This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Heroes of Might and Magic II.

Music

“There was a lot of fun and vibrant discussions around the opera stuff. My internal audio producer Rob King was Paul’s partner and we just told them to go for it. And so, they came back and showed everyone in the studio and we had such debates about the opera. We even had to make two tracks in the UI by adding an option to turn off the opera for the player. But it was fantastic pieces of music and today is just as loved as the actual games themselves." - Jon Van Caneghem¹

Early Paul Anthony Romero Compositions#

Ancient Evocations#

Famous "Ancient Evocations" theme², so-called Grass theme, went through different variations before and after it's first release with HoMM2.

Sea theme#

Unused Battle Theme#

HoMM1 came with 4 different Battle themes and although HoMM2 draw on from it's predecessor in every aspect, both HoMM2 MIDI and CD audio soundtracks contain only 3 Battle themes. Moreover the names of MIDI files in HoMM2 start from MIDI0002 - one of a three battle themes available in vanilla version of the game, making us wonder what was the missing 0001 track? By courtesy of Paul Anthony Romero, who shared with us with his early "Best of" album from 1997 and gave this track hashtags #homm might magic and #heroesofmight&magic, we can guess that this is the missing theme⁵⁶:

Watch on YouTube

Musical Inspirations⁷#

The Succession Wars#

Observation Tower

Visiting the structure sound effect stems from "Dvorak: Symphony No. 9" (1:17): Watch on YouTube

Knight Town

Goldberg variation number 1

Watch on YouTube

Lyrics are Based on Psalm 115:5 from the Bible:

Sie haben Mäuler, und reden nicht; sie haben Augen, und sehen nicht;  sie haben Ohren, und hören nicht; sie haben Nasen, und riechen nicht;  Sie haben Hände, und greifen nicht; Füße haben sie, und gehen nicht; sie reden nicht durch ihren Hals. 

They have mouths, but they speak not ; they have eyes , and see not; They have ears , and hear not; they have noses , but they smell not ; They have hands , and do not interfere ; Feet they have , and do not go ; they do not speak through their throat.

Warlock

Based on Rachmaninov Piano Concert No. 3 finale. Here at 39:00:

Watch on YouTube

Lyrics are based on Thus Spoke Zarathustra:

Willst du heute dein Feuer in die Täler tragen?
Fürchtest du nicht, fürchtest du nicht,
fürchtest du nicht des Brandstifters Strafen?

Will you now carry your fire into the valleys? Do you not fear, do you not fear, do you not fear the arsonist's punishment?

Necromancer

Lyrics are based on Thus Spoke Zarathustra:

Deine wilden
wilden Hunde wollen in die Freiheit;
sie bellen vor Lust in ihrem Keller,
wenn dein Geist alle Gefängnisse zu lösen trachtet.
sie bellen vor Lust
Deine wilden
wilden Hunde wollen in die Freiheit; sie bellen vor Lust
vor Lust

Your wild, wild dogs want out into freedom; they are barking in their cellar with passion, when your soul is striving to free all confinements. they are barking with passion. Your wild, wild dogs want out into freedom; they are barking with passion with passion.

Sorceress

Lyrics are based on Psalm 14:1 from the Bible:

Die Toren sagen in ihrem Herzen: Es ist kein Gott, es ist kein Gott. Die Toren sehen in ihrem Herzen: Es ist kein Gott, kein Gott.

The fools say in their hearts: There is no God, there is no God. The fools see in their hearts: There is no God, no God.

Barbarian

Lyrics are based on Thus Spoke Zarathustra:

Oder gehst du jetzt selber
auf den Wegen
auf den Wegen
Oder gehst du jetzt auf den Wegen der Diebe, du Freund der Bösen?

Or do you go now alone on the Path on the Path Or do you go now on the Path of Thieves, you Friend of Evildoers?

The Price of Loyalty#

Sorceress

Lyrics are based on Revelations 4:11:

Herr, du bist würdig, zu nehmen Preis und Ehre und Kraft; denn du hast alle Dinge geschaffen, und durch deinen Willen haben sie das Wesen und sind geschaffen.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Barbarian

Lyrics are based on 1 Corinthians 15:55:

Wo ist dein Sieg? Wo ist dein Stachel? Wo ist dein Sieg? Wo ist dein Sieg? Der Tod ist verschlungen in den Sieg. Tod, wo ist dein Stachel? Hölle, wo ist dein Sieg? Wo ist dein Sieg? Wo ist dein Stachel? Wo ist dein Sieg? Wo ist dein Sieg? 

Where is thy victory? Where is thy sting? Where is thy victory? Where is thy victory? Death is swallowed in victory. O death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory? Where is thy victory? Where is thy sting? Where is thy victory? Where is thy victory? 

Warlock

Lyrics are based on 1 Corinthians 15:52⁸

Denn es wird die Posaune schallen,
und die Toten werden auferstehen unverweslich,
und wir werden verwandelt werden.

References#