Imagine this, a symphony hall built for the likes of Beethoven and Mozart mixed with the beautiful melodics of The Legend of Zelda video game series. For anyone lucky enough to attend Benaroya Hall on March 26th, that imagination was turned into a reality. Based on one of the most popular and beloved games of all time, “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour” was a spectacular concert that featured live orchestral performances of theme music from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda franchise.
Put together by Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc., the same people who brought concerts around the world like The Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, Dear Friends: Music from FINAL FANTASY, More Friends: Music from FINAL FANTASY, and PLAY! A Video Game Symphony to mass audiences, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour is a new four-movement symphony with a full orchestra conducted by Eímear Noone with arrangements by music director Chad Seiter.
The Symphony of the Goddesses Tour recounts the classic storylines from past Legend of Zelda titles including Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past. In addition to the four-park movement there were also performances from Link’s Awakening and an encore from Majora’s Mask. Throughout the show, a giant screen overhead the symphony swapped between in-game footage of the game matched up with the performance, or glimpses of the performers as they wailed on their violins and flutes.
The single screen is where my only gripe from the show sits, at a previous Jason Michael Paul Production, PLAY! A Video Game Symphony specifically, there were three screens overhead with the center screen primarily displaying the in-game footage while the two side screens would rotate between the symphony performers and in-game footage. The addition of multiple screens helped the viewer keep an eye on both the performance, and the visuals. With The Symphony of the Goddesses Tour, since there was only one screen one was forced to look at the performers, or whatever was on the screen.
Regardless of the amount of screens, the Seattle Symphony put on a very emotional show. The crowd often let out gasps of excitement and praise as different themes from games resounded off the walls. All one had to do was close their eyes, and the music vibrated through the body just enough to create a mental visual that would throw one into their childhood with eyes glued to the TV as they tried to defeat the great Ganondorf.
At the end of the show, I don’t believe a single person walked out the door without a smile on their face. If there’s ever a Jason Michael Paul Production event around your area, I highly recommend attending as it’s a show you’ll never forget. Beyond the show in Seattle, the concert tour plans to announce several more dates for the rest of 2012. Fans can view a complete tour schedule with ticketing information at http://zelda-symphony.com.
