With The Legend of Zelda celebrating 40 years out in the wild in 2026, there are all sorts of exciting things happening around the wider franchise. The Ocarina of Time Remake is the one that most readily springs to mind, but the releases coming out in other mediums are arguably just as exciting.
The movie adaptation is reportedly continuing production, in what has been a remarkably smooth journey to date. That should get a full reveal later this year, with many expecting that a dedicated Zelda Nintendo Direct will be given as the platform for that initial deep dive. Outside of that, though, there is a physical release on the way as well, that could easily be one of the most exciting of the bunch.
The Legend Of Zelda Returns With A Passion Project
As first reported by Zelda Universe, ZREO: Second Quest have shared that they are working on an all-new album inspired by Ocarina of Time. ZREO: Second Quest is the successor to the long-running Zelda Reorchestrated project, with this latest effort being arranged for string quartet and performed by Atlys.
In confirming the news via press release, the project shared the following statement:
“The album reunites the partnership behind 2023’s Fair Winds & Following Seas feat. ATLYS: Music from The Wind Waker, which spanned a digital, CD, and double-vinyl release. Where that album placed the quartet within larger arrangements, Quartet of Time belongs to the quartet alone: two violins, viola, and cello carrying Koji Kondo’s most beloved score with no ensemble behind them.
“‘Ocarina of Time is the reason I became a musician,’ said Ari Fisher, ZREO: Second Quest’s arranger and composer. ‘Not one influence among many – the reason. When the remake was announced, the only thing that changed for us was that we stopped keeping the album a secret. We’d been making it all along.’
“ATLYS – violinists Jinty McTavish and Sabrina Tabby, violist Susan Bengtson Price, and cellist Genevieve Tabby – formed in 2016 and has built an audience across more than a thousand live performances, with the Quartet of Time arrangements written to travel: music the quartet can carry directly onto concert stages.”
Several of the arrangements for the final product have already been completed, with recording now underway on those pieces of work.
Quartet Of Time Is By Zelda Fans And For Zelda Fans
This really does seem like a notably more passionate project than similar efforts in the past, and it could be one that really draws fans in, particularly given how iconic Zelda’s soundtrack is. Happily, you don’t even have to wait for the full album to start listening, as tracks will be released individually onto streaming platforms when they are complete.
- Released
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November 21, 1998
- ESRB
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E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Engine
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Zelda 64 Engine