Al Fine

Thoughts

Similar to Beautiful World, Al Fine is Chess Galea's rendition of melancholic devotion, used as the main theme in the video game Bayonetta 3. The instrumental was composed and arranged by Hitomi Korokawa and Naofumi Harada of PlatinumGames.

I can make a fully featured article about the placement of a single accordion motif. I eagerly replay the song to focus on each individual instrument, vocal piece, and arrangement decision made with this track. Everything sounds perfectly crafted that I have a hard time finding a reason to stop listening to the song. On every listen, there's something new to focus on. Phonetically, this song is one of the only songs that nears perfection for me. When writing arrangements, composers can get carried away with adding instruments simply to fill a gap. Al Fine is a composition where every instrument has a distinct purpose and is intentionally crafted to compliment the tonality and the surrounding instruments. Compared to other main themes in the Bayonetta series, Al Fine also is composed with a live instrumental instead of using an electronic composition.

From the beginning of the song, with the strings setting a morose tone in the backing, an unexpected jolt of accordion gives a hopeful and playful sense of juxtaposition. During the scenario of the game, comes to make sense given that this song is played from the perspective of the title character Bayonetta descending into Inferno, or a version of Hell, with her lover. Despite the finality of the situation, they are shown to have mutual infatuation and end up caring for nothing but each other's company, ignoring their own demise. Overall, Al Fine (a Latin term meaning "to the end") discusses this endless commitment, one that is so strong, that it transverses across the boundaries of living.

This is heard through numerous lyrics such as

This attempt to console Luka:

• I know you'll miss me when I'm gone
  • Save your tears, this is where we belong

This desperation to recoup the last things they will be able to share:

• And when this ends, hold on tight to our memories
  • Don't let them end

This final confrontation of this misfortuned reality:

• I fall weak, I tremble to speak
  • As I take my last breaths, I'm the happiest I've ever been

These clearly are coming from the perspective of defeat. Unlike Utada's songs, which often idealise a bright, unbreakable future, Galea's lyrics ensure that regardless of any hardship, even one that destroys Bayonetta, her and Luka's bonds are inseparable. It opens the possibility of turbulence and defeat, and accepts it rather than dwell upon it. It's a perspective to vulnerability that is rare to find in relationships, and represents one of the purest bonds and trust that is easy to forget that people are capable of in day to day life where relationships can tend to appear forced or performative.

The energy that Galea produces with the lines "We can never be apart" is yet another energetic tone setter that jolts the beginning of the song from morose to lively, especially with the introduction of the accordion in the background at this time. This is soon followed with lyrical statement confronting the unfortunate reality of their mutual demise. Background vocals [magic surrounds you; ah, our love is true!] follow and nearly take center stage. All the while, the bass possibly can't go unnoticed. This area of the song is ended with dramatic strings closing out this section. Al Fine is just a wild ride from start to finish, both lyrically and phonetically.

Pairing accordion within the main melody with sultry vocals is such a satisfying combo I never knew I needed to hear. Al Fine is similar to Beautiful World in that it expresses intense emotions of belonging and adoration towards another person. But it isn't an echo chamber of the singer's own thoughts bearing down on themselves - it's a confrontation of reality that takes into account the perfect imperfectness of the bond the lovers share. How her world is ending, but the mere presence of her partner allows for a shared finality, free of worry.

For everything I love about this song, it does have of minor annoyance in one lyric. "I knew you could be the only one to... come and take away darkness" is a bit confusing, vague, and flat. Cereza herself is an Umbran Witch, counteracting countless angels from Paradiso, so she can be seen to be "darkness incarnate". From the events of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2, Cereza can withstand feats of inner turmoil and came to become an icon for her steadfast "my way or no way" approach to conflict. This line, as a result, just feels very out of place.

• In Eyes of Bayonetta 3, it can be seen that this line was once "I knew you could be the only one to save me" (which isn't any better, but I wonder if this line had any difficulties during the lyrical creation process).

To be fair, the line still sounds phenomenal, but the lyrical significance is lacking.

Aside from that, the lyrics, interpretation, execution, and instrumentals; they're all there. The narrative context of being the theme song of a game series I enjoy is just the icing on the cake. There's so many layers of hidden details, lyrics, instrumentation, and melodies within this song...

...the initial intensity of accordion merely seconds into the songs...

...the simultaneous layering of background, foreground, and harmonic vocals...

...the desperation in the vocals themselves...

...the ultimate resolve, climax, and wind-down...

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this song is "merely" a recomposition of an existing song -- the ending theme of Bayonetta 3, "We Are As One".

Lyrics	Background lyrics	Comments
Awoken by whispers of destiny I reach for you as you're calling out my name Longing for your touch to bring me back to life Only you can save me Rekindle this flame		The instrumental takes center stage for this section, starting off with a defeated tone before resolving with the first set of accordion
A hundred miles away, I feel your heart It beats for me, we can never be apart		Two words: accordion and vocals.
This is the time I knew, I knew you could be the only one to Come and take away darkness	We are one, fate has come now In this great moment
I know you'll miss me when I'm gone Save your tears, this is where we belong	Magic surrounds you Ahhh, our love is true!	God, these background vocals
My desire, my Achille's heel You've tamed this cursed beast My sorrow released		The dramatic halt to the song here, one-of-a-kind.
I spread my wings We will fly into faraway galaxies, just you and I		This alliterative genius somehow makes "galaxies" have the same assonance as "fly" and "faraway". More accordion chimes on after the word "wings" and a keyboard finishes off this phrase.
And when this ends, hold on tight To our memories Don't let them end		These are the last parts of the lyrics I learned, since "Don't let them end" is a bit drowned out by the instrumental. For the better half of six months, I expected them to say "To another land", when it's actually a reinforcement to keep the last things Luka and Bayonetta share alive, which personally gives this section song a more serious tone than I gave it credit for due to my initial interpretation being wrong.
I feel weak I tremble to speak As I take my last breaths, I'm the happiest I've ever been	Like stars We glow Shine on, shine on	The background vocals take this already-intense section to another level. This is my singular favorite part of the song due to how chaotic, yet passionate and articulate everything is arranged at this moment. Even though the song is ending, the background vocals and lyrics carry a sense of positive momentum.
Ocean blue I look into your eyes I know that you will be here By my side My Cheshire	Trust, we are here now There no one else But you	The somewhat heavenly background vocals really help calm down the previous section and sets up great for a loop. Also, holding the word "side" so strongly for over five seconds while the instrumental climaxes truly is the ultimate showcase of charming chaos.

Umbran Studies

This track was specifically showcased and interviewed by its lead composer and director via PlatinumGames' Umbran Studies blog. Here