Lonely Piano Piece: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

Basically, this is a piece of music that plays in a scene that represents that someone is left all alone and is stuck at a dead end with no allies or means of solving the problem at hand. The music is usually slow paced and the notes are often lower pitched to show that the character has run out of momentum or that he or she has hit rock bottom.

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[Naruto]]'' has "Sadness & Sorrow" which is played frequently, especially during the funeral scene.

* Appears in the final battle of the ''[[Soul Eater]]'' anime after {{spoiler|Maka and Soul wake up to find that the rest of their [[True Companions]] have all been defeated}}. Of course, they were asking for it, given how Soul both plays the piano {{spoiler|and uses this for a literal [[Theme Music Power-Up]]}}.

* "Rakuen" from ''[[Wolf's Rain]]'' which plays when {{spoiler|Cheza disappears, leaving Kiba to die alone as the world ends}}, is heartbreakingly sad. However once the strings come in and you realise there may still be hope, it becomes incredibly beautiful.

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', Rei's theme (''Rei I'') is the epitome of loneliness, and appropriately so.

* One slowed down version of "Heart Moving" is played on a lone piano during the first season finale of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', when Usagi sits alone after [[Battle Royale With Cheese|all her friends have sacrificed themself for her]].

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'': The first anime has a simple yet heart-tugging piano solo, which coincidentally is titled [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTEOpVvS1Sc "Alone"].

* The track "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liMhcJrbxVE&feature=related Jewel Seed]" from the [[Lyrical Nanoha|Nanoha]] The Movie 1st original soundtrack.

* ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' features this in the episode where the Axis Powers are alone on an island. {{spoiler|You get a double whammy when it turns out that [[Sorry I Left the BGM On|Austria was playing it]], and realize that it could apply to him too.}}

** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3KwBjslr08 "Inevitabilis"] counts even more for being a literal Lonely Piano Piece, and for being a [[Dark Reprise]] of Homura's theme {{spoiler|for when she finally breaks down and admits everything to Madoka before steeling her resolve for a lonely final battle}}.

* ''[[Code Geass]]'': [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfbAeMu6dfk This] song which plays during the following:

* ''[[Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou]]'' with character themes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqXPUXheg4c Yukino Miyazawa V (Nocturne)] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpmKPdeL6Zo Arima Souichiro I].

* ''[[Fafner in the Azure]]'' uses this, combined with [[One-Woman Wail]], as a remix of the usual ending theme, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-d1PaVvIKw Separation], to [[Tear Jerker|spectacular]] effect following {{spoiler|Shouko's [[Heroic Sacrifice]].}}

 

== Film ==

* "Victor's Piano Solo" from Tim Burton's ''[[Corpse Bride]]'', clearly playing off the theme of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" mentioned below, until he's interrupted - and similarly, "The Piano Duet" starts this way, echoing the earlier scene, until it's [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|turned right around]] by the characters.

* "The Promise", the main theme of ''[[The Piano]]''.

* ''Downfall'' features Stephen Zacharias' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv_q20nzoVY ''In The Courtyard of the Reich-Chancellory''].

* The main theme of the 2007 ''[[I Am Legend]]'' has a notable piano part with solo sections. Thinking about it, the piano part may represent Neville's solitary existance surrounded by the evidence of his failure and memories of what once was, the strings brass and percussion parts.

* "Home Movies" in the remake of ''[[Halloween (film)|Halloween]]'' and its sequel.

* Clint Mansell's soundtrack for ''[[Moon]]'' uses mostly simplistic piano tunes, and the sad tunes work well in emphasizing the heart-breaking sadness of the main character's lonely moments.

* ''[[The Social Network]]'' has "Hand Covers Bruise", which is the main theme and plays after Mark's girlfriend breaks up with him. The album won an Oscar for Best Original Score.

* The official soundtrack for ''[[Antz]]'' replaces "High Hopes" with a soft piano version of the main theme.

 

== Live Action TV ==

* An episode of ''[[Kamen Rider Den-O]]'' focuses on a nameless pianist, whose music is [[Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune|his rendition of the series' battle tune]]. The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XylY1JA9y2k&feature=related third iteration] in particular seems quite lonely.

* In ''Chojin Sentai Jetman'' has Maria, who constantly plays a tune on a piano. During {{spoiler|The times when Maria is hurt or dying, this plays.}}

* The piece [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igiJHTrLqqg "Win One for the Reaper"] from Lost plays during the funerals for most of the characters who died as well as during other sad moments in the series.

* The very end of the ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' season 3 finale.

 

== Music ==

* DHT - Listen To Your Heart (Unplugged version)

* Christina Perri's song "The Lonely" is entirely about this. It's just Christina and her piano singing about how all she has is the loneliness. Possibly subverted since the song is actually about her being in a relationship with loneliness.

 

== Theatre ==

* In ''[[Spring Awakening]]'' there's a slow, sad piano-only accompaniment to {{spoiler|Moritz's monologue before he commits suicide}}.

