Dancing Mad

Dancing Mad (妖星乱舞 in the original Japanese) is the final battle theme of Final Fantasy VI. At an epic 17 minutes and 35 seconds long, this piece, composed by the talented Uematsu Nobuo, is comprised of four movements, each representing one of four tiers of Kefka's Tower the party is required to battle. However, it also flows together seamlessly as a single song, as evidenced by the 12 minute version by Uematsu's band The Black Mages. (The Black Mages' version of Dancing Mad is shorter due to the fact that the movements are not repeated as they are in the original version.)

In my opinion, Dancing Mad is one of Uematsu's best compositions to date, and the most underrated Final Fantasy song of all time.

The First Movement

Duration: OST: 00:00 - 04:29
The Black Mages: 00:00 - 02:48

The first movement of Dancing Mad is played during the battle against the first tier of Kefka's Tower, comprised of Visage, Long Arm and Short Arm. Characterised by its strong beginning, echoed from the game's Opening Theme, the first movement has a slow tempo to build tension and suspense. The first tier represents the Hell cycle of Dante's Inferno; this can be heard in the tension and suspense created by that slow tempo, and the harsh sound of the ringing bells.

The Second Movement

Duration: OST: 04:30 - 08:11
The Black Mages: 02:49 - 04:46

A startling comparison to the first movement, the second movement is upbeat and lively, with elements of a march. The synthesised pipe organ in this movement is played fast, sounding almost insane in its efforts to keep up with the overall piece. However, between the insanity and the timed beats, elements of the first movement creep back in to provide a haunting sound. The mix between insanity, strictly regimented beats and darkness highlights the symbolism of the second tier, comprised of Machine, Magic, Tiger and Power, and representing the second cycle of Dante's Inferno: Purgatory.

The Third Movement

Duration: OST: 08:12 - 11:29
The Black Mages: 04:47 - 06:38

The third movement of Dancing Mad begins with what would best be described as a hymn-like melody. Fittingly, the third tier is comprised of Lady and Rest, a representation of the Heaven cycle of Dante's Inferno, their sprites inspired heavily by Michelangelo's Pietà. However, as with the second movement, the third transforms into something darker, reminding the listener - or gamer - that this is far from over. Beethoven's Midnight Sonata is wound cleverly into this movement, integrating with the rest of the tune brilliantly.

The Fourth Movement

Duration: OST: 11:32 - 17:35
The Black Mages: 06:40 - 11:40

The longest and most important movement, this starts off sounding like your typical Final Fantasy battle or boss theme. With Kefka's theme merged into it, the fourth movement is heavily inspired by progressive rock music, particularly that of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, favourites of Uematsu's. In the soundtrack version, every time this movement repeats, Kefka's laugh is echoed hauntingly over the top. The fourth tier, Kefka himself, is representative of the fourth and last cycle of Dante's Inferno: God. While the music may not immediately represent that, the syncopated, jumpy battle theme eventually transforms into something deep, mournful and powerful, a theme representing a dark God. In the Black Mages' version of the song, this final element is repeated from 08:06 to 11:05, layered under a haunting guitar solo, before ending with a repeat of the dark refrain of the first movement.

It all ends on the final toll of a bell.