Hello, I've been noticing several soundtrack themes in Skyrim that I know I've heard before - I think it was in Morrowind! I'm pretty sure I'm hearing stuff from Oblivion, too. So most of the music is recycled, apparently. Not that I mind or that it diminishes the game, because it's all great music. But is there any original music in the soundtrack?

I'm probably in the minority in that the music in a game is integral to my enjoyment of it. It probably has something to do with my being a classical musician in real life.

Yeah, definitely some pieces inspired from Morrowind rather significantly, heard some Oblivion too.
There's still many original tracks though.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Music

Yep definitely music taken from Morrowind, which is good because I thought the Morrowind soundtrack was awesome.
The music played in the background when you enter a tavern is good.

It's not a bad thing. The majority of Skyrim players haven't even played Morrowind or Oblivion, let alone heard of them. Plus listening to it may want you to play it again.

It feels like about half of the music is from previous games. I don't know, I really like the old music, but they were made for different games. Hearing them in Skyrim robs the game of the ability to make its own impact. Whenever I hear the old music, I think of those games, not Skyrim. =(

Isn't that already official that Skyrim was reusing music from earlier games?

Thanks for that! I knew that the morrowind theme sounded somewhat like skyrim's, now I'm sure of it.

There seems to be some music that uses the main Fallout 3/Fallout New Vegas theme elements that I've noticed during cave exploration.

I think that Beth was offering an homage to the older games as well as using the music for newer players to share in the prior experiences. The result, of course, is that there is more music in Skyrim, overall, than prior games. After all, the official soundtrack is supposed to be 4 CDs, and Morrowind was only one CD.

I really like the way the soundtrack is sort of a medley of older stuff, mixed with new bits. The waves of nostalgia that overcome me when certain morrowind tunes play is ridiculous! Really really love the music for this game.

The theme to Skyrim is identical to the theme of Morrowind, but with the chorus added on top.

You are supposed to get a sense of continuity of a grand story from the theme reappearing, I think. At least that was my reaction. Of course it is completely deliberate and obvious. As in classical music or e.g. Star Wars or Indiana Jones, themes reappear in different forms.

I think there's like, one song from Morrowind that reappears in Skyrim, and that's it.

The rest is pretty original, and pretty damn good.

Yeah I agree wholeheartedly. Well put.

Wrong. partially right, but mostly wrong.
Skyrim's theme is similar to morrowind's, yes, but only for the fourteen seconds after the first chorus and the twenty seconds before the second. And even that's different, since the feel of Skyrim's theme is nothing like morrowind.

Skyrim's theme is its own.

here's an example of the difference using a violin/piano cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAnQQcIncq0&feature=related
On the same instruments, the two themes are nothing alike

Its pretty cool how you can magically tell how many people have heard of certain games
Did you get trained? By the College perhaps?