FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark or trademark of Square Enix Group Co., Ltd.
H
alf a century ago, great communicators like Arthur Fiedler pushed back against the perception that orchestral music was exclusively the province of the classical tradition, and in doing so they did much to keep the orchestra relevant to 20th-century Americans. Fiedler’s recipe for success during his nearly 50-year tenure as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra has become well-known: a blend of popular tunes and light classics, served up with plenty of banter and a sense of informal rapport with the audience. Along with likeminded musical ambassadors Erich Kunzel and Marvin Hamlisch, Fiedler sought to bring both programming and concert culture more in line with mid-century culture and tastes. While once a bold innovation, the pops concert has become such an effective complement to the traditional orchestral repertoire that almost every orchestra in America now has a dedicated pops series.
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Sonic
FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark or trademark of Square Enix Group Co., Ltd.
Marc Hauser
by Dan Visconti
Final Fantasy, featured on this spread, was one of the first video games to feature a full-blown orchestral score. Top left and large image: Arnie Roth leads the touring production of Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, featuring orchestral music from the popular video-game series, with accompanying video projections of famous scenes and characters. Above: Roth with Final Fantasy score composer Nobuo Uematsu.
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symphony
FALL 2012