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Final Fantasy VI Symphonic Poem video released

Phatcorns

Member
Not sure how interested everybody would be in this, but I find it fairly amazing. This is taken from the Final Symphony concert (same line of concerts as Symphonic Fantasies, Symphonic Legends and Symphonic Odyssey done by Thomas Boecker and crew).

Here's the video: http://rspoplay.com/#DcYk7tk9fdSiKvNw_aykcw

Video recording of Final Fantasy VI performance online
The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra releases its critically acclaimed performance 
of the Final Fantasy VI Symphonic Poem online today!

We are pleased to announce that the award winning Final Fantasy VI Symphonic Poem, performed by the world famous Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, is now available to watch, for free and on demand, via the orchestra’s official concert streaming service rspoplay.com. Comprising one movement of the critically acclaimed Final Symphony concert program this marks the first time the Symphonic Poem has been heard anywhere outside of the concert hall. Final Symphony is an officially licensed series of concerts featuring symphonic music from the Final Fantasy video game series.

Recorded earlier this summer at the Stockholm Concert Hall, the twenty minute Symphonic Poem is a thrilling and evocative musical journey that tells the story of Terra Branford, a mysterious young woman born with the gift of magic. Expertly arranged by Roger Wanamo, the Symphonic Poem features some of composer Nobuo Uematsu’s best loved melodies, including the legendary carnival macabre theme of lead villain Kefka and Terra’s own endearingly popular signature tune. Tobias Bjarneby, Editor-in-Chief of LEVEL magazine, called the performance “20 incredibly beautiful minutes of music that sends shivers through the body,” while Joe Hammond, Senior Editor at respected game music website VGMOnline.net described it as “a brilliant rendition of what many would call the greatest video game soundtrack ever made.”

“The music of Nobuo Uematsu remains as powerful and as moving today as it did when we first heard it twenty years ago,” said Final Symphony producer Thomas Böcker. “It’s been an honour and a pleasure to bring his music to the concert hall and now, for the first time ever, we’re delighted to be able to share the Symphonic Poem online with the world in this, Final Fantasy VI’s 20th anniversary year. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world’s finest orchestras, with a long tradition of performing video gaming’s best-loved melodies, and they have produced a concert video that does true justice to the music.”

You can view the full, twenty minute, high-definition concert performance of Final Fantasy VI Symphonic Poem now, for free, by visiting rspoplay.com.
 

Zhao_Yun

Member
I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of this concert series in Wuppertal last year and what a concert it was!
I really love how Roger Wanamo used the themes of the game to tell Terra's story, like combining Terra's Theme with the Gestahl Empire Theme in the beginning of the piece to show that Terra fought for the empire at the beginning of the game.

It is also worth noting that they will release a CD recording of the whole concert soon according to the website! http://www.spielemusikkonzerte.de/en/konzerte/final-symphony/
 

lumzi23

Member
That was really great. I listened to the whole thing. I have a new pair of headphones coming in this weekend. This will hopefully be amazing on them.
 

McDougles

Member
I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of this concert series in Wuppertal last year and what a concert it was!
I really love how Roger Wanamo used the themes of the game to tell Terra's story, like combining Terra's Theme with the Gestahl Empire Theme in the beginning of the piece to show that Terra fought for the empire at the beginning of the game.

It is also worth noting that they will release a CD recording of the wholce concert soon according to the website! http://www.spielemusikkonzerte.de/konzerte/final-symphony/

Music from some of the very best FF games, in Final Fantasy VI, VII & X?

Sold!
 

jett

D-Member
That was an absolutely glorious interpretation of Kefka's theme. Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen are just absolutely decimating every single other orchestral arrangement.
 

jett

D-Member
Terra's theme...

salty-anim.gif
 

Zhao_Yun

Member
That was an absolutely glorious interpretation of Kefka's theme. Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen are just absolutely decimating every single other orchestral arrangement.

These guys are really incredible. Fell in love with their arrangements at Symphonic Fantasies and they keep on delivering. Can't wait for a new concert series with new arrangements.
 

Duderz

Banned
Just brilliant. Absolutely stunning, and easily the best Final Fantasy VI arrangement I've ever heard. Terra's Theme has never sounded better.
 

Ganondorfo

Junior Member
I wonder if we ever will get a Final Fantasy with this kind of music. Probably not, because no one can replace Uematsu with that style.
 

atbigelow

Member
Had a worse recording of this favorited on YouTube. Absolutely the best FFVI arrangement. The opening is so fantastic. It's all... so fantastic.
 
Ah yes, the days when Final Fantasy wasn't a horrific pop song with some form of game added on.

Early in FF7 development, the bosses wanted Uematsu to make a vocal pop turd for it as well but Earth lucked out as they all realized it didn't fit with the voiceless game. They got their wish from #8 on. And now it's all Johnny's Jr. characters and awful vocal songs. Less and less distinction between installments.

Thanks for the post, OP. Much better arrangement than all the simple, too cheery Disney-esque concerts of late. Uematsu was going for Italian opera. Incredible what he did with so few audio tracks available (SNES had 6? 8?).
That old "Grand Finale" CD is probably the most accurately and complexly arranged FF orchestra. Couple of misses on it though. Tina's theme was crap. And most extremely frustratingly, Relm's Theme is absolutely perfect except for that inexplicably blaring bagpipe. What the hell were they thinking?

I dearly wish for that heavenly arrangement with proper bagpipe or a substitute instrument. Man that still grates me. Fantastic piece but unbearable.

Please someone give us Relm's Theme!

World needs more Grand Finale/Symphonic Suite level of orchestration. Things started turning too Disney with FF7 arrangement onward.
 
