This just popped up in my youtube subscriptions! YouTube - Simphonic Fantasies

I'm pretty sure it's from Symphonic Fantasies, because for one it says it is and also this guy has a bunch of symphonic shades videos.

Anyone recognize it?

Hm, a leaked video? The hall looks definitely like WDR's Rundfunkhaus. But two points are confusing me. 1) The different camera views let it look more professional than secretly recorded and 2) it's march now, the concert takes place in september. Isn't it too early to do any practises yet?

Furthermore I can't say from what game the music is either.

It may be a video of the first rehearsals. I don't recognize the music either, but looking at the other videos I do remember cameras being stationed in the Funkhaus Wallrafplatz when Symphonic Shades took place.
This is still a little bit early for rehearsals if you ask me, but my guess is that we get another exclusive opening track/fanfare for this concert. Who knows who composed it.

Well, the tags say Symphonic Fantasies Fanfare. Perhaps it's an original composition, much like the PLAY! Fanfare.

From Square Enix Music Online :: Interview with Symphonic Fantasies Producer (January 2009) :

Thomas Boecker: "We will have a very good amount of rehearsal time, even more than we had for Symphonic Shades. You hardly can find such conditions in the world of video game music concerts. I would even go so far to say that Symphonic Fantasies will have the biggest amount of rehearsal time ever."

Okay guys, just read the newsletter in my mailbox. It's the opening fanfare of Symphonic Fantasies, exclusively composed and orchestrated by Jonne Valtonen.

Awesome, this is getting mad exciting.

A side question, when will my tickets ship exactly? Even if I don't have them, will I be able to just show my receipt at the event?

Weird. Was going to post about the video, but noticed that somebody already did. It took me to the first page when I clicked on the thread. Anyway, video is awesome, and the theme is way more mature than some other opening fanfares we've heard for other concerts!

Also, it makes perfect sense that they pre-recorded this. They are, of course, going to record an album. Wouldn't be surprised if it was already underway!

Haha, yeah Arcubalis, I was on that asap. When I posted they hadn't even put the tag information on there. By the way, awesome RE5 feature you got going on the blog.

Got my ticket in the mail today! Now to plan the journey to Germany. And that rhymes Marge, and you know it rhymes.

Does anyone know how many people the concert hall holds. I saw some pictures on the website and it looks really small and incredible. This is gonna be awesome beyond words.

By the way, looks like there is going to be a second concert date in Oberhausen.

German Wikipedia says up to 2000 people fit in.

Yo but as far as I know Oberhausen is a "better than nothing" solution for everyone who wants to attend the concert live.
König-Pilsener-Arena (the hall where SF takes place in Oberhausen) sounds for me like a multi-use-hall with worse acoustic than Kölner Philharmonie, prices are higher (for students at least) and don't know whether the composers will be in Oberhausen as well.

For everyone Cologne should be the first choice - even its one day later than the concert in Oberhausen.

Ah, thanks, I guess my real question is, will the sound be acoustic or will they use speakers. God, I hate nothing more than hearing the orchestra pumped through speakers. I want the raw sound baby, that's what's so great about concerts.

Don't worry, the hall is like a real concert hall should be. Regarding German Wikipedia again it has no parallel walls so it's build like an amphitheater and even the seats are designed to avoid any unexpected loss of the sound.

The complete Symphonic Shades program was known by April 2008. For Symphonic Fantasies, we only know the newly-composed "Fanfare overture" by Jonne Valtonen. I'm not saying they should take away the surprise, but at least some title announcements would be nice by now. Being completely left in the dark is kind of disheartening, I want something to look forward to.

Sigh . . . I was thinking about flying for this especially since a friend is staying in Germany and would be interested in this too. Unfortunately, there's a slight problem of me getting married two weeks after the concert. Ah well, gotta hope for another one in 2010.

I guess we're lucky the concert takes place this year and not in 2011/2012 when the subway will support the orchestras in the Philharmonie. ;)

Don't know if anyone has answered this already but are they doing an official recording of this concert at some point?

CD is a no-brainer, but I guess there won't be a radio broadcast this time around.

Less than three months and we still wait for some title/composer info. :/ Hope there's an announcement soon so in the worst case I can order (read: import) some soundtracks to let sign them.

SEMO should be making an announcement about the composers mid-July, though I'm not sure about the titles. I think there might be an element of surprise on the night but could be wrong.

No objections to some unannounced titles (à la Michiru Yamane on the pipe organ, that was so unexpected and [adjective for ineffable state of bliss]), but nothing at all wouldn't be a good idea, IMHO. In the past years they gave you the chance to tune yourself for the music, to replay the games and to grow attached to a composition before you heard a majestic arrangement at the concert. Not knowing the setlist in advance would take away quite a bit of "impact" for me.

But then again, I can see title announcements push tickets, so maybe they'll be made in case the arena concert doesn't sell as desired, as sort of a wild card.

Surprises are fine and even welcome but a sneak peak is never wrong, isn't it? :)

Well, let's wait for mid-July!

First star guest announced! It's...

Hmmm... I have the Kingdom Hearts OST to be signed. Hmm... would you say drammatica is worth enough to be grabbed?

I'd say yes.