Video Games and Symphonies, Existing in Harmony!

When most people think of video games, they don't usually think of musical sophistication, nor do they think of symphonic masterpieces. What may be surprising, then, is that games are beginning to feature fully orchestrated soundtracks, with big sound that strays from what we've come to expect from gaming, and sounds more like something from Hollywood blockbusters like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

Nintendo has had three big recent releases with fully orchestrated soundtracks, with Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 leading the way.

The latest offering of musical brilliance from the company is heard in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which had its own orchestra formed during the game's production to perform and record every song featured in the game.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series, and Nintendo celebrated in a big way, with the announcement of a Zelda symphonic concert highlighting many of the songs from the rich history of the series' many games, which have been composed mainly by Koji Kondo, the musical genius behind Nintendo's most iconic music and theme songs.

The first and only concerts of last year were held in October in Los Angeles and London, leaving many fans