They say “the third time’s the charm,” but what if the first two instances were already awesome?
Just as the roofs started to frost over, and the days became holidays, I had the opportunity to attend The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses for the third time.
This time, it was for the “Master Quest,” and it was more awesome that it ever has been.
What Is It?
Produced by Jason Michael Paul Productions, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert has made its way across the globe almost every year since 2011, the 25th anniversary of Nintendo’s popular franchise.
Master Quest is the orchestra’s third iteration of the symphony after last season’s “Second Quest” graced concert halls. While the music itself has largely remained unchanged, the Master Quest show is by far the biggest and best yet, adding melodies from but not limited to A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes, the latest Zelda adventures on the 3DS.
Behind the orchestra itself is a large screen, showcasing selected scenes from various entries in the franchise. This obviously brings about a lot of different emotions and feelings, making the symphony itself unique to other concerts.
Why Should I Care?
The Legend of Zelda is iconic on so many levels, and one of the main reasons why is because of its timeless soundtrack composed by Koji Kondo. It’s probably not even possible to be a fan of the series and not also be a fan of the music that Kondo is credited with creating.
The Master Quest symphony starts off like all the others have. It gets fans in a nostalgic mood as they watch a retrospective reel of the series with the Zelda overture playing in the background. The overture consists of the main Zelda theme along with the melodies of various Zelda games released over the years making players think about the memories they’ve had with these titles. Symphonic movements for A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess also followed.
But what was new? Quite a bit, actually.
Aside from the aforementioned music featured from A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes, audiences were treated to a Majora’s Mask movement early on in the show featuring footage from Majora’s Mask 3D. (Before that, the Majora’s Mask movement was just an encore piece.) Also new was boss medley, featuring music and footage from both mini-bosses and main dungeon bosses in Zelda games over the years.
Tying the music and footage together was recorded dialog from Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, and Koji Kondo. The previous iterations of this concert didn’t feature them, so it was a welcoming change as it shows the tribute to the hard work that these three men have done for the game.
And with that, you also have your fair share of cheering both warranted and obnoxious.
Why obnoxious? After all, this is still a symphony. Yet there’ll still be people yelling like crazed lunatics just because they’re playing an orchestral take on Gerudo Valley.
Of course, this isn’t your average symphony. It’s also an opportunity for Zelda fans to share their love of the series through not only the game’s music, but through fashion and cosplay. I wasn’t able to get a photo because I was in a hurry after show, but there were more than a few Ganons running around.
As for merchandise, a lot of it can be picked up ahead of time on Zelda-Symphony.com, but there’s also some stuff at the show you won’t be able to get online — namely the latest poster, Hylian Shield shirt, and 2016 calendar.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
By and large, the Zelda Symphony is as good as it gets. If you’re a fan of the series, and the symphony is headed to your area, I’ll just leave the verdict here — you must experience this concert.
But if you’ve gone before, is it worth another trip? It certainly is. The Master Quest concert leaves almost no stone unturned when it comes to the best of Zelda music. It was definitely a little longer than it usually was, but I can’t help but appreciate the producers for pulling out all the stops with this one. This year, I was lucky enough to find a couple tickets on Groupon, and it was jam-packed. If they do it again this year, I won’t expect Groupon tickets to even be available.
With 2016 being the 30th Anniversary of this great series and two games all but confirmed for release this year, it’s another milestone for The Legend of Zelda, and here’s to hoping for a 30th anniversary symphony. Now when are they going to come out with a soundtrack?
They say “the third time’s the charm,” but what if the first two instances were already awesome? Just as the roofs started to frost over, and the days became holidays, I had the opportunity to attend The Legend of Zelda:…
They say “the third time’s the charm,” but what if the first two instances were already awesome?
Just as the roofs started to frost over, and the days became holidays, I had the opportunity to attend The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses for the third time.
This time, it was for the “Master Quest,” and it was more awesome that it ever has been.
What Is It?
Produced by Jason Michael Paul Productions, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert has made its way across the globe almost every year since 2011, the 25th anniversary of Nintendo’s popular franchise.
Master Quest is the orchestra’s third iteration of the symphony after last season’s “Second Quest” graced concert halls. While the music itself has largely remained unchanged, the Master Quest show is by far the biggest and best yet, adding melodies from but not limited to A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes, the latest Zelda adventures on the 3DS.
Behind the orchestra itself is a large screen, showcasing selected scenes from various entries in the franchise. This obviously brings about a lot of different emotions and feelings, making the symphony itself unique to other concerts.
Why Should I Care?
The Legend of Zelda is iconic on so many levels, and one of the main reasons why is because of its timeless soundtrack composed by Koji Kondo. It’s probably not even possible to be a fan of the series and not also be a fan of the music that Kondo is credited with creating.
The Master Quest symphony starts off like all the others have. It gets fans in a nostalgic mood as they watch a retrospective reel of the series with the Zelda overture playing in the background. The overture consists of the main Zelda theme along with the melodies of various Zelda games released over the years making players think about the memories they’ve had with these titles. Symphonic movements for A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess also followed.
But what was new? Quite a bit, actually.
Aside from the aforementioned music featured from A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes, audiences were treated to a Majora’s Mask movement early on in the show featuring footage from Majora’s Mask 3D. (Before that, the Majora’s Mask movement was just an encore piece.) Also new was boss medley, featuring music and footage from both mini-bosses and main dungeon bosses in Zelda games over the years.
Tying the music and footage together was recorded dialog from Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, and Koji Kondo. The previous iterations of this concert didn’t feature them, so it was a welcoming change as it shows the tribute to the hard work that these three men have done for the game.
And with that, you also have your fair share of cheering both warranted and obnoxious.
Why obnoxious? After all, this is still a symphony. Yet there’ll still be people yelling like crazed lunatics just because they’re playing an orchestral take on Gerudo Valley.
Of course, this isn’t your average symphony. It’s also an opportunity for Zelda fans to share their love of the series through not only the game’s music, but through fashion and cosplay. I wasn’t able to get a photo because I was in a hurry after show, but there were more than a few Ganons running around.
As for merchandise, a lot of it can be picked up ahead of time on Zelda-Symphony.com, but there’s also some stuff at the show you won’t be able to get online — namely the latest poster, Hylian Shield shirt, and 2016 calendar.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
By and large, the Zelda Symphony is as good as it gets. If you’re a fan of the series, and the symphony is headed to your area, I’ll just leave the verdict here — you must experience this concert.
But if you’ve gone before, is it worth another trip? It certainly is. The Master Quest concert leaves almost no stone unturned when it comes to the best of Zelda music. It was definitely a little longer than it usually was, but I can’t help but appreciate the producers for pulling out all the stops with this one. This year, I was lucky enough to find a couple tickets on Groupon, and it was jam-packed. If they do it again this year, I won’t expect Groupon tickets to even be available.
With 2016 being the 30th Anniversary of this great series and two games all but confirmed for release this year, it’s another milestone for The Legend of Zelda, and here’s to hoping for a 30th anniversary symphony. Now when are they going to come out with a soundtrack?
by Danreb Victorio