 

== Video Games ==

** In ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask]]'', When you play the Song of Healing at the graves of Daruni and Mikau, a piano rendition of the same song plays through a cutscene where their spirits remember all the loved ones they can no longer help.

* In the first [[Resident Evil]], Jill and Rebecca melodically play "Moonlight Sonata" on a piano in the Spencer Mansion.

** The first scenario credits and results screen in ''[[Resident Evil 2]]''.

* In ''[[Beyond Good & Evil (video game)|Beyond Good and Evil]],'' the very sad piano tune "Enfantes Disparus" plays when {{spoiler|Jade returns home to her lighthouse and finds it's been destroyed, and "her" kids have been kidnapped--meaning that the bad guys have now kidnapped everyone dear to her.}}

** If you get the bad ending in ''[[Persona 4]]'', you also get a lonely piano piece. {{spoiler|It's actually the music used in the true final dungeon.}}

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjd8cdp-Oag 'The Order That Must Be Protected'] from ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'', which is a variation of the [[Leitmotif]] that crops up here and there throughout the game. This tune is particlarly recognised because it plays during the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8WH4uxmiF8 cutscene that occurs] after [[Final Fantasy VI|Terra]] defeats [[Evilly Affable|Kefka]] in the 'Shade Impulse' campaign, as it puts an [[Alas, Poor Villain|emotional spin]] on the death of an otherwise [[Complete Monster]] [[Monster Clown|Clown]].

* The [[Easter Egg]] song "Siege of Madrigal" in ''[[Halo]]'', the unused song "Love and a Piano", "Heavy Price Paid" in ''[[Halo 2]]'', and the last part of the credits music in ''Halo 3''.

** Also, "Spartans Never Die", the music during the opening cinematic of the post-credits mini-level "Lone Wolf" in ''Halo: Reach''. The first half of "Ashes" combines this with a [[One-Woman Wail]]. The piano section without the wail can be heard during the cutscene at the end of the first mission.

* The piano version of "This Illusion", heard in every arc of ''[[Fate/stay night]]". The scenes manage to be remarkably [[Tear Jerker]] even in an already [[Utsuge]]-drenched story.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEuNySeWQy0 "Magdalene"] from ''[[Silent Hill]] 2'', which is played after Maria's first death. The [[Dark Reprise]] of "Theme of Laura" also uses this, along with [[Playing the Heart Strings]].

* [[Silent Hill: Shattered Memories]] uses the same sad song all the time.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJBF9KZJNHE The "Event Failed" music] in ''Pilotwings''

* Heard in ''[[Do Don Pachi]] Daifukkatsu'' right before your carrier gets shot down and you fight Hibachi.

* The Game Over music in the [[TurboGrafx-16]] version of ''[[Valis]] 1''.

{{quote|'''Narrator''': "We managed to separate the human clone from Con-Human computer environment, but we could still not stop the violence generated by the Con-Human. [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|Can we call the Con-Human and human clone a new life creation?]]. Are we supposed to destroy this creature? The humans who are fighting against their ominous fate will use their latest strategy, resulting in [[Title Drop|''Operation Ray Force'']]}}

* ''[[Mass Effect (video game)|Mass Effect 1]]'' has this aboard the Normandy after {{spoiler|[[Sadistic Choice|Kaidan or Ash]] [[Survivor Guilt|dies]]}}.

*** Shepard's romance theme in [[Mass Effect 3]] starts out this way, and then the [[Playing the Heart Strings|string section joins in]], leading to one of the series's more hauntingly beautiful pieces.

* In ''[[Lunar]]'', a sad piano piece plays when you return to Burg after most of the villagers have been kidnapped for slave labor in the Talon Mine.

* The death music in the original ''[[Rainbow Six]]''.

* The World 3 background music from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''.

* The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDF1US7DkjY flashback to Snake's final fight with The Boss] in ''[[Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker]]'' features a literal lonely piano version of "Snake Eater" to intensify Snake's feeling of loss in that moment. To put it into context, he has just confronted {{spoiler|an AI with the voice and seemingly the personality of his mentor whom he had loved... and killed}}.

* ''[[Ace Combat 5 The Unsung War]]'' contains a song titled "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWZuLtCTZPU 15 years ago]", which plays on only two occasions: during the appropriate flashback and during the optional quiet drama scene in the final mission, when you and your wingmen literally remain the only ones in the skies over Oured (not counting the [[Bonus Boss]] who can be ignored).

* Two examples from ''[[Asura's Wrath]]'' are the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjH8R0Q1mcI Options] theme (No, really), and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvXVC283MI Lamentation: Momentary End.]

 

== Web Original ==

** Also significant in that her quiet theme is quickly drowned out in the ending credits by Horrible's dark symphonic one.

* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] has a [[Leitmotif]] of "Sad Romance", a sad violin instrumental.

 

== Western Animation ==

 

''You're leaving this page [[Needs More Love|all alone]]? Cue the Lonely Piano while this page weeps at your absence.''

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Score and Music Tropes]]

[[Category:Drama Tropes]]

[[Category:Music Tropes]]

[[Category:Sadness Tropes]]