は破れ、マリアの城は
- 東軍の支配下におかれた。
- 東軍の王子ラルスとの結婚を強いられた
- マリアはドラクゥへの思いをすてきれず
- 毎晩夜空を見ては恋人をおもう……
- Maria
- ♪ いとしの あなたは
- とおいところへ？
- ♪ いろあせぬ とわのあい
- ちかったばかりに ♪
- ♪ かなしい ときにも
- つらいときにも
- ♪ そらにふる あのほしを
- あなたとおもい ♪
- ♪ のぞまぬ ちぎりを
- かわすのですか？
- どうすれば？ ねえあなた？
- ことばをまつ ♪
- Draco
- ﾄﾞﾗｸｩ「さあ……マリアよ
- 私といっしょにステップを……
- ﾄﾞﾗｸｩ「はははは……
- Maria
- ♪ ありがとう わたしの
- あいするひとよ
- いちどでも このおもい
- ゆれたわたしに ♪
- ♪ しずかに やさしく
- こたえてくれて
- いつまでも いつまでも
- あなたをまつ ♪
- Chancellor
- 大臣「ラルス王子がおさがしです。
- ダンスのお相手を。
- もうおあきらめください。
- 我が国は東軍の属国になってしまった
- のですから……
- Messenger
- 西軍の生き残りが攻めてきた！！
- ﾗﾙｽ「なに！！
- Ralse
- 「なに！！
- Soldiers
- 待て！！
- Draco
- ♪ マリア ♪
- Maria
- ♪ ドラクゥ
- このひを しんじてた。 ♪
- Ralse
- ♪ マリアは このわたしの
- きさきになる べきひとだ ♪
- Draco
- ♪ いのち つきはてよう とも
- はなし はしない。 ♪
- Ralse
- けっとうだ！ ♪
- Impresario
- The battle between the West and the East
- was growing more fierce day by day.
- On the battleground during a furious skirmish,
- the soldier Draco of the Western castle Garou
- thinks of Maria,
- whom he left in his homeland...
- Draco
- Oh, Maria
- Oh, Maria
- Is my voice reaching
- To where you are?
- Impresario
- The West was defeated, and Maria's castle
- came under Eastern control.
- Maria, forced into marriage by
- the Eastern Prince Ralse,
- does not abandon her feelings for Draco,
- but thinks of her lover each night
- as she watches the skies...
- Maria
- My beloved, are you going to a distant place?
- And we just pledged eternal love...
- Through sad times and hard times,
- I'll think of that shooting star as you.
- Do I have to exchange vows with one I don't love?
- What shall I do? I'm waiting for your words...
- Draco
- Come... Maria.
- Dance a step with me...
- Ha ha ha ha...
- Maria
- And I thank you, my beloved,
- For my feelings may have swayed,
- But oh so gently, and so kindly, you answered me
- I'll wait for you forevermore...
- Chancellor
- Prince Ralse is searching.
- For his dance partner.
- Please resign yourself to this.
- We've become a dependency
- of the East, after all...
- Messenger
- The Western survivors are attacking!
- Ralse
- What?
- Soldiers
- Attack!
- Draco
- Wait!
- Maria!
- Maria
- Draco!
- I had believed in this day.
- Ralse
- Maria is meant to
- be my queen.
- Draco
- Though it may cost me my life,
- I refuse to let her go.
- Ralse
- Then we duel!
SNES-GBA English lyrics
- SNES
- Impresario
- The West and the East were waging war...
- Draco, the West's great hero, thinks of his love, Maria.
- Is she safe? Is she waiting...?
- Draco
- Oh Maria!
- Oh Maria!
- Please, hear my voice!
- How I long to be with you!
- Impresario
- The forces of the West fell, and Maria's castle was taken.
- Prince Ralse, of the East, took her hand by force.
- But she never stopped yearning for Draco...
- Maria
- Oh my hero, so far away now.
- Will I ever see your smile?
- Love goes away, like night into day.
- It's just a fading dream.
- I'm the darkness, you're the stars.
- Our love is brighter than the sun.
- For eternity, for me there can be,
- Only you, my chosen one...
- Must I forget you? Our solemn promise?
- Will autumn take the place of spring?
- What shall I do? I'm lost without you.
- Speak to me once more!
- Draco
- Come, Maria. Follow my lead.
- Draco
- Ha ha ha ha...
- Maria
- We must part now, my life goes on.
- But my heart won't give you up.
- Ere I walk away, let me hear you say
- I meant as much to you....
- So gently, you touched my heart.
- I will be forever yours.
