Subjective things like music is hard to nail down though because what you equate to Larian-esque could be considered tone setting and wonderful by others. Hence people have different taste in music as well as art and style.
*snip*
That's not true at all. I do not know nearly enough about music to make an accurate objective analysis, but I have seen it done repeatedly. You can compare the type of instruments used, vocals, tones, etc. I would absolutely love for someone with expertise in music analysis to compare the BG/BG 2 soundtracks as against the BG 3 music. To me, it subjectively feels like DoS music due to the amount of 'airiness', 'chanting' and usage of harps, lacking the impact of the big brass used throughout BG. But the composer of the BG 3 soundtrack did state that he took inspiration and elements from the BG/BG 2 soundtracks, so I'm waiting for someone with more knowledge to prove if that is true or not.
Subjectively, to me, BG 3 just doesn't sound similar to BG 1&2. There are elements there, but the emphasis and tone seems all wrong. Instead I hear the airy chanting and harps of DoS 2 (but not DoS 1, which does seem to have a unique feel to me), rather than the big brass and emphatic drums of BG.
Not a music major, but I am an analyst by job, so I'll do my best:
BG1 music was very cadenced and sounded like a war march (does this match with the story narrative?). Militaristic might or a campaign to fight a common enemy?
BG2 music had a few sections in it which the style changed as to tell a story. Had hints of intrigue and mystique in the beginning, as the curtains raised it moves back to a march cadence with trumpets of valor/victory heralding on the heroes, or describing adventure, moving back to a somber tone of loss or maybe recovery from the action and ending on danger and doom.
Both the BG songs were more "operatic" in structure, and more like the sounds of an odyssey taking place.
DOS1 music was interesting because it had a sense of adventure and beginnings of exploration and at the same time had a sense of loss and ruin with a sad or longing tone from the violin. It sounded like an adventure of duty and guilt.
DOS2 music also had hints of sadness and loss in them while having moments of haste and adventure then reverting back to angelic callings and longing.
Both of the DOS songs were very folktale-esque and sounded like a a bard tale or songs you would hear at a medieval festival or travelers tavern.
Interestingly, BG3 music is closer to BG than DOS to me, because it goes back to the more operatic tone in the sense of drums and loud horns versus flutes and violins. Then in the middle of the BG3 music they fall back to a DOS style angelic choir of folk tale singing and story telling. This keeps going back and forth between the two styles as it plays....which makes sense as they are probably trying to emulate both.