These Thomas Bocker-produced symphonic arrangements that they're doing in Europe are fantastic. I love the fact that they're making an active effort to transliterate Uematsu's FF music into suites, or even full blown piano concertos (like they did in Symphonic Odysseys).

However, I'm disappointed with what's been offered in the U.S. The Dear Friends/More Friends/Distant Worlds tour plays the same, safe 5 minute arrangements every time. I hadn't been in several years but went to the 20th anniversary FFVI concert here in Chicago this year and left fairly disappointed. There was a nice new arrangement of Dark World (with Uematsu on synth) but their "character" medley was Terra, Kefka, Celes and Locke (that's it) then the expected Dancing Mad and Opera... very very safe selections. Maybe part of me is salty that I still haven't heard an orchestra arrangement of "Searching for Friends..."

Anyways, I hope Arnie Roth takes a cue from Bocker sooner or later.
 

Phatcorns

Member
Yeah, I was fairly lucky because I went to the very first Symphonic Fantasies in Cologne. Just bought the concert tickets without any clue how I'd get to Germany. Totally worth it though, to this day, it's the best concert I have ever been to in my life. I have been to many of the Distant Worlds concerts and they just lack the sophistication in arrangement, and the sound quality is terrible. Many times the orchestra is just blasted through speakers. Incredibly disappointing.

Also, I randomly emailed Thomas Bocker (I just looked up his email address) a few weeks ago and he said there'd be news on the CD this year. So shouldn't be too long hopefully!

And to the commentor talking about Relm's theme on Grand Finale with the bagpipes. That is actually part of what makes the song for me. Perhaps it's a little too loud, but man, that melody just blasts you in the face and doesn't let up until you're heartstrings are falling out of your chest.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
That was cool. Thanks for sharing.

If I had one small complaint, it's that sometimes the medley jumped from one piece to another. I wish they'd spend more time on some pieces, letting it breathe a bit. The boss battle theme was absolutely badass, but kinda short. Same for the Esper theme.

Still, incredibly beautiful and I had chills many times, even almost got teary-eyed at Terra's theme near the end. ;_;

Ah yes, the days when Final Fantasy wasn't a horrific pop song with some form of game added on.

Early in FF7 development, the bosses wanted Uematsu to make a vocal pop turd for it as well but Earth lucked out as they all realized it didn't fit with the voiceless game. They got their wish from #8 on. And now it's all Johnny's Jr. characters and awful vocal songs. Less and less distinction between installments.

Thanks for the post, OP. Much better arrangement than all the simple, too cheery Disney-esque concerts of late. Uematsu was going for Italian opera. Incredible what he did with so few audio tracks available (SNES had 6? 8?).
That old "Grand Finale" CD is probably the most accurately and complexly arranged FF orchestra. Couple of misses on it though. Tina's theme was crap. And most extremely frustratingly, Relm's Theme is absolutely perfect except for that inexplicably blaring bagpipe. What the hell were they thinking?

I dearly wish for that heavenly arrangement with proper bagpipe or a substitute instrument. Man that still grates me. Fantastic piece but unbearable.

Please someone give us Relm's Theme!

World needs more Grand Finale/Symphonic Suite level of orchestration. Things started turning too Disney with FF7 arrangement onward.
I liked the Grand Finale versions of Relm's and Terra's themes... >_> I even liked the bagpipes.
 

Feep

Banned
This was pretty amazing.

Ah yes, the days when Final Fantasy wasn't a horrific pop song with some form of game added on.

Early in FF7 development, the bosses wanted Uematsu to make a vocal pop turd for it as well but Earth lucked out as they all realized it didn't fit with the voiceless game. They got their wish from #8 on. And now it's all Johnny's Jr. characters and awful vocal songs. Less and less distinction between installments.

industrial-road-salt.jpg


IX, XI, XIII, and XIV have pretty incredible scores, o-he-who-hates. Even VIII, X, and XII have their moments.
 
Really exceptional renditions of Kefka's Theme and the battle theme. Wow, kind of blown away.

Unfortunately, though, I feel like I've heard Tina's Theme way too many times in my life to be affected by it anymore (same with Aerith's Theme)

. . . and that black curly haired tuba player is HOT!!

Percussion player was hotter.

Ah yes, the days when Final Fantasy wasn't a horrific pop song with some form of game added on.

Early in FF7 development, the bosses wanted Uematsu to make a vocal pop turd for it as well but Earth lucked out as they all realized it didn't fit with the voiceless game. They got their wish from #8 on. And now it's all Johnny's Jr. characters and awful vocal songs. Less and less distinction between installments.

Damn kids and yer J-Pops, get off my lawn.
 
The whole thing is incredible---but mainly I'm glad to finally see a quality rendition of The Unforgiven as that one always seemed to fall between the cracks and go undone versus the other more universally considered "iconic" pieces as far as prior FFVI symphonic interpretations have gone.
 

ConceptX

Member
Wow this was great, made my morning that much better.

I'm going to miss Nobuo Uematsu on XV, can't ever get enough of his work, genius.

Instant smile when Kefka's theme played.
 
saw this thread a few days ago and skipped it because I thought it was some fan made faux-symphony type arrangement.

So glad I gave it a second chance.

This rarely gets the orchestra symphony treatment compared to the other titles.
 

orioto

Good Art™
That is easily the best FF arrangement i've heard. Incredible and the song in the middle (after Kefka, was it the esper song ?) is just so intense and wonderful. It shows how much this OST is just something special, far far from "one of the best FF ost" or even videogame ost.. There is something so powerful there.
 

Duderz

Banned
Just had an itch to listen to Born With the Gift of Magic again, and saw that it's up on iTunes for purchase. Thought GAF would like to know!
 
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