Saw Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy last night

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-20 11:40pm

As you may or may not know, I had tickets to see Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy at the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago last night. The Chicagoland Pops Orchestra performed selections of music from the Final Fantasy series.

I'll say right now, it was a dream come true. This may sound corny, but seeing the music from Final Fantasy performed by a symphony orchestra has been a dream of mine for years now, ever since I played Final Fantasy VI. I just love Uematsu's work. It's brilliant. And last night could not have been any more perfect.

Just before the show began, Nobuo Uematsu came into the theatre and was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He was all smiles, bowing and generally acting silly. You could tell he was thrilled to have his music being performed in the US.

Then the chorus came out with Arnie Roth, the conductor, and the show started with "Liberi Fatali" from Final Fantasy VIII. The chorus was nice, but they lacked baritones, which you really need for a piece like that. They just got overpowered by the orchestra, but it will still enjoyable. During the whole show, there were scenes from the games interspersed with live shots of the musicians playing on three giant monitors hanging above the stage.

Then the Master of Ceremonies came out. I forgot his name, which I feel badly about, because the guy was really great. He does radio commentating for White Sox radio in Chicago and is an avid gamer. They basically did three pieces at a time. There was an awesome classical guitarist for "Vamos alla Flamenco" from Final Fantasy IX. Some of the selections for the game scenes they chose were a little strange though and didn't seem to go along with the music very well, except in the cases of "Liberi Fatali" and "Love Grows" from Final Fantasy VIII. But the close-up shots of the musicians were really very cool.

They also had a new composition made for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, which, as the MC put it, "takes us back through time to the very first Final Fantasy." It started with the familiar Final Fantasy melody, then went to the Chocobo theme, then to the Final Fantasy theme. It was a very cool piece.

For the MC's last bit, he said, "You know, there are some who would question whether this music belongs with this venue and orchestra." Boos from the crowd. "I think we've proven them wrong!" Massive applause. And really, that was a great thing for him to say. Some people might poo-poo videogame music being performed in an orchestral venue, but fuck them. More tickets for people who enjoy it.

And of course, they did "Aeris' Theme" from Final Fantasy VII, which earned the orchestra a standing ovation. The last piece was the ending theme common to all Final Fantasy games.

Then Uematsu came on-stage to say a few words with the help of a translator. He got a standing ovation, and the entire audience remained standing while he spoke. He said he wanted to do a little survey and asked, "Who's heard of my rock band, The Black Mages?" Thunderous applause. "If I did a show here in the United States, who would promise to come?" Again, thunderous applause. "Can I trust you?" Laughter.

He also did a little informal poll of where everyone was from. I'd say a good half of the crowd was from out-of-state. They'd come from all over to see this show, New York, California and even a few people from out of the country. Then he said, "Well we can't just end it like this. Who wants an encore?" Again, massive applause/hooting/hollering. So then the chorus walks out to a massive applause, since the crowd knows the encore is going to be "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII. They did a pretty good job, but I could swear the Latin was slightly different from the other recorded versions I've heard. But hey, the crowd was psyched, and it was a perfect way to end the show.

Really, I can now check something off the "Things to Do Before I Die" list. The crowd was unbelievable. I've been to a symphony performance before, and the most they get is polite clapping. This orchestra got the full rock-star treatment.

Although a lot of people in the crowd clearly hadn't been to such a performance before, and a lot of them applauded during the performance at certain parts in the music, which is a huge no-no. Applause during the performance could throw the musicians off. Luckily, nothing like that happened. And really, the musicians were probably very flattered.

In general, the audience was very diverse. People of all ages and all ethnicities were there. It wasn't just a bunch of 20-something Japanese males. There is a big market for this kind of thing, and it's hard to argue with two sold-out shows in the US. I imagine that they'll hold more across the country, probably in New York next.

