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]]}}.

* "Love Conservative" from ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]''. Like we need to be any sadder {{spoiler|watching Nia disappear}}.

* All of the Shining Garden pieces from ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]''.

* Alies Grises would be a good starter, but practically all the music in Haibane Renmei would count.

* The power of this trope might reach its penultimate level in the first episode of [[Noir]], when Kirika is in Mireille's living room and the two are discussing Kirika's amnesia. Kirika's "alone in a crowd" theme is so brilliantly overpowering, the Lonely Piano Piece works even when she's not actually by herself.

* "Elegia for Piano" from Hirano Yoshihisa's ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'' soundtrack is often used for this purpose in the series, particularly in uncovering the more depressing pasts of characters. "Sakura Kiss for Piano" is its sweeter brother and a touching recovery piece, also for solo piano.

** Done very literally with Brook. {{spoiler|With the entire crew severely injured, they try to perform one last song for their whale pet. Everyone begins dying, leaving only Brook left playing piano, asking why they would leave only the accompaniment.}}

* ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' does this with piano ("Adieu") less often than other instruments, like saxophone ("Goodnight, Julia"). Session five even manages it on a pipe organ ("Rain").

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

* ''[[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"].

** There's also the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qEUR5rjLtE piano version] of "Tune of Separation".

** ''Brotherhood'' has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxLLWW7Tt54 this] piano solo version of "Lapis Philosophorum".

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

4) And, of course, Lelouch's last words before he {{spoiler|dies}}. }}

* ''[[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].

 

== Film ==

* ''[[Elmer Bernstein]]'' was the master of this trope. Listen to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alg_V0dJs9c Far From Heaven] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t98LWNwUhI To Kill A Mockingbird.]

* The deeply haunting "Brooks Was Here" from ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]''.

* "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.

* Oddly enough, the opening piano score from ''[[Bad Santa]]'' is oddly touching, hearing Billy Bob Thornton monologue about how crappy a person he is while Chopin's Nocturn Op.9 No.2 plays is rather moving.

* ''[[Battle Royale]] II'' has Memories, played by Shiori Kitano on a piano she finds in Shuya's base. As she plays, the scene cuts between her in the present, and her remembering how horribly she treated her father in years gone by.

* ''[[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.

 

== Live Action TV ==

* Over half the [[Tear Jerker]] sequences in ''[[Doctor Who]]''. The other half is [[Playing the Heart Strings]].

* Scrubs has a piece which repeats quite a lot.

* 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 ==

* [[Tom Waits]]' is a master of these: ''Martha'', ''Lonely'', ''Tom Traubert's Blues''

* [[Peter Gabriel|Peter Gabriel's]] rehashed version of "Here Comes The Flood" from the album ''Exposure'' is the Lonely Piano Piece for the entire human race.

** Oh [[Amanda Palmer]]...

** Literal with [[Eric Carmen]]'s (or should we say Rachmaninov's?) "All by Myself". Joo of [[Igudesman And Joo]] [[Exaggerated Trope|exaggerates this trope]] to its logical extent by playing and singing this song, slowly sounding more and more depressed, sobbing uncontrollably and singing unintelligibly by the end of the first chorus.

* [[Efterklang]]'s song ''Mimeo'' on the ''Parades'' album.

* Punk rock band Hüsker Dü had two on their concept album, ''Zen Arcade'': "One Step at a Time" and "Monday Will Never Be the Same."

* DHT - Listen To Your Heart (Unplugged version)

 

== Theatre ==

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

 

== Video Games ==

* Oh god, [[Ever 17|Karma]]. It's as if [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkvQte7JWpw despair became song].

* Whilst ''Kingdom Hearts'' literally gets it's only sustinence from this trope, the most notable example is what has the be the series ultimate woobie: Xion, from ''358/2 Days''. Not only is a lonely piano piece her main theme ("Musique pour la Tristesse de Xion": literally "Music for the Melancholy of Xion"), but the intro melody of that piece is used in {{spoiler|the music of the final boss fight against her, "Vector to the Heavens"}}, which itself is a lonely strings section piece in the grand tradition of ''Chrono Cross'' "Those Seized by Time" (from the Miguel boss fight), or, for a more traditional example, Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (most famously used in the film ''Platoon'').

* When Bianca was getting told off by her father in Pokemon Black/White, an emotional piano song replaced the normal tune of Nimbasa City.

** Though nothing 'terrible' has happened, the music the snowpeak ruins may qualify for the sheer lonliness of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1BJlLUieyM Sound...]

* 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]]''.

* ''[[Final Fantasy]]'':

*** It has "To Zanarkand". Unique in that it's the ''very first piece of music'' that plays in the entire game. A bit more uplifting than usual, though.

*** However, "Via Purifico" (also known as "Path of Repentance" in more literal-minded translations) isn't upbeat at all. {{spoiler|It plays in a labyrinth that's supposed to be a death sentence. Needless to say, things get better.}}

** The game over theme, "No Hope", is a similar piece, but shorter and looped.

* Roxas's theme in ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]''.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeoGAKXsMjE Bastila's Theme] from ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]''.

* ''[[Muv Luv Alternative]]'''s "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElpL-EbCxT8 For You Who Departs]" starts off as this. Then the [[Playing the Heart Strings|strings]] join in. And then the [[One-Woman Wail]].

* ''[[Deus Machina Demonbane]]'' has "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL97iARTHf4 Lament. After All, We Are Divine]", which plays when the protagonists' hit rock bottom, {{spoiler|as Arkham City lies devastated in the aftermath of Cthulhu's rampage, and Demonbane lies defeated and broken at the hands of Anticross.}}

* If you lose in ''[[Persona 3]]'', a slower, down-key piano version of "Aria of the Soul" plays on the Game Over screen.

** 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.

** ''Halo 3: ODST'' has a lonely sax that pops up every now and then, usually when the Rookie is traveling through the city by himself.

** The piano part of Unforgotten.

** "Keep What You Steal", which is reused in ''Reach'' when Six retrieves "the package"(Cortana).

* [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]].

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

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38YEEGU6Kqs The Ending theme] from [[Shadow the Hedgehog]] does this, after Shadow {{spoiler|destroys the Black Comet and apparently decides to remain aboard Space Colony Ark.}} It's followed by Never Turn Back, [[Crowning Music of Awesome|possibly the best piece in the game.]]

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

*** Grunt gets one at the end of one mission. {{spoiler|Whether he lives or dies depends on the save file from ''Mass Effect 2''.}}

* 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]]''.

* Some examples from the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' series:

* 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}}.

* 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.

 

== 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]]