#Voi Che Sapete

[spenglernot]

STORIES TELLING: HOW RECURRING MUSIC IN OFMD CAUSES MENTAL DEVASTATION IN THE VERY BEST WAY

How the Blackbeard theme, Gnossienne No. 5, and Voi Che Sapepte reveal, reinforce and recontextualize the narrative. An in-depth analysis of key scenes throughout seasons 1 and 2.

Much gratitude to pocket friends who were so encouraging and provided valuable feedback while I worked on this.

Meta by these authors (links, below the cut) influenced this video:

@asneakyfox, @asongaboutpirates, @bakasara, @doyoueverstopandthink, @chaotic-neutral-knitter, @forpiratereasons @fresne999 @gaypiratepropaganda, @jaskierx, @medievill, @mxmollusca, @piratecaptainscaptainpirates @veeagainsttheday, @57flagsofdeath

Gnossienne No. 5 doyoueverstopandthink - i will literally never get over about how fantastic the transition from robert schumann's "träumerei" to erik satie's "gnossiennes: no. 5" is

Voi Che Sapete asongaboutpirates - Another little detail about OFMD that makes me go feral

Transformation in OFMD fresne999 - Half way through the journey of our analyses mxmollusca - The transformation from object to subject, from something that has things done to it versus someone with agency.

Ed's & Izzy's Relationship asneakyfox - you have to understand i have always felt the key thing that makes blackhands interesting...

chaotic-neutral-knitter - Izzy telling Stede "I know you think you understand him," and Stede immediately describing Ed's emotional state perfectly accurately... gaypiratepropaganda - On Izzy saying "because of your feelings for Stede fucking Bonnet"

Ed's Arc veeagainsttheday - Ed, Killing, and the Kraken in Our Flag Means Death S1 and S2

piratecaptainscaptainpirates - I've been thinking about how Ed starts directly killing people in s2e8 57flagsofdeath - Still thinking about this scene. Ed lights the fire place, puts a blanket on the floor to lay on, and puts the two cake toppers next to each other before rolling over and bursting into tears. asneakyfox - i've talked a fair bit about how i don't think "anger issues" is a very useful way to describe how the show frames ed's relationship with violence

Izzy's Arc bakasara - Trying to parse my thoughts on Izzy's death and why I had a different reaction to it than I thought I would. forpiratereasons - all right. i'm ready to talk about izzy.

Love & Relationships in OFMD jaskierx - posting some thoughts from the discord about how many 'irl relationship' things they're dealing with in ep7 and how much i am eating my mattress about it medievill - ofmd does not give a fuck about reality or history or anachronism but it draws the line at magic dick.

[insteading]

“Voi Che Sapete” playing in a slightly distorted form when Ed was fishing his leathers out of the bay damn near ended me.

That’s the music of his trauma response in s1e6. And it’s not just that Stede is in danger, but one more father figure has just told Ed he has to do what he’s good at, he can’t be like Stede and do something badly long enough to get a little better at it.

I am relieved that at the end he recognizes that’s not true: he doesn’t have to do work that he’s amazing at, but that has unacceptable costs to his psyche.

And I appreciate that the work of Ed and Stede repairing themselves and the relationship between them is signified by how much work the inn is going to need. (Though it’s also clear they’ve had enough off-screen conversation for Stede to know how essential it is for Ed to retire, and to know that Stede is sufficiently willing to quit something he still likes doing.)

[jabeur]

liverpool fans were worried meanwhile those of us who watch milan weekly knew we'd be fucked by virgil at the first useful corner

[malusienki]

one of my favorite lines in this opera hands down

“because i am susanna and you are an idiot!” susanna is a little idiot sometimes too i love her. she has Character and isn’t perfect and gets mad over the smallest things etc etc [she is just like me fr]

[spenglernot]

It’s wonderful to see so many people discussing the music themes in OFMD! I remain obsessed with how music is used in this show. @piratecaptainscaptainpirates , @merryfinches and @saltpepperbeard , you all make such excellent observations of the way the Blackbeard Legend theme and Ed’s Blackbeard theme evolve throughout the story. It’s incredibly nuanced and complex!

And, @saltlickk , I agree! The harpsichord version of Gnossienne No 5 plays in S1E6 during the bathtub scene and during S2E4 when Ed tells Buttons people can’t change. I crumbled when I noticed that. It’s so beautifully done! The music in this show has an essential role in the storytelling that deepens and enriches it so throughly, it’s a singular, superlative experience. @suffersinfandom , the way the three themes come together in S2E8 from Ed seeing the ruins of the Republic of Pirates to reading Stede’s letter melted my brain so intensely that I spent 40 hours making a video about it. That series of scenes still make me cry after countless viewings. ♥️

Thank you to friends @sparklyfabulous and @chaotic-neutral-knitter for mentioning my insanely detailed video that analyzes the Blackbeard themes, how Gnosssienne No. 5 is used and Voi Che Sapete (a crucial part of the Kraken theme). It’s my one and only video on YouTube.

Also, for the OFMD music-obsessed among us, here’s the most complete playlist for season 2 available (that I know of, ‘cause I made it) for your listening pleasure (It’s missing Harry Mosco’s “Wasting My Time” from Calypso’s Birthday because Spotify dropped the song) …

Now, after spending 10 minutes wondering if it’s too obnoxious to post a link to the video after @chaotic-neutral-knitter already did, I’m just gonna do it because it’s 1:10 a.m. on a work night and I’m just gonna go for it and go to bed. Again, so excited to see this discussion! ♥️♥️♥️

Just realized something. You all remember the Blackbeard theme that popped up a few times in s1, most memorably for me at the end of s1e3 and a few times in s1e4? The deep rumbly strings?