- Come what may, I won't age a day,
- I'll wait for you, always...
- Chancellor
- Prince Ralse is looking for a dance partner.
- Leave the past behind.
- Our kingdom is adopting the spirit of the East.
- Messenger
- The survivors of the West attack!
- Ralse
- Impossible!
- Soldiers
- Attack!!
- Draco
- Wait!!
- Draco
- Maria!
- Maria
- Draco, I've waited so long.
- I knew you'd come.
- Ralse
- Maria will finally have to become my queen!
- Draco
- For the rest of my life, I'll keep you near...
- Ralse
- It's a duel!
- GBA
- Impresario
- The war between the East and the West
- Was growing more violent by the day...
- Draco, a soldier from the West,
- Thinks of his love, Maria,
- Back at home...
- Draco
- Oh Maria!
- Oh Maria!
- My beloved, do you hear
- My words whispered in you ear
- As if I were by your side?
- Impresario
- The Western armies were defeated,
- And Maria's castle fell into the hands of the East.
- Forced to wed the Eastern Prince Ralse,
- Maria still thinks only of Draco
- As she gazes at the stars each night...
- Maria
- O 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 prayer
- 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...
- O speak! Guide me anew.
- Draco
- Come, Maria! Dance with me...
- Ha-ha-ha...!
- 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,
- Our love, come what may,
- Will never age a day.
- I'll wait forevermore!
- Chancellor
- Prince Ralse is looking for his dance partner.
- Please, leave the past behind! Our kingdom is part of the East now...
- Soldier
- The Western survivors attack!
- Ralse
- Impossible!
- Soldiers
- Attack!
- Draco
- Wait!
- Draco
- Maria!
- Maria
- Oh, Draco!
- I knew you would
- Come for me, my love!
- Ralse
- Insolent rogue!
- Knave of the Western Horde!
- You would address my queen to be, Maria?
- Draco
- Never shall you have Maria's hand!
- I would die before that day comes!
- Ralse
- Then it's a duel!
English live performance 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 prayer
- 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!
The Black Mages III: Darkness and Starlight[]
"Darkness and Starlight" is a rock arrangement of Maria and Draco included in the Black Mages' 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 rest of the 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.[3]
Lyrics
- Impresario
- Seigun to tougun no tatakai wa
- himashi ni hageshiku natte ita.
- Seigun no Garuu-jou no senshi
- Draco wa gekisen no senchi de
- bokoku ni nokoshite kita
- Maria no koto o omou...
- Draco
- Oh, Maria!
- Oh, Maria!
- Watashi no koe ga todoite iru ka
- Omae no moto e
- Impresario
- Seigun wa yabure, Maria no shiro wa
- Tougun no shihaika ni okareta.
- Tougun no ouji Ralse no kekkon o
- Shiirareta Maria wa
- Draco e no omoi o sutekirezu
- Maiban yozora o mite wa
- Koibito o omou...
- Maria
- Itoshi no anata wa tooi tokoro e?
- Iro asenu, towa no ai, chikatta bakari ni
- Kanashii toki ni mo, tsurai toki ni mo,
- Sora ni furu, ano hoshi o anata to omoi.
- Nozomanu chigiri o kawasu no desu ka?
- Dou sureba? Nee anata? Kotoba o matsu.
- Messenger
- Ikinokotta wazuka bakari no seigun heishi ga
- Saigo no chikara o furishibori
- Garuu-jou ni semeitta.
- Sono sentou ni tachi otakebi morotomo
- Tougun heishi o nagitaoshite iku
- Kizu darake no hitori no yuusha.
- Senshi Draco ga kaette kita no da!
- Draco
- Maria!
- Maria
- Draco!
- Kono hi wo shinjiteta.
- Ralse
- Maria wa kono watashi no
- Kisaki ni naru beki hito da.
- Draco
- Inochi tsukihateyou tomo
- Hanashi wa shinai.
- Ralse
- Kettou da!
- Draco
- Maria no tame ni inochi o kakeru
- Ralse
- Ai no ookisa naraba dare ni mo makenu
- Draco
- Yuku zo!
- Chorus
- Tebukuro nage!
- Ralse
- Saa koi!
- Chorus
- Tsurugi majie!
- Draco
- Omae ni totte no Maria to wa?
- Chorus
- Dore hodo daiji da?
- Ralse
- Kisama ni iwareru made mo naku
- Chorus
- Tottemo daiji da
- Draco
- Yahari tatakau shika nai ka
- Ralse
- Maria wa...
- Draco and Ralse
- Watashi no mono da
- Make wa shinai!