But if this comes anywhere near you, go see it. Seriously, I was so overjoyed to be there with other people who obviously loved the music as much as I do. It was a massive geek-gasm. There was just so much energy there; it was unbelievable. Uematsu himself seemed like a very genuine guy, although I didn't have a VIP ticket, so I didn't get to meet him personally. But you could tell that he was just thrilled with the success and was doing this tour for his fans. And as I said before, it was a dream come true. Anyone who enjoys a good symphony performance would enjoy this show, and for Final Fantasy fans, it'll just be heaven.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2005-02-20 11:47pm

You suck. You suck. You SUCK.

Glad you had a good time, though. I hope they expand the tour, they will sell out in any major city they perform in.

Post by **Kuja** » 2005-02-20 11:50pm

Congratulations, Durandal. I wish they were coming to perform somewhere closer to Buffalo though. As it is, they're out of range for me.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-02-20 11:53pm

Is that the same music which was used in the "Final Fantasy" movie? I've never played the game, but I saw the movie. The music wasn't particularly memorable though, at least not to me. But obviously, individual tastes in music will differ.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2005-02-20 11:58pm

Darth Wong wrote:Is that the same music which was used in the "Final Fantasy" movie? I've never played the game, but I saw the movie. The music wasn't particularly memorable though, at least not to me. But obviously, individual tastes in music will differ.

Nope. The movie score was done by Elliot Goldenthal - a decent score, I thought, but not having the original FF composer, Uematsu, was one of many countless mistakes that were made with that movie.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2005-02-21 12:03am

I've never seen the movie, but I've played most of the games and the music is usually exceedingly good, Mr. Wong. From what I've heard about it, the movie was a mistake from the get go and it wouldn't surprise me if its music were inferior to that of the games.

Also, the game music has the nostalgia value, which would certainly help people's opinion of it.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2005-02-21 12:28am

The movie's score is decent, but the actual game music goes beyond amazing.

Temjin · Post by **Temjin** » 2005-02-21 12:36am

There are sometimes, such as this, that I deeply regret not living in a larger city.

Post by **Dalton** » 2005-02-21 01:31am

*crosses fingers* New York next!

DarkSilver · Post by **DarkSilver** » 2005-02-21 01:33am

If it comes anywhere within a 1 state radius of me (texas, arkansas or mississippi, or maybe even alabama), I will go see it. I've been waiting for to hear what it was like since I heard about it.

I'm glad to know it was well worth the admission price.

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2005-02-21 02:23am

I'm geeky enough to have bought the 3-CD set from FF6 (the one with Kefka).

It has all the tracks on it, from the Devil's Lab (theme for the Magitek factory), to the New Continent (the floating continent), and especially Kefka's theme (you learn to hate that theme).

I listen to it at work, it is a great 3-hr relaxation.

Seggybop · Post by **Seggybop** » 2005-02-21 03:52am

Dalton wrote:*crosses fingers* New York next!

It @#$%ing better.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-02-21 05:11am

Darth Wong wrote:Is that the same music which was used in the "Final Fantasy" movie? I've never played the game, but I saw the movie. The music wasn't particularly memorable though, at least not to me. But obviously, individual tastes in music will differ.

Oh man, you're missing out on some real good scores then. The Final Fantasy series is often hailed as being the sole source for bringing decent, movie like themes to videogames. As the games got bigger and more like interactive films, so did the music. The soundtracks are a little pricey, but all of Uematsu-san's music is great. Just download Aeris' Death Theme from FFVII (the game that most resembles the rather disconnected film) and enjoy. The film used Goldenthal because they wanted a familiar face, but with respect to him and the movie, the games are nothing like that standalone production.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2005-02-21 11:31am

Just to make Durandal jealous, my ex roomate was there, in the 4th row, with a ticket that got him to a reception to meet the man himself. I'm going to have to grill him on it when I see him next.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-21 01:31pm

Yeah one of my coworkers had a VIP ticket as well, so I told him to get about 20 autographs from Uematsu for me.

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2005-02-21 02:01pm

Coalition wrote:I'm geeky enough to have bought the 3-CD set from FF6 (the one with Kefka).

There really is a lot of music in FF6. Some of the stuff over at OverClocked ReMix is really good, too. My current favorite is "Ascension to Cosmo Canyon", from FF7.

