Speaking with Producer and Lead of Creative, Jeron Moore, about The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, you get the feeling that the show is the product of a kid in a candy store. The follow-up concert to The Legend of Zelda: 25th Anniversary Tour, actually formed the beginnings of last year's travelling musical celebration.
"This is the franchise that's closest to my heart," Moore told me earlier this week, "and it's gone so untapped. The fans have gone so unnoticed in the concert world." That changed when PLAY: A Video Game Symphony arrived on the scene showcasing a selection of different games from different platforms, publishers, and genres.
Of course, that tour continues but this Zelda-focused affair is all about Nintendo's beloved adventurer. The symphony is in four parts, each focusing on a different game. Ocarina of Time opens, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess follow, and A Link to the Past closes the show. "It's the first four-movement symphony based on a video game," Moore said.
What's more, it's gotten heavy support from the top brass at Nintendo. Ever the true fan, Moore's voice was filled with excitement when I asked him about meeting Creator Shigeru Miyamoto. "I spent more time with Eiji Aonuma and Koji Kondo, though. They were instrumental in the 25th anniversary concerts and they've been involved and approved everything along the way."
"Sometimes I wondered if I was doing it right, " Moore continued. "I thought about how we're submitting our own interpretations to the guys who created it. They're going to have so many revisions and they're going to ask 'What the heck were you doing?'"
In the end, Moore's production went through with nearly flawless approval. All notes from Nintendo were highly complimentary. In fact, Nintendo was so impressed with the work that Moore's production team created a 25th Anniversary CD to go with every copy of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
"The first thing I saw when I opened the case was our CD. I've been playing Zelda since the very first title. The cartridges were always gold but with Zelda on a disc, Nintendo ops for full-color artwork. Our disc was the gold disc, and that just blew my mind."
Jason Michael Paul, CEO at JMP Productions, has been responsible for both the PLAY and Zelda symphonies. When the Final Fantasy concert series was so well received, PLAY debuted in 2006. "Nintendo has been a pleasure to work with, providing all the assets we needed to work with, joining us in focusing on creating the best product. In fact, during the 25th Anniversary tour, Kondo-san and Aonuma-san traveled with the show and attended the LA and London stops."
"For this show we have a 66-piece orchestra and a 24-voice choir," Paul said. "But without PLAY, there'd be no Symphony of the Goddesses. It was really working with Nintendo for PLAY that opened the door for more collaboration."
When asked about the differences between the two shows, Paul noted that "there are definitely more people dressed up in green tunics at Zelda shows."
When asked about the difference between the 25th Anniversary show and Symphony of the Goddesses tour, Moore said "It's really a whole new show. Nintendo pulled out all the stops for the 25th Anniversary tour, so they're admant that people who attended that got a once in lifetime experience.
"But Symphony of the Goddesses has a lot more narrative and was created with the Zelda timeline in mind. In my mind we're saving the best for last becuase A Link to the Past was really what brought it all together for me."
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour will stop in Los Angeles at the Greek Theater on June 6th at 8PM. The show will continue through Texas, Pennsylvania, and into Canada. Detailed stops can be found at the show's website.
Paul confirmed that New York and other regions will have dates announced for Fall 2012 later. Clearly, current series Director Eiji Aonuma is impressed. Moore said the man behind the games "listened to the digital masters of the symphony on repeat for three weeks straight."
