Help comes from the unlikeliest of places – and in this case, Roth believes video games have a vital role to play in introducing younger generations to music where schools continually fail.
“There's no interest in cultivating that, and these decisions will affect us culturally for many generations to come.” “We're not growing a new audience for symphony orchestras, for classical music - people aren't being exposed. “The problem is that's devastating to all of us, believe it or not,” Roth explains. The situation abroad is even worse, with little of the expensive, easily-cut state-funded music tuition in the age of the recession.
While the British government has pledged to protect music education spending from cuts that are too savage, in April of this year worrying reports of cuts and privatization to state music tuition rumbled through the newspapers. Certainly in the United States I'm not as well versed in Europe, but I know there are budget problems everywhere.” It's one of the first things to be cut these things are considered expendable. These children aren't really being exposed to music in any significant form at school. “We've got whole generations who are cutting these classes out of the public schools. “I think it's fantastic in a wider sense because the situation is rather grim for music education,” Roth explains in a telephone interview about Distant Worlds. The marriage of Nobuo Uematsu’s scores to Grammy Award-winning conductor and composer Arnie Roth has made the concerts a success – and one that is hugely symbolic.
Since 2007 the series has toured the globe, playing to thousands of fans in a vast number of countries. One of its most impressive legacies is a more cultural one, though – the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert series, which returned to London’s Royal Albert Hall last month. Grammy Award-winning Arnie Roth is the conductor and main producer of the concert series, and says he fell into conducting game music by coincidence.įinal Fantasy turns 25 on December 18th, with Distant Worlds performing a small series of special ‘Celebration’ concerts in London, Chicago and a handful of other cities between regular shows.Īs Final Fantasy turns 25 years old many will consider its legacy – 100 million units sold and a veritable media empire of just about anything you can think of. The concert primarily plays music from the core, numbered Final Fantasy titles, mostly composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Alex Donaldson speaks with Arnie Roth, conductor of Distant Worlds, a concert dedicated to the sounds of the series.ĭistant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy began in 2007 and now tours across the globe, playing near two hours of music at each show. Seoul, Korea - April 2008įurther details will be announced shortly.Final Fantasy's music is an enduring part of its legacy. The concert allowed a VIP 'meet and greet' with him for an extra price. Performance by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra and chorus. Performance by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus. Occurred at the Stockholm Concert Hall (Konserthuset). Review of Chicago Performance by JohnathanĠ5) Final Fantasy I-III Medley Ġ7) Vamo' Alla Flamenco Ġ9) Opening ~ Bombing Mission ġ0) Fisherman's Horizon ġ1) Memoro de la S^tono ~ Distant Worlds ġ4) Memory of the Wind ~Legend of the Eternal Wind~ ġ6) Opera "Maria and Draco" ġ8) One Winged Angel Concert Listings Stockholm, Sweden - December 4, 2007 Hiroyuki Nakayama (14) Official Recordingsĭistant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy Reviews Hosted by Arnie Roth Arrangement Shiro Hamaguchi FMVs from the games are projected to accompany the music and special guests attend some concerts. The tour premiered in Stockholm in December 2007 and further concerts are planned for Chicago, South Kore, Australia, and New Zealand.
The first world tour of Final Fantasy music, Distant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy celebrates the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy with a series of two hour symphonic concerts. Distant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy Description