- Impresario
- Ryousha ippo taritomo ushiro ni wa nokanu
- hageshii tatakai de atta.
- Shikashi shoubu wa toki no un de aru.
- Fukade o otta Draco no hanatta saigo no hitotsuki ga
- Ralse no mune o tsuranuita.
- Part 4
- Ralse
- Watashi no make da, Draco.
- Maria o hanasu na yo.
- Draco
- Yakusoku shiyou, kanarazu shiawase ni
- Ralse
- Oh, Maria... oh, Maria, itoshii.
- Draco and Ralse
- Oh, Maria... oh, Maria, ai se yo.
- Maria
- Arigatou, watashi no aisuru hito yo
- Ichido demo kono omoi yureta watashi ni
- Shizuka ni, yasashiku kotaete kurete,
- Maria and Draco
- Itsumademo, itsumademo anata wo matsu
- Anata wo matsu
- Impresario
- The battle between the West and the East
- was growing more fierce day by day.
- On the battleground during a furious skirmish,
- the soldier Draco of the Western castle Garou
- thinks of Maria,
- whom he left in his homeland...
- Draco
- Oh, Maria
- Oh, Maria
- Is my voice reaching
- To where you are?
- Impresario
- The West was defeated, and Maria's castle
- came under Eastern control.
- Maria, forced into marriage by
- the Eastern Prince Ralse,
- does not abandon her feelings for Draco,
- but thinks of her lover each night
- as she watches the skies...
- Maria
- My beloved, are you going to a distant place?
- And we just pledged eternal love...
- Through sad times and hard times,
- I'll think of that shooting star as you.
- Do I have to exchange vows with one I don't love?
- What shall I do? I'm waiting for your words...
- Messenger
- The few surviving soldiers of the Western army
- summoned the last of their strength
- and invaded the Garou castle.
- Leading these soldiers with a fierce battle cry
- and cutting down the warriors of the East
- was a single hero, battered and bruised.
- The soldier Draco had returned!
- Draco
- Maria!
- Maria
- Draco!
- I had believed in this day.
- Ralse
- Maria is meant to
- be my queen.
- Draco
- Though it may cost me my life,
- I refuse to let her go.
- Ralse
- Then we duel!
- Draco
- I risk my life for Maria's sake
- Ralse
- My love for her is greater than anyone's
- Draco
- Take this!
- Chorus
- The gloves are off!
- Ralse
- Come and get me!
- Chorus
- Clash your swords!
- Draco
- Maria--what is she to you?
- Chorus
- How important is she?
- Ralse
- Do you even have to ask?
- Chorus
- She's very much so
- Draco
- I guess we have no choice but to fight
- Ralse
- Maria is
- Draco and Ralse
- Mine!
- I'm not about to lose!
- Impresario
- Neither retreated even a single step
- in their fierce battle.
- But the match came down to luck.
- The badly wounded Draco unleashed a final thrust
- that pierced Ralse's heart.
- Part 4
- Ralse
- I have lost, Draco.
- Don't let Maria go.
- Draco
- I promise you we will be happy.
- Ralse
- Oh, Maria...oh, Maria, my dearest.
- Draco and Ralse
- Oh, Maria...oh, Maria, I love her.
- Maria
- And I thank you, the one I love,
- For my feelings may have swayed,
- But oh so gently, and so kindly, you answered me
- Maria and Draco
- I'll wait for you forevermore,
- I'll wait for you.
Personnel in Darkness and Starlight[]
Darkness and Starlight cover featured an artwork piece of, presumably, Draco and Maria.
- 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
Distant Worlds V: More Music from Final Fantasy[]
In May 2019, Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY released their fifth studio album, Distant Worlds V: More Music from Final Fantasy, included "Opera "Maria and Draco" (FINAL FANTASY VI)" in Track 6. The lyrics are an English translation based on the complete Japanese lyrics from The Black Mages's "Darkness and Starlight" version.[4]
Lyrics
- [Chapter One]
- Impresario
- The war between the East and the West
- Grows more violent by the day.
- Draco, a soldier from the West,
- Thinks of his love, Maria, back at home...
- 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!
- [Chapter Two]
- Impresario
- The Western armies are defeated,
- And Maria's castle falls into the hands of the East.
- Forced to wed the Eastern Prince Ralse,
- Maria still thinks only of Draco
- As she gazes at the stars each night...
- 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 prayer
- 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!
- [Chapter Three]
- Impresario
- Mustering the last of their strength,
- A handful of survivors from the Western armies
- Gather to lay siege to Castle Garou.
- At the van, leading the ill-fated charge, is a lone hero.
