I'm not enough a Final Fantasy fan to go to a concert with Final Fantasy music only, but One Winged Angel is a pretty nice piece. Liberi Fataly too.
And for me, there's no difference between being a senseless fan, and a senseless hater, so even though the music has been overused here and there, it hasn't lost it's meaning to me.
But my favorite one is Final Fantasy III... and since it's an orchestral thing, they always relegate Final Fantasy III music to some mixed medley... so I can't really bother going to a Distant Worlds show.
I'd enjoy like a couple of music, and spend the rest of the concert thinking how great it would've been if they also played this or that music...
I would love to see Uematsu/Black Mages live. But I'm geographically challenged for all the cool stuff.
I do agree with other folks though OWA is a bit over-played. He has so many other awesome sound tracks.
I had the opportunity to see the concert in Baltimore and I need to reiterate just how good the arrangements that they perform are. Of all of the orchestral Final Fantasy concert series and CDs that exist, the selections they perform are incredibly well done. While certain songs are highly vocalist dependent (Stono and Aria), others like Fisherman's Horizon and the Final Fantasy Medley are almost guaranteed to be excellent regardless of the orchestra. It is simply unbelievable at times. The arrangements end up making even the trite (Aerith and One-Winged Angel) very enjoyable.
That being said, Arnie Roth is a pops conductor. Don't go to Distant Worlds expecting what you would get at any other traditional orchestral concert. I am not necessarily saying that Arnie is not a good conductor, as that simply is not true, but rather he is unsuited to some of the groups he performs with. In the case of the Baltimore Symphony, he opened for applause and forced the orchestra to stand about a dozen times, with the orchestra looking more and more annoyed by the second. As he did this, he more often than not talked and talked in some self-centered drivel rather than allowing the music to speak for itself.
Yes, I am being unnecessarily harsh, as it truly was an excellent evening. Nonetheless, if anyone wanting to go to Distant Worlds is expecting a traditional orchestral concert (visual media aside) they should know that it isn't exactly that.
Seems like there's so many opportunities to hear One-Winged Angel, even outside official FF concerts, that it's kind of killed it for me. I'd be much more excited hearing Bombing Mission or Memoro de la Stono+Distant Worlds. But I guess it wouldn't be a FF concert without it.
I think every Final Fantasy fan can say Uematsu-san's contribution to the music of Final Fantasy is immensely important, but there are a few things that show this concert in a positive light, other than the fact it's highly enjoyable from a gamer's perspective.
First, it's good to see that symphony's in general are beginning to gain popularity again and are once again sustainable. There was a time during the last decade that symphony's across the country were losing funding, and many cities would get rid of their concerts all together, when the time for budget cuts drew near.
Second, ten to fifteen years ago, it would have been unheard of to see so many young people going out of their way to see a live orchestra, and in such a enthusiastic way, I might add. One of the highlights of this video was the loud cheers of the crowd when they began to play. It's certainly good to see.
Finally, this opens up the possibility of more people getting involved in an art that has for the most part, been ignored for quite some time. If some twenty-something goes to this concert, and walks away thinking, "Wow, that was great. I wonder what other music is available like that." , it opens up the possibility that he or she will begin to search for music like classical music. To be able to be introduced to important musicians like Bach or Chopin is certainly a benefit to all.
When I was growing up as a young child in the 80's, music class was a daily event. Going on field trips to the local symphony was a yearly event. The arts in general was treated much differently than it is today. With such constraints on school budgets today, there are too many children that aren't able to experience such wonderful forms of art and entertainment. Things like this are always such an excellent way to get people involved in something that they might not have ever had the opportunity to experience before.
So when I see things like this, or articles about Wii Music being introduced in our schools, it only benefits everyone involved, and that is a positive thing.
Missing these concerts is probably something I'll regret for a long time. I'm sure they would have been worth the cost of a flight and hotel, the planets just weren't aligned for me.
I'm going. I bought front row tickets the day they went on sale. Been waiting since 2004 when I went to the Dear Friends concert when I had a seat all the way in the back (albeit on the ground floor). Great show back then, really looking forward to this Saturday.
On a side note looking at the small pic, did Uematsu put on some weight, or are those clothes baggy?
@nikkor: ah, lucky you. i'd love to go to another one of his concerts - i saw the "dear friends" concert as well back in '05 (atlanta) and it was fantastic. it was only about $40 for 4th row seats, and surprisingly, there weren't that many people in the audience. mostly seemed to be people from out of town - i figured it was because georgians didn't (and still don't) have too much interest in gaming, let alone anything final fantasy related.
still though, you would think people would appreciate uematsu for his composing skills alone :/
also, i think it was the ONE time during the entire tour that uematsu didn't make a physical appearance.
Listen to his "Piano Collections" quite often, and I'm in Silicon Valley for the summer, so I was excited about going to this. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything to go with me, and I'm not about to make the trip alone at night.
I guess it makes me feel a little better that tickets sold out so fast; I might not have been able to go anyway.
I'll just listen to the album when it comes out. Oh, and the FF XI piano collections soundtrack just came out. There are some real gems there.
Of all the video rpg music that I fell in love even to this day (I even bought the cd @ amazon for little over $30 brand new) is Xenogears soundtrack which was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda.
Sure Nobuo Uematsu is a great composer but none of his music in that featured in ONE GAME got me so moved like Yasunori Mitsuda has. Don't get me wrong I do like Nobuo's work but only a few composition in FF game in general made me feel anything moving, engaging.