I don't think we ever hear that in season 2, do we? That's certainly not due to lack of care from the music team; other s1 arrangements, especially Gnossienne 5 and the main theme music (that I'd argue also doubles as Stede's theme), are brought back in with care and thought. And at first I thought, just now, huh, that's a little strange that the Blackbeard piece didn't come back - but then I realized, no the fuck it isn't! Why would we hear it, even and especially during the first two epsiodes? Blackbeard is gone! He's been gone! Ed's trying to perform Blackbeard, and he cannot do it! Functionally, Blackbeard is dead when the season starts, and this is just the musical choices reflecting that!

[buscandoelparaiso]

i chiellucci la sera del trionfo di wembley

[ross-nekochan]

Gli otaku deficienti amanti del Giappone: i giapponesi mettono la mascherina perché non voglio far ammalare il prossimoh!1!1 Sono così altruistiiii!1!!1!

La verità: l'80% la usa perché si vergogna della propria faccia al punto dal volerla nascondere.

[mchiti]

what’s the french equivalent of suburra?

[vanbasten]

io do i crediti pure quando respiro l’aria degli altri e poi vedo le cose che ho creato/fatto/ricercato io, mettendoci tempo e impegno, smerciate liberamente senza nemmeno un misero riconoscimento. in un’altra vita sono sicuramente un’ala destra è confermato

[omarfor-orchestra]

Anche io non capisco tutta questa acredine verso il cast di shake... Dami spicca è evidente, ma gli altri non sono così tremendi, ricordo alcuni attori di skam più meno allo stesso livello se non peggio

In generale, ho notato che è una mania che ricorre spesso quella di buttare merda sugli altri per esaltare il proprio prefe, ecco perché evito di entrare su twt

Io cani veri ne ho visti nelle altre miniserie di Raiplay, tra cui (l'ho detto all'epoca e resto coerente) Nicolas in nudes in cui il livello era proprio basso in generale e boh, forse lui si è adeguato.

Io finita la serie sono andata su twt per vedere un po' i pareri (e gli screen) e leggevo solo veleno, anche nel tag ufficiale. Gente che si lamentava della recitazione, delle scene, pure dello slow motion e, cito non ricordo chi "avere solo 2 attori bravi su 8 mi sembra un po' poco". Damiano e Greta spiccavano perché sono gli unici più conosciuti, ma gli altri ragazzi erano preparati, concentrati e bravi quanto loro. Lamentarsi del "piattume" (piattume di cosa, poi? Che dovevano fare, inventarsi le scene d'azione quando è una miniserie sulla vita quotidiana di adolescenti?) solo per sottolineare quanto il protetto sia il più bravo del mondo mi sembra esagerato, e parlo io che Damiano lo metterei a fare qualsiasi cosa eh

[wigglesforsquiggles]

i love belting my heart out when sick bc i'll be in the middle of an opera piece in italien and i'll take a deep breath to pause so i can remember the next lyrics and then get sent into the worst coughing fit hell can offer and through to monday. and then carry on as if nothings happened

[justaholeinmysoul]

Oh now cultural appropriation is called white entitlement lmao

[stelashe]

Ma la gente offesa(oddìeo cRiNge) perché hanno spiegato cos'è un meme a persone che magari sono anziane o non usano i social.. dimmi che sei chronically online etc

[the-baddiegirl]

Ciao...

Sapete quelle prime domande che vengono in mente quando apri un blog? E ora come inizio? Cosa pubblico per farmi notare? NIENTE!

Non sono qui per farmi notare, sono qui perché ho bisogno di un posto dove sfogare liberamente i miei pensieri, i miei scazzi e soprattutto le mie perversioni...Lontana da quel cazzo di finto perbenismo! Se vi piacerà sarete i benvenuti altrimenti sapete già cosa fare...

Quindi ora passiamo alle presentazioni: Ciao sono NYKI e mi considero una BADDIE! Perché? Beh questo sta a voi scoprirlo...

[amuseoffyre]

Recurring Musical Motifs #7

This one is a special, special moment that had me flailing with delight when it happened because not one, not two, but four of the previous motifs overlap in this scene, weaving together.

1) Air on the G String - This first showed up in episode 1x02, when the village elder said that Olu was in love. It's used as an unrequited love theme, where the love is real and there, but there's an uncertainty about whether it's reciprocated. It returns in 2x01, when Stede is writing his letters, so bringing it back here is tying those scenes together.

2) Voi Che Sapete (Kraken Theme) - Very, very briefly, we get a chord of the kraken motif when Ed knifes the man and snatches the letter from him. So brief, in fact, that it becomes part of the next piece.

3) Gnossienne No. 5 - Only this time Gnossienne No. 5 comes in with a strong upswing in energy and a full supporting orchestration, instead of the gentler version that has been used throughout the show in different incarnations. This is them both in tune with one another and the music is reflecting it.

4) Humble Wanderers - And last of all, after being emotionally overwhelmed, realising he has work to do, the return of the iconic Blackbeard theme with a strong cello/bass line.

This is the first time in the show that all three of Ed's main themes are interweaving together, overlapping, and part of the whole. They're no longer disparate parts of him. He is them and they are all him.