Fan’s “Serenade of Water” Piano Improvisation Expands Original Piece
Posted on April 05 2024 by John Lortie
Ocarina of Time’s “Serenade of Water” is a reflection on time’s changing and unending flow. Before playing the serenade for Link, Sheik says as much: “Time passes, people move…like a river’s flow, it never ends…the clear water’s surface reflects growth…” The following improvisation on and expansion of the piece illustrates just that.
Kara Comparetto recently shared “Improv on Serenade of Water ~ Zelda: Ocarina of Time ~ Piano” on the Kara Comparetto Klips YouTube channel. Comparetto begins the piece with the serenade’s melody before launching fully into the improvisation. The piece surges and swells, incorporating short melodies and harmonies that bring to mind other Zelda music like the theme of Zora’s Domain or The Legend of Zelda’s overworld theme. Despite the changes the pianist brings to the piece, it remains true to “Serenade of Water”, with the original’s melody reappearing throughout the improvisation, growing and shifting while remaining recognizable to the listener’s ear.
I find Comparetto’s improvisation to be a fitting tribute to “Serenade of Water.” Her piece is fluid, crystalline, and plaintive, as if it is a reflection on the plight of Ocarina of Time‘s or Twilight Princess‘ Zora people. It’s beautiful and it feels like a natural extension of Zelda’s music.
If you’d like to hear more of Comparetto’s work, you can find it on YouTube, Twitch (with clips posted to the Kara Comparetto Klips channel), Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and her website. She’s also on Instagram and has a Discord server.
What do you think of this improvisation? How does it compare to the original piece from Ocarina of Time or the theme’s reprisal in Twilight Princess? Head down to the comments and let us know!
Source: Kara Comparetto Klips
John’s been a Zelda fan since he was seven years old (which was a good few decades ago). He loves the last three months of the year, analog media, his family, and Tolkien. His favorite Zelda game is Breath of the Wild and his favorite game is Night in the Woods.