To me it's like listening to a music band you like and bought the cd to find out you only like a few song from their album, that's what it's like for me with Final Fantasy series and other Nobuo's work.
Yasunori Mitsuda however I haven't heard his work since Xenosaga Ep1 and IMO it wasn't as great as Xenogears music that I fell in love with. So I do give Nobuo props for staying with the industry long as he has though.
@Neko_Tech: There are not many games I'd play just for the music, except for the ones with Yasunori Mitsuda's works. I'm not a big CD buyer, but had no problem spending 50$ to import the Chrono Cross OST.
I find it amazing how much respect is earned and deserved by these two men especially - guys who write video game music, of all things. Putting on a sold-out concert overseas is an event many artists only dream of doing.
@mfokp: That is true and also what surprises me is that there is still a market that would prompt a concert like this. Usually it's all about the latest popular music and even then only the few groups would do a concert over seas.
Eh, I'm glad I'm not a huge Final Fantasy nut. I'm in San Francisco and would rather have the money to spend than see the performance. Additionally, buying tickets to an after party is...well, it's not something someone should be proud of, unless the money is going to a charity.
10/08/09
10/08/09
10/08/09
10/08/09
07/22/09
And for me, there's no difference between being a senseless fan, and a senseless hater, so even though the music has been overused here and there, it hasn't lost it's meaning to me.
But my favorite one is Final Fantasy III... and since it's an orchestral thing, they always relegate Final Fantasy III music to some mixed medley... so I can't really bother going to a Distant Worlds show.
I'd enjoy like a couple of music, and spend the rest of the concert thinking how great it would've been if they also played this or that music...
07/22/09
I do agree with other folks though OWA is a bit over-played. He has so many other awesome sound tracks.
07/22/09
It's overplayed sure, but thats only due to the rabid FF7 fanboys, my favorite is To Zanarkand.
07/22/09
07/22/09
That being said, Arnie Roth is a pops conductor. Don't go to Distant Worlds expecting what you would get at any other traditional orchestral concert. I am not necessarily saying that Arnie is not a good conductor, as that simply is not true, but rather he is unsuited to some of the groups he performs with. In the case of the Baltimore Symphony, he opened for applause and forced the orchestra to stand about a dozen times, with the orchestra looking more and more annoyed by the second. As he did this, he more often than not talked and talked in some self-centered drivel rather than allowing the music to speak for itself.
Yes, I am being unnecessarily harsh, as it truly was an excellent evening. Nonetheless, if anyone wanting to go to Distant Worlds is expecting a traditional orchestral concert (visual media aside) they should know that it isn't exactly that.
07/22/09
07/22/09
First, it's good to see that symphony's in general are beginning to gain popularity again and are once again sustainable. There was a time during the last decade that symphony's across the country were losing funding, and many cities would get rid of their concerts all together, when the time for budget cuts drew near.
Second, ten to fifteen years ago, it would have been unheard of to see so many young people going out of their way to see a live orchestra, and in such a enthusiastic way, I might add. One of the highlights of this video was the loud cheers of the crowd when they began to play. It's certainly good to see.
Finally, this opens up the possibility of more people getting involved in an art that has for the most part, been ignored for quite some time. If some twenty-something goes to this concert, and walks away thinking, "Wow, that was great. I wonder what other music is available like that." , it opens up the possibility that he or she will begin to search for music like classical music. To be able to be introduced to important musicians like Bach or Chopin is certainly a benefit to all.
When I was growing up as a young child in the 80's, music class was a daily event. Going on field trips to the local symphony was a yearly event. The arts in general was treated much differently than it is today. With such constraints on school budgets today, there are too many children that aren't able to experience such wonderful forms of art and entertainment. Things like this are always such an excellent way to get people involved in something that they might not have ever had the opportunity to experience before.
So when I see things like this, or articles about Wii Music being introduced in our schools, it only benefits everyone involved, and that is a positive thing.
07/19/09
07/16/09
On a side note looking at the small pic, did Uematsu put on some weight, or are those clothes baggy?
07/17/09
still though, you would think people would appreciate uematsu for his composing skills alone :/
also, i think it was the ONE time during the entire tour that uematsu didn't make a physical appearance.
07/16/09
07/16/09
I guess it makes me feel a little better that tickets sold out so fast; I might not have been able to go anyway.
I'll just listen to the album when it comes out. Oh, and the FF XI piano collections soundtrack just came out. There are some real gems there.
07/16/09
Sure Nobuo Uematsu is a great composer but none of his music in that featured in ONE GAME got me so moved like Yasunori Mitsuda has. Don't get me wrong I do like Nobuo's work but only a few composition in FF game in general made me feel anything moving, engaging.
To me it's like listening to a music band you like and bought the cd to find out you only like a few song from their album, that's what it's like for me with Final Fantasy series and other Nobuo's work.
Yasunori Mitsuda however I haven't heard his work since Xenosaga Ep1 and IMO it wasn't as great as Xenogears music that I fell in love with. So I do give Nobuo props for staying with the industry long as he has though.
07/17/09
I find it amazing how much respect is earned and deserved by these two men especially - guys who write video game music, of all things. Putting on a sold-out concert overseas is an event many artists only dream of doing.
07/18/09
07/16/09
Only criticism was there was a bit too much FFVIII (not my favorite, but I must give props to the score).
The Sephiroth theme 'encore' was icing on the cake, the place went nuts!
07/16/09