Scherzo Di Notte

"Scherzo Di Notte" is a musical composition by Yoko Shimomura. It is used throughout the Kingdom Hearts series primarily as the main battle theme for Hollow Bastion.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
"Scherzo Di Notte" serves as the battle theme for Radiant Garden.

Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
"Scherzo Di Notte" serves as the battle theme for Hollow Bastion and the first boss fight against Riku.

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
"Scherzo Di Notte" serves as the battle theme for Hollow Bastion.

Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
"Scherzo Di Notte" primarily returns as the battle theme for Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden. It is also used during specific cutscenes and events.

Cutscenes

 * Hollow Bastion (1st visit): "The Device that Protects the Town"
 * Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden (2nd visit): "The Truth About Ansem," "Heartless Invade," "Maleficent Joins the Fray," "Sephiroth Descends," "Aerith and Leon," "Brave Yuffie and Aerith," "Stitch Tries His Best," "Gullwings Working Hard," "Leon and Cloud," "Cloud and His Destiny with Darkness," "I'm Sorry King Mickey," "Nocturne Melody Demyx,"
 * 100 Acre Wood: "A Heartless Attack," "The Stolen Book"

Events

 * Hollow Bastion (1st visit): "Defeat the Nobodies" in the Borough
 * Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden (2nd visit): The Battle of Hollow Bastion, "Defeat the Heartless" in the Borough, "Defeat the Heartless and Nobodies," "Defeat the Nobodies" at the Restoration Site
 * 100 Acre Wood: "Defeat the Heartless" in the Borough

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
"Scherzo Di Notte" serves as the battle theme for Hollow Bastion.

Composition
"Scherzo Di Notte" is approximately one minute and forty-nine seconds long in Kingdom Hearts and the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. In Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, the piece is slightly extended to two minutes and one second. In Kingdom Hearts II, the piece is cut to one minute and nineteen seconds. However, in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, the piece is extended to two minutes and six seconds. Regardless of the game, the piece has transitions between the time signatures of 6/8 and 3/4. Likewise, the key signature change frequently. The tempo for the piece is 140 beats per minute in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. In Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the tempo slightly increases to 142 beats per minute. In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, the tempo slows down to 134 beats per minute.

The instrumentation depends on the version of the game. For games such as Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, some of the instrument voices are covered through electronic means- such as synthesizer. Also, the instrumentation slightly changes for specific games. For example: In Kingdom Hearts II, the instrumentation is reduced to strings, snare drum, timpani, and piano. This differs from the previous games, Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, which uses a larger instrumentation and favors the woodwind families. This larger instrumentation included: a complete strings section- violin, viola, cello, and stringed bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trombone, snare drum, crash cymbals, timpani, and piano. Kingdom Hearts Re:coded used the same instrumentation as well. For Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the instrumentation is similar in size, but instead favors the brass families of the orchestra, and introduced a small treble choir. The instrumentation for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep includes: a strings section, trumpet, French horn, trombone, orchestral bells, snare drum, crash cymbals, timpani, and female choir.

In musical terms, a is often referred to as a "joke." In playing a scherzo, the themes often resemble that of lighter, lively pieces that sometimes include dances. The Italian translation of "Scherzo Di Notte" is "Joke at Night" which seems both misleading and incorrect. Rather than mean the literal definition of "joke," it is instead better to refer to the "dance" or "lively" history of the term. Regardless of the interpretation of the name, the piece has both serious and light textures. The percussion parts, chords (as outlined by mid and lower voiced instruments) create the "heavier" and darker tone of the piece. However, simultaneously, are the upper voiced instruments- such as the violins, flute, oboe, and clarinet- playing shorter rhythmic features that suggest a livelier tone.