It has all the tracks on it, from the Devil's Lab (theme for the Magitek factory), to the New Continent (the floating continent), and especially Kefka's theme (you learn to hate that theme).

What do you mean you learn to hate Kefka's theme? I love that theme! It means that he's going to go on a genocidal rampage, and that's always worth watching.

Durandal wrote:Really, I can now check something off the "Things to Do Before I Die" list. The crowd was unbelievable. I've been to a symphony performance before, and the most they get is polite clapping. This orchestra got the full rock-star treatment.

Most classical music gets the NPR historian treatment: they talk about the Baroque influences on Bach's later years and how that manifests itself in some obscure piece of music (number 87!) which we'll be playing once we finally finish jawing about it. Boring as hell. But for music with a culture which regards it as entertainment, as fun, you have a completely different attitude. And so, a symphony orchestra gets treated like rock stars.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-02-21 02:04pm

By the way, the MC's name was Gene Honda, voice of the Chicago White Sox.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-02-21 02:23pm

...AUGH!

Blasted...daah....any information on where it'll be next/soonish? I can always make more money, but a show like that is a far rarer commodity.

Shadowhawk · Post by **Shadowhawk** » 2005-02-21 02:35pm

If I wasn't already planning on spending money for a con in April, I would've flown in to that concert.
It's too soon for me, but the next concert will be in San Francisco, on March 7th.
http://www.square-enix.com/uematsu/conc ... _2005.html

Too bad they would never have enough time to play all my favorites from the series. We'd be stuck in the concert hall for 8 hours.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-02-21 02:42pm

....Fuck. California. If you were asking me in four months...

Shadowhawk · Post by **Shadowhawk** » 2005-02-21 03:24pm

Hrm. Looks like it'd cost me about $200 to fly down to SanFran for the concert, but I'd have to pay for a motel or something to crash for the night. Can't seem to find any redeye flights that leave at, like, 11pm the night of the concert.

Post by **Steve** » 2005-02-21 03:25pm

The game music for Final Fantasy is often better than most movies. And Nobuo Uematsu is the John Williams of video game scoring - FF8's "Liberi Fatali" is a good match to Williams' "Duel of the Fates" (Less so, but still good, is FF7's "One Winged Angel"). Of course, there are other good composers: Koji Kondo (who did the Zelda music and Star Fox, amongst others), Yasumori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger and it's sequel, plus Xenogears IIRC), and Yuzo Koshiro (ActRaiser for the SNES! It's "Symphonic Suite" tracks are among the best game music themes converted to orchastra!). And more recently, Yoko Shimamura's effort for Kingdom Hearts may have mostly consisted of rehashed Disney movie themes, but it's original tracks - Destati, Forze Del Male, and Guardando Nel Buio particcularly - are of excellent quality, as is the end credits track "March Caprice for Piano and Orchastra".

Yes, I'm a hopeless VG music geek. Better than being the usual idiot who sits at home and drools over the sun-burned bodies of Survivor contestants.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-02-21 03:34pm

And yet, you missed Harry Gregson-Williams, Bill Brown and Jeremy Soule. Forshame.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2005-02-21 06:12pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:And yet, you missed Harry Gregson-Williams, Bill Brown and Jeremy Sourle. Forshame.

OCRemix has a version of Terra, FFVI's main theme, rearranged by Jeremy Soule. It's fucking excellent.

I've long preferred the 'event' music in games to the BGM. Even the best BGMs in the world tend to grate eventually (and Final Fantasy is no exception, do they not realise that by the fiftieth hour that battle theme has gotten old.)

I'd like to add a credit for the team that wrote the music for Ace Combat 4 and 5. "The Unsung War" is a particularly excellent piece, and even in the game is performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2005-02-21 07:30pm

Personally, I always loved the music from the penultimate fight with Sephiroth, one winged angel i believe the song's called. There was ace music inside that water temple in ff8 too, but i have no idea what that was called.

Oh, and shouldn't this be in AMP?