Has it really come to this?

Are symphonies really having to perform music from video games to draw in crowds these days?

[www.stlsymphony.org]

Granted, I guess it's technically no worse than a pops concert has ever been. Hell, I happily attended a couple of years ago when the StL Symphony was doing the Warner Brothers cartoons classical music show. But "the music of Final Fantasy" is a line that I was unaware needed to be crossed.

I guess I'm just being a generational snob. Them kids these days think dad-gummed video games are more important than music or movies and think they're high art.

They're wrong, of course, and I'm going to kick their asses if they don't get offa my lawn.

According to Wikipedia, this is nothing new. The first symphonic performance of video game music took place in Japan almost 25 years ago.

It seems very odd to me, too. On the other hand, I've never played Final Fantasy, and wouldn't know a single measure of its music. So I have to admit, if I walked into a concert hall, took my seat and spent the next 90 minutes or so being regaled by a symphony orchestra playing the music of Final Fantasy ... well, if I didn't know where the music had originated (or even if I did), there's no reason to assume I wouldn't enjoy it.

A lot of video games are sold with an extra disc of symphonic versions of their soundtracks. The latest Mario and Zelda games both had this done.

It's actually a good way to introduce symphonies to little kids. At least I think it is a neat idea. Why not?

Like I said, I'm sure it's just generational bias on my part. I'm sure the first time an orchestra played part of a movie soundtrack as part of a pops concert that there were howls of outrage.

I turned on our local classical station the other day and could've sworn they were playing a Danny Elfman film score. I wouldn't say it bothered me necessarily, but I was curious as to what show had begun featuring music by Danny Elfman...it turns out they were playing a Sergei Prokofiev composition.

Thankfully I had not yet called up the radio station with my thoughts on the music of Mexico...

Jermoe, at least if you had called the station, you would've had actual thoughts on the topic!