- And though battered and scarred,
- He fights with the spirit of a thousand,
- Felling one Eastern soldier after another.
- Yes, Draco has returned!
- Draco
- Maria!
- Maria
- Draco!
- I knew you would return to me, my love!
- Ralse
- Insolent rogue!
- Knave of the Western horde!
- You would 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!
- Draco
- For my dear Maria!
- This life I'm ready to give!
- Ralse
- No one man shall deny me her hand!
- 'Tis for our great love that I live!
- Draco
- Prepare to die!
- Chorus
- Ah, the gauntlet is cast!
- Ralse
- Say goodbye!
- Chorus
- Hear the swords as they clash!
- Draco
- Tell me now what Maria is to you!
- Chorus
- You cannot love her more than I do!
- Ralse
- There is nothing more I need to prove!
- Chorus
- My mind is set, my heart, it is true
- Draco
- Then we are left with but one avenue:
- Ralse
- On my blade I swear
- Draco/Ralse
- You shall not win this time
- Maria, is mine!
- [Chapter Four]
- Impresario
- For what seems an eternity,
- The bitter rivals exchanged blows,
- Neither yielding any ground.
- Until, that is, Fate chooses to intervene,
- Guiding the blade of a grievously wounded Draco
- Straight through the heart of Prince Ralse.
- 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/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,
- All
- Our love, come what may
- Will never age a day
- I’ll wait forever more!
- I’ll wait forever more!
Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin[]
The Opera spans three tracks in the OverClocked ReMix album: "The Nightmare Oath", an original track that borrows many motifs from "Overture"; "The Impresario", a reinterpretation of the Opera itself; and "Till We Meet Again", a reinterpretation of "Aria di Mezzo Carattere". All three tracks feature original lyrics that tell a different story from the original sequence of events as told in the game.
A fourth track, "Jidoorian Rhapsody", is remixed from "The Wedding", but is non-lyrical.
"The Nightmare Oath"[]
The lyrics of "The Nightmare Oath" follow a dialogue between Draco and Ralse that mirror their exchange during the original sequence's overture. The title refers to the Opera's apocryphal title The Dream Oath.
Lyrics
Draco:
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
On far off shores, my words call to you
This distant war; my sword sings the truth
Ralse:
Bow to me, the East will overrun this wretched land; defeat has just begun
Spoils of war, your will no longer free; Draco is banished, Maria belongs to me
Draco:
Though the stars fade in the sky, the light your love gives never dies
I will return, I swear on my life
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
O Maria
Love conquers all; this is not the end
I will not rest, we will meet again
(Ralse:
This nightmare oath will seal our fate forevermore;
My ambitions realized, now I will rule them all)
The Impresario[]
The lyrics of "The Impresario" tell a wholly different story from that of all other arrangements of Maria and Draco. The story is told in the form of a flashback, as Draco recollects how he arranged eloping with Maria but was caught when they attempted it; Maria is slain in the ensuing fight between Draco and the members of her family, and it is implied that she was accidentally killed by Draco himself and that, upon realizing this, he plans on committing suicide to join her in the afterlife.
Lyrics
INTRO:
Look into the sins of your past
Love as if today were your last
Better times have slipped away, I'm lost beneath the waves
Nothing left to save...
EXPOSITION:
SAVAGE CRIME! IT WAS NOT YET HER TIME!
FOR WHOM THE TOWER PEALS ONE FINAL MOURNING CHIME!
FOR THE SURVIVORS.....
SCENE I (present time, evening):
Speak to me, before my fate is reckoned
Comfort me, they'll arrive at any second
Six o'clock, and I got no doubt the gang is out for
BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS!
OUR OWN, KILLED IN THE FIGHT!
YOU'LL DIE TONIGHT!
SCENE II (flashback to two days ago):
O, (THERE HE IS!)
Maria, (WHY IS HE ON OUR BLOCK?)
Morte mia (TRACK HIM DOWN, MAKE HIM BLEED! WE'LL TAKE HIM!)
I'll be waiting patiently (WE'LL BEAT HIM DOWN, TAKE HIM TO THE GROUND)
Come on out and dance with me, (THE DEVIL)
The night is young,
And so are we!
[guitar solo]
O Maria, cara mia,
And I know the deck's stacked against us,
Even though it feels so right...
Forbidden is our love,
Our families, divided from above.
Your brothers will see through the lie;
Tomorrow... they won't ask why...
SCENE III (yesterday):
[piano intro]
O Maria...
Far away now...
Will I ever see your smile?
As night turns to day,
I beg you to stay,
I'm down, down on my knees here...
