Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy Orchestrated Concert

[hypernova]

So anyone who possibly read my thread about the videogameslive concert should be even more interested in this one if they are fans of Final Fantasy and its music.

Distant Worlds

I ended up not going to the videogameslive concert due to multiple reasons.  So soon after, I got this email from the FF concert site (signed up for a newsletter) and got an email saying that a concert will be in Chicago at the Rosemont Theatre.  I live in Cincinnati, and I can't say if it'll get any closer.  Only a 5 1/2 hour drive, so I'll be heading up to Chitown and staying a night at the Crowne Plaza, only .15 miles away from the theatre.  I'm bringing my family, to expose my children to an orchestra experience.

Vancouver is supposed to be having one October 8th.  Unlike videogameslive, these concerts aren't scheduled nearly as much.  Chicago and Vancouver are the only ones through December so far.

I bought balcony seats, second row.  Can't wait!

[Epyx]

Thanks for the link hypernova...im a huge CRPG fan from the 80s (Bards Tale, Ultima, Might and Magic etc) but also of JRPGs. WIll look into this.

[protokatie]

Any ideas which specific themes will be played? I would love it if they played "Melodies of Life" and "Vamo alla flamenco" , but since very few people like FF9 * , I doubt they will. Regardless, nowhere near where I live, just curious. FOr anyone going, make sure to scan the program and post it so we can see what pieces they played.

* And yes, I do realize that FF9 was the "chick-flick" final fantasy.

[Ginsu Victim]

* And yes, I do realize that FF9 was the "chick-flick" final fantasy.

FFIX was awesome! I loved that game and it's only 3D one I've actually completed.

[Epyx]

Well I confirmed I will be attending the Vancouver one with my daughter (13) in October...Nice they are coming to my home city

Thanks again for the link.

[hypernova]

Taken from the program link on the website:

Program

2-hour concert program produced by Nobuo Uematsu and AWR Music Productions, LLC (not in performance order, subject to change):

FINAL FANTASY series: Main Theme, Swing de Chocobo

FINAL FANTASY I-III: Medley

FINAL FANTASY IV: Theme of Love

FINAL FANTASY V: Dear Friends

FINAL FANTASY VI: Opera "Maria and Draco"

FINAL FANTASY VII: One-Winged Angel, Opening - Bombing Mission, Aerith's Theme

FINAL FANTASY VIII: Liberi Fatali, Fisherman's Horizon, Love Grows, Don't be Afraid

FINAL FANTASY IX: Vamo' alla Flamenco

FINAL FANTASY X: To Zanarkand

FINAL FANTASY XI: Memoro de la Stono - Distant Worlds

At the Chicago concert, according to the homepage, they will be adding J-E-N-O-V-A from VII and Dancing Mad from VI.  Freaking sweet!

Also at Chicago: 

Plus! ADVENT: ONE WINGED ANGEL - featuring Nobuo Uematsu with a rock band, full orchestra and choir!

The homepage has some full pieces to listen to, if anyone's interested in hearing some great music.

[hypernova]

Any ideas which specific themes will be played? I would love it if they played "Melodies of Life" and "Vamo alla flamenco" , but since very few people like FF9 * , I doubt they will. Regardless, nowhere near where I live, just curious. FOr anyone going, make sure to scan the program and post it so we can see what pieces they played.

* And yes, I do realize that FF9 was the "chick-flick" final fantasy.

CHICAGO IS GOING TO BE THE MOST EXCITING FINAL FANTASY CONCERT YET! Nobuo Uematsu will be performing live onstage with the rock band The Chicago Mages for the first time on our tour! It will be an evening of Chicago premieres:
•North American premieres • Works never heard outside of Japan • World Premieres!
•New orchestrations of Dancing Mad and J-E-N-O-V-A are being written
•Guest singer, Susan Calloway, will be singing:
•Kiss Me Goodbye
•Distant Worlds ~ Memoro de la Stono
•Suteki da ne
•Melodies of Life <---just announced!

[protokatie]

SWEET! Too bad I live out in the middle of nowhere and these things never happen near me. I mean, I may as well live in some far flung no-name place like Timbucktu or Australia...

Maybe it will come out on Quadraphonic CD?

[hypernova]

If anyone is interested, the concert in Chicago is TOMORROW, DEC 12th, at 8 pm!

[hypernova]

Just got back to Ohio about an hour ago.

We left around 9:40 EST and arrived there around 3:30 CST.  Swam in the indoor pool for an hour.  We were the only ones there except for two other people for a brief 15 minutes.  It was nice, like it was all to ourselves to enjoy.  Went to eat, rested for about an hour, and hit the concert.  Our hotel, the Crowne Plaza, was adjacent to the Rosemont Theatre, where it was held.  Just a short walk for us.

This was by far worth every single penny I paid for this trip.  If you are a fan of FF or even orchestrated music, you should not miss this if you get the chance to see it!

My wife isn't a fan at all of FF games, games in general, or even orchestrated music.  She was just at a Bon Jovi concert recently, and she loved it (as she likes Bon Jovi music).  She said this concert was 10x better!  I think this speaks volumes!

I looked around fairly well, and I believe I was the only person who brought the kids, which was odd.  I really thought there would be at least a few more.  My 10 yr old loved it, and my 5 yr old also enjoyed it.  She had trouble staying awake the last 40 minutes.  The concert lasted nearly 3 hours total, with a 15 minute intermission.  She also tended to ask a bunch of questions, but it wasn't too bad at all, as she tried whispering them most of the time.  She was also kind of fidgety, but overall kept still, and wasn't a distraction.

The only bad part of the trip happened at 1 am last night, a few hours after the concert.  Our 5 yr old just woke up hurling.  We're hoping the hotel doesn't charge us for the sheets.  I assume they'll be able to get the stains out.  I figure they must deal with worse stains.  It was an odd occurrence, as she's been fine the entire day, lively and such, with a suppressed appetite as the only effect.  Strange, as she did this about 2 weeks ago, too.  Same exact setup.  Middle of the night cookie-toss, then perfectly fine the next day, but a lighter appetite.

They already have an FF Distant Worlds CD, and will have a sequel to it coming out in the middle of the year.

This was such a fantastic experience, I plan on doing it again.  They announced that they are going to return to Chicago again supposedly on August 1st, as well as many other locations, including Dallas, San Francisco, Baltimore, and others.  These new dates aren't listed on the site just yet.  They'll be in Seoul and Stockholm this coming year as well, and those dates are already on the site.

[Benevolance]

I went to see Distant Worlds when it played in Vancouver in October. That is awesome that Nebuo Uematsu was at the Chicago concert - he was apparently finishing the score for the new FF game when the concert played here, so he did not attend. Though he did send a nice video apology.

My wife and I are regular concert goers to the symphony. This concert was amusing because we were probably at the older end of the age specturm - normally our visits to the orpheum, we're out of place in a sea of grey hairs. The young crowd was extremely enthusiastic. In the end, the orchestra had to stand up and leave the stage, because the audience wouldn't let them go otherwise. It was nice to see. I hope the VSO plans some more 'pops'-style concerts in the future.

I was really pleased they performed the Opera scene from FFVI when they came. I think that remains one of the best pieces of music written for a video game to date. I don't think a person needs an appreciation of either Final Fantasy or classical music to enjoy the concert. Just an appreciation of great music.

[hypernova]

They had so much, the opera scene was omitted from our performance.