Distant Words: music from Final Fantasy - Essay Example

Assignment Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY Since I have been a longtime fan of the Final Fantasy series I am going to write about my visit with my friend to the “Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY” concert which was launched in the twentieth anniversary of Final Fantasy. The concert was featured by music from the Japanese video game composer Nobuo Uematsu and was conducted by Arnie Roth. The concert was a combination of a symphony orchestra performing music from the series of Final Fantasy 14 games and huge screen background of screenshots and videos from the game.

The concert was in Chicago, IL’s Rosemont Theater. Distant Worlds is a concert tour featuring music from final fantasy that began the tour in Stockholm, Sweden and continues to date. The series of concerts features music conducted by a Grammy-Award winning conductor Arnie Roth who’s known to conduct a lot of video game concerts and composed by Nobuo Uematsu. In the video game field Nobuo Uematsu is one of the most known composers. He is mostly known for his music work on the Final Fantasy series that has been performed by many orchestras around the world.

After Uemastu’s successful concert held in Japan in 2002 his compositions have been played all over the world ever since in countries like Germany, Italy, Sweden, Canada and the United States. The concert was played in the well-known Rosemont Theater in Chicago. The 4,400 seats of the theater were full with very excited crowd including a number of cosplayers in the audience. The first piece which stood out as one of the best of the concert was “Distant Worlds.” The main concept which is kept in this particular piece of music is to create characters from the different themes.

The piece opens with an introduction, which includes the movement of a harp and woodwinds to set the pace. This is in a major key and has a flow instead of a rhythmic structure. This pauses then moves into Theme A. The dynamic is soft with the main melody heard in the oboe, then the flute. The melody repeats in the trumpet, then the violins. When the violins repeat the melody, there is also a sub-melody in the brass, which changes the mood to a brighter sound, even though the dynamics remain soft.

At this point, there is also a 4/4 rhythm heard from a shaker in the back. This first theme is able to introduce a peaceful type of introduction that is indicative of the fantasy created in the game. The piece then moves into Theme B, in which the mood changes. A new melody is introduced at this point and the theme moves into a minor key. The rhythm is heard as slower to create a melancholy characteristic through the piece. The oboe first states the melody, than is repeated with the violin. The dynamic is soft and remains this way.

The theme goes to a second melody and moves back into a major key. There is then slight modulation with the violins modulating to a higher key. The theme transitions back with the harp and violins then transitions back to the melody from theme A. However, this is slower and doesn’t have the same background rhythms. This entire point transitions into a third theme, which is indicative of a heroic end. The rhythm goes into a faster 4/4 pace and tympanis roll at different points during this theme.

The dynamic goes to a louder sound as the only time this occurs in the piece. The trumpets and brass hold the main melody with sub-melodies heard from woodwinds and violins. This particular mood ends the piece to show the different characteristics of fantasy and heroic aspects that are a part of the Final Fantasy game. The second piece which is heard at the concert and which carries these effects is “Liberi Fatali.” This starts with a choral section of women, which is then followed by a tympani to set a different pace.

The melody moves back to strings and woodwinds and carries a faster pace. The main point of this first section is to move from the choir to the melody with tension and the need to take action. The piece goes into a 4/4 beat from the tympani which makes a deeper sound that needs to move forward. The melody heard by the opening choir is heard with males singing the melody this time and with the strings carrying the sub-melody. The dynamic at this point is soft and creates the same tension to take action.

The strings and sub- melody continue to move with eighth note rhythms while the choir holds longer notes for a second section. This exemplifies the action which needs to take place and sets a pace that indicates anxiety. This continues until a break by the drums, which then moves into a second section led by the brass. This moves back into the first theme quickly with the same melody of the choir and the drum section leading the rhythmic pace for tension. The important characteristics that continue throughout the piece are based on the rhythmic sections of the orchestra, fast pace of the woodwinds and the choir that creates the tension with the melody and minor key.

The overall feeling which one gets with the characteristic of this piece is with the need to take action and to defeat those within the battle that is shown at this point in the concert. The third piece which shows specific characteristics and which drew my attention in the concert is “Maria and Draco.” This particular piece is also known as the dream oath opera in the game. The specific characteristics are based on the battle between East and West and the love between Maria and Draco, despite the opposing sides which both are on.

The melody begins with the characteristic of a major key and which is heard by the violins with a sub-melody in the woodwinds. An oboe then leads to the first theme with a harp in the background. The dynamics move from a softer sound until theme B, when the mood changes from Draco thinking about his love to Maria to being in battle. The brass takes over the melody and modulates into a minor key and the dynamic becomes loud at this point. The voice of Draco is then heard with a major key and the violins playing a sub-melody.

The rhythmic pace is slow to indicate the characteristic of love. There is then a break with a piano then a repeat of the same theme heard by Maria. The characteristics is based on a soft dynamic and a major key, all which show the longing for love between the two characters. These two melodies are repeated with the violins and with a slightly louder dynamic to enhance the characteristics. The melody then breaks into a second section, which moves at a faster pace of ? and which is heard with the cello and bass moving the melody forward.

A new melody is heard in the strings and woodwinds and shows the concept of a dance. This is broken with a minor key, louder dynamic and a melody by the brass. These move back to the ideology of the battle as a different characteristic. This then goes back to the singers longing for each other; however, this is now in a minor key to indicate the tension of the battle. This leads to the duel that is held between Draco and the man who is trying to take Maria’s hand. The brass leads the melody of the section in a minor key and in a louder dynamic.

The section again moves to a faster pace and a melody that is characteristic of heroism with the battle that is being fought. When the king dies, the brass indicates this with a louder sound and melody, then a pause. The melody then moves back to Draco and Maria singing a similar melody to the beginning, major melody and at a louder sound. There is then a final section with a new melody, where both men confess their love to Maria. This is louder and in a minor key to show the climax of the peace and the won battle of Draaco.

The melody then goes back to the Theme A with Maria singing about the won love. The harmony is in a major key and the violins support the singing of both Maria and Draco. The dynamic is also softer and shows the characteristic of love through the end progression made. Each of the pieces that were played at the Final Fantasy concert was indicative of specific characteristics that are a part of the game. The power of the different pieces was based on the ability to follow the game line with the music and to see how the characteristics of love, battling, heroism and other concepts related to the fantasy game could be heard.

This made the concert memorable as each of the pieces was able to show the fantasy of the game and the characteristics through the music, which allowed the members to relate to the plot line and the ideologies which were a part of the concert. Works Cited Distant Worlds. 2009. Music From Final Fantasy. Retrieved June 15, 2011 from: http://www.ffdistantworlds.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:chicago-december-12-2009-with-the-chicagoland-pops-and-festival-choir&catid=1:latest-news.