I'm the darkness, you're the starlight,
And I'm burnin' up in here, I (MY HEART WILL)
Die every day, when you hide away
I don't wanna fear... (THEIR RIVALRY)
So even though they may discover us,
I'm never givin' you up
And if they try to tell me what to do...
(I LOVE HER!)
I'll kill them! (I LOVE HER!)
I'll kill them! (LEAVE US ALONE!)
Down to the last!
No!
O (COME GET ME)
Maria, (UPSET ME)
I need her, for my own (COME CAST A STONE)
[guitar/piano solo... commence headbanging]
SCENE IV (this morning):
STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
LAUGHING AT THE TRUTH,
EASY FORTUNES,
FOOLISH IN YOUTH, HA-HA-HA
AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE,
YOU'LL BOTH BE ON THE RUN,
AND WE'LL FIND YOU
JUST WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?
YOU ARROGANT MAN!
TI AMMAZZO, TI AMMAZZO, TI AMMAZZO!
INTRUSO!
(HE WAS WITH THE WHORE!)
CRETINO!
(SHOW HIM TO THE DOOR!)
FOLLOW HIM! CORNER HIM! MURDER HIM!
BEAT HIM DOWN! BEAT HIM UP!
SEND HIM TO HIS GRAVE!
Maria..........
DRACO, LOVE,
WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO LIVE THIS LIE!
Then I will die
Sooner than see you gone
I'm gonna go down swingin',
Ears are ringin'.....
[guitar solo]
SCENE V (this afternoon):
But I'm alive!! (AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH! HE'S STILL BREATHING)
MAKE HIM DEAD!
(HIT HIM IN THE HEAD!)
TAKE HIS LIFE!
(SOMEONE GET A KNIFE!)
Suddenly, (GET HIM!)
In a flash, (KILL HIM!)
I was up,
On my feet (STAB HIM!)
With a knife (DRILL HIM!)
Spun around
With a slash (PRESS HIM!)
In a split (GRILL HIM!)
Second of
Murderous (END HIM!)
Clarity, (SPILL HIM!)
I could see,
One by one, they stood before me!
Then, from the ground, came the most awful sound,
And I saw her then,
Maria lying there
Someone had stabbed her and
Her time was at an end,
And then I ran and ran and ran and RAN!
[guitar solo]
BLOOD ON THE STREET,
NOW YOUNG DRACO SHALL MEET WITH HIS FATE!!
ENDING (return to present time):
O Maria,
Now it's clear...
Broken through the pain and the fear
Before too long,
I'll be with... you.....
Till We Meet Again[]
"Till We Meet Again" is a reinterpretation of "Aria di Mezzo Carattere", featuring original lyrics that bear no relation to the plot of the opera.
Lyrics
On the edge of
The horizon,
When the last of light gives way,
The swell of the tide
Will serve as your guide,
And spirit drift away.
Every twilight,
Every sunrise,
We will glide upon a wave.
And I promise to be
What fate asks of me,
From waking to the grave.
Merchandise[]
When Final Fantasy VI was first released key chains depicting the game's cast were available in Japanese vending machines. A Celes as Maria from the opera is one such key chain that was sold.
The Final Fantasy Cold Cast Collection is a limited edition collectible series featuring cold cast statues that display notable scenes from Final Fantasy series. Only 3,000 Celes and opera house cold casts were made, each coming with a card and card stand that had the statue's limited number and description. The series has been out of production since 1999.
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]
Celes can appear in her opera singer's dress.
Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]
Celes, the Opera Star
Prima Donna event banner
Celes' performance of "Maria and Draco" was the focal point for the Challenge Event Prima Donna, where her Opera Star Wardrobe Record could be obtained. This alternate costume pays homage to the performance.
Even if she is not wearing the dress, her Maria's Song Burst Soul Break will depict her in the dress, singing her aria and throwing a bouquet in full moonlight as is done in the opera.
Final Fantasy Portal App[]
Celes at the opera.
The Opera appears as a Triple Triad card, depicted by the scene of Celes throwing the bouquet.
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
Maria is a female given name in many diverse cultures. It became popular with the spread of Christianity as a Latinized form of the Hebrew name of Jesus' mother Mary (Miriam in Hebrew). The meaning of the name is uncertain, but it may originally be an Egyptian name, probably derived from "mry" (beloved) or "mr" (love) ("eminent lady" or "beloved lady"), although it was used in Europe even before the establishment of Christianity as a female form of the Roman name Marius.
In Latin, maria can be roughly translated as "from the sea".
Draco is Latin for "dragon".