I spent the past few days visiting a friend in Boston, and the fact that Distant Worlds, a concert comprised solely of Final Fantasy music, was playing at the Boston Symphony Hall was actually the catalyst for the impromptu vacation.
If you are a fan of video game music and Nobuo Uematsu in particular, I urge you to attend at least one of these concerts. The Video Game Orchestra was absolutely fabulous, as was the conductor, Arnie Roth. I'm not too proud to admit that I started crying during the Opening - Bombing Mission song from Final Fantasy VII. And again during the Opera "Maria and Draco" (Aria di Mezzo Caraterre) from FF VI. The waves of nostalgia were overwhelming. I was also not prepared for how amazing Dancing Mad would sound on a massive pipe organ, and the clips of Terra fighting Kefka from Dissidia Final Fantasy playing in the background only made it that much more fantastic (and made me really wish I had a PSP).
Kefka, you singularly crazy bastard.
There is something to be said for live music - recordings just cannot compare. I have to say, the screen behind the orchestra playing clips from the games added to the performance - and not just because some of them were almost like inside jokes for the audience. Remember that obnoxious tapping noise when your characters walked around in Final Fantasy VIII? Yeah. Now imagine hearing that in a concert hall. And, of course, what Final Fantasy concert is complete without a rousing chorus of One Winged Angel a la Final Fantasy VII?
Man, I wish my seats had been that good. Note to self: order tickets many months in advance.
- Song List -
(because I couldn't find one online and it was driving me crazy)
-Prelude
- Liberi Fatali -VIII
-Victory Fanfare
-Don't Be Afraid - VIII
-Distant Worlds - XI
-Dear Friends- V
-Vamo' alla Flamenco - IX
-Zanarkand - X
- Aeris' / Aerith's Theme - VII
-Chocobo song from XIV + Swing de Chocobo
Intermission
-Opening- Bombing Mission - VII
-Dancing Mad - VI
-Blinded by Light - XIII
-Fisherman's Horizon - VIII
-Opera "Maria and Draco" - VI
-Terra's Theme - VI
-One Winged Angel - VII
I do have one complaint, however...Why only one song from FF IX?!
What is the relevance to this blog, you wonder? Well. It came as no surprise to me that there were a handful of cosplayers scattered among the audience. My tally was as follows: Aeris - 2 ; Squall - 1 ; Generic red mage - 1 ; Moogle - 2
Now out of a crowd of over 2,000 that might not seem significant, but keep in mind that this is a formal concert situation. However, I noticed a wide range of outfits- from people in jeans and hoodies to people in their finest formal wear. Most orchestral concerts I have attended were in Europe, and I can't tell if people in the US don't dress as formally for concerts or whether this was a result of it being a video game orchestra rather than a more traditional concert.
Now pretend this is a dude in a hoodie with ears.
So I pose a question to all of you - is it appropriate to cosplay at a formal concert? Even though this was a video game concert, should cosplaying be considered an appropriate, respectful homage to the composer and the series, or is it too outlandish or informal for an orchestral performance?
In other news, I apologize for my absence. Cosplay updates will start as soon as the MCAT has been vanquished. Less than two weeks. I am beyond terrified.
~Kathryn