I hadn't even heard of Sinfonia Drammatica! Yoko Shimomura's Drammatica really is my favorite cd ever made so I hope they play some of the songs at Symphonic Fantasies.

I think that Symphonic Fantasies will have different tracks of drammatica album because Jonne Valtonen made new arrangements especially for the concert. Eight tracks of drammatica will be played in Sinfonia Drammatica: four from Legend of Mana, one from Live a Live ("The Bird Flies in the Sky, the Fish Swims in the River") and three from Kingdom Hearts (all from the album, except "Twinkle Twinkle Holidays").

Square Enix Music Online :: Video Game Music News

Surprise! Mr. Uematsu completes the set:

Square Enix Music Online :: Video Game Music News

I'm so glad four composers are attending rather than three like originally announced!

Haha, you know Uematsu couldn't miss this!

Hahaha, this is going insane. :D

I just found a website about the concert at WDR. While most of it is nothing new, it says that Symphonic Fantasies will be broadcasted on radio:

WDR 4, Sa 12.09.2009, 20.05 Uhr (that's 8:05pm GMT+1)

So everybody who's not coming can listen to this on internet radio, just like at Symphonic Shades.

Very good! Hopefully we'll also get a lossless stream -> high quality concert recording.

@Primeblue: You can leave your equipment at home :D

Shhht, you!

Okay guys, need your help again. I don't have any soundtrack for Uematsu-san to be signed (please, don't throw rocks at me!). Well, that's not true. I have Chrono Trigger but it's not one of the works he claims any honor ("It was more like I was an additional or supporting composer. It’s Mitsuda’s work, not my work." Source (near the end of the interview)). So, as I'm going to order "drammatica" for Shimomura-san soon I want to add at least one soundtrack of Uematsu. Any recommendations? What about "Last Odyssey" or "Blue Dragon"? Me is not a hardcore fan so I'm not really willing to grab a monster mega Final Fantasy Bonus WTF Special Edition for over 9000 yen.

Blue Dragon is a fantastic soundtrack. From what I have heard of Lost Odyssey, that's great too.

But why not go with something more traditional, like the FF6 soundtrack. Still his best work.

Thanks for your quick response! As you mention it I guess FF6 OST is still purchaseable? I put it on my virtual list then.

Still open for further comments. :)

Yes, you can get the Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version at CDJapan or PlayAsia.

Additional Spam:
It seems that Symphonic Fantasies will be presented in concert suite form. I'm really excited to see which pieces make it into each suite.

Also just watched the movie. Arnie says the four series will be "showcased in one elaborate medley". A bit confusing, but I guess that means "one elaborate medley" per series and not each medley with four compositions from the respective series.

I'm fond of suites, as long as the transitions are natural. It is not exactly a new approach either, as the series had some two or three dozen of suites. Jonne Valtonen did some of the best of them, so I'm confident that the end result will be fantastic.

Do I understand right that they want to play all the tracks of a series in one big suite? Hm, in the first interview with Thomas Böcker about Symphonic Fantasies he said there will be over 70 minutes of music. Divided by four means that each suite is about 17 minutes long. Sounds hard for the orchestra.

I have been preferred to mix the series'.

Man, I am so excited for this. All new arrangements, yes! I think I've heard the same orchestra arrangements they've been using for these games for long enough. And Secret of Mana finally getting the treatment? Oh, yes, this is too awesome.

Feeling like an idiot here, I didn't realize this was gonna be such a big thing, with those composers attending etc. And in Cologne! That's less than 1.5 hours from where I live, so I'm gonna try and book tickets!
Is there going to be a GamingForce fans meetup?

Anyone planning to illegally upload bootleg movies of the event, so the rest of us can listen to a pale reflection of the presumably awesome performance?

Please, pretty pleeeaase?

Ahh I told you it's gonna be suites :D I'm happy and confident the suites will contain some surprises. Nothing's better than listening to a medley and suddently hearing your favorite track.
If all get the same treatment, that's quite generous for SoM and KH -- the CT/CC Medley from Play! was 8 minutes long and these medleys will be twice the length. I just hope they choose some good tracks from the whole Final Fantasy series.

You bet, before and after the concert. Anybody who's up for it. As some people are arriving the tuesday before this might be a whole week doing nothing but anticipating the concert (and seeing a bit of Cologne) :D


what, I wrote that the concert will get a free-of-charge worldwide internet radio broadcast by WDR4. there's a good chance it will get a CD release, too. and now people want bootleg movies? :D

You better believe I will get some movies of the composers, but during the concert I will be intently listening.

Just booked two tickets for the concert. I'm gonna make it a day-trip, do some shopping during the day, and then go to the concert. Hopefully by the time the concert gets closer, we can arrange some time/place to meet. I'd love to be able to put faces to names of people I've seen at this message board for so long.
Hee, so excited about this. I honestly never thought I'd get to see these composers in real life. That makes me at least as excited as the concert itself.

Symphonic Fantasies

The Kingdom Hearts video was released today. Three of the pieces that are part of the suite were revealed and are "Dearly Beloved," "The Other Promise," and "Fight to the Death." There will be a strong piano focus in this portion of the suite. I wonder what else will make it into the suite. I really hope that "Traverse Town" is one of them!

W0000000000000000000000000000000000T!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !111111111111111 :D *collapse*

Hey hey, don't die. :D That's no surprise as the original tracks have a lot of piano involved. So I wonder what changes/new elements Mr Valtonen built in to let sound it new or different.

Can't wait for next Wednesday, the Secret of Mana arrangements are my most anticipated. Honestly, it's hard to guess just one single selection now because there are so many top-notch compositions in the game. But these would be my predictions:

The Boy Heads for the Wilderness
The Eight Strokes of the Bell
Where the Wind Ends
The Dark Star
Meridian Festival

Then again, it's hard to imagine they'll drop the game's main theme, Angel's Fear.

...see what I mean? I'm trying to narrow it down and I'm already posting half a dozen tracks.

Five words: Into the Thick of It!

And yeah, some official English track names will be great. :ugly: (omg! GFF have no Ugly-Smilie!)