Enjoying the Square Enix Orchestra Concert: The Joy and Frustration of Not Hearing Your Favorite Tracks
On Saturday, I wrapped up an amazing week-long vacation by attending the Music of Square Enix orchestra concert in Seattle. The concert was a blast, especially with “Megalomania” from Live A Live closing out the first half. I also had a bit of fun pretending to be upset about the lack of Final Fantasy 6 music.
The event took place at Benaroya Hall, conducted by Eric Roth. Here’s where I might come off as a bit of a symphony snob: my mom is a professional musician in a symphony, so I’ve been attending these concerts regularly since I was a kid. Honestly, I wasn’t overly impressed with the music quality this time around. The conductor had to push the orchestra along several times, particularly at the beginning of “Megalomania,” and there was a noticeable hiccup in the horn section that marred a key moment in “Time’s Scar” from Chrono Cross.
I get it, though. Typically, concerts like this don’t feature an orchestra that has rehearsed the same program extensively while touring. Usually, a local symphony—likely the Seattle Symphony in this case—receives the music ahead of time and might only have one rehearsal together before the performance. I doubt this group had been practicing “Megalomania,” a song with a tricky rhythm, for weeks, even if that would be a dream scenario for me.
Despite the sound not being top-notch, the experience was still enjoyable. It’s fascinating to feel a range of emotions when familiar tunes are played, and to ponder why certain tracks were included while others were left out. For example, several songs from the Kingdom Hearts series were performed. While some audience members grumbled about it, I was thrilled, especially since one of the three songs was “Vector to the Heavens.” We got to experience one of Yoko Shimomura’s best pieces in orchestral form, along with the conductor’s amusing struggle to pronounce “Three-fifty-eight-over-two-days” when introducing it.
Another standout moment was the Chrono Trigger segment, which featured four fantastic tracks in a row: “Wind Scene,” “Frog’s Theme,” “Corridors of Time” (YES!), and “Schala’s Theme.” The audience was absolutely delighted by this part of the concert.
One of the joys of attending concerts like this is discovering some unexpected deep cuts. We heard a piece from Final Fantasy Tactics, likely due to the recent remake, which caught me off guard in a good way. The orchestra also played selections from Xenogears and Romancing SaGa 2. I couldn’t identify the specific pieces since I haven’t played those games, but a few very excited fans cheered when they recognized the music. Plus, thanks to the visuals on screen, I now have a hilariously muddled and probably incorrect understanding of each game’s plot.
The concert wrapped up with “Time’s Scar,” followed by an encore medley of Final Fantasy music that included pieces from Final Fantasy V, X, XII, and concluded with the battle theme from VII. It was fantastic, but I couldn’t help but notice the glaring absence of Final Fantasy VI, which felt like a major oversight. I could also mention the lack of Dragon Quest or Bravely Default music (perhaps the rights are tricky), or the absence of The World Ends With You (maybe that needs a rock band instead of a symphony), but overall, I left the theater feeling pretty satisfied.
As a strong advocate for experiencing live classical music and encouraging people to dress up and attend symphonies, I highly recommend catching a performance that features video game music. There are still plenty of tour dates left, and my concert was surprisingly lightly attended—maybe everyone is opting for dedicated Final Fantasy or Nier concerts instead. It’s definitely worth it to hear “Megalomania,” “Time’s Scar,” and yes, “One-Winged Angel” in all their symphonic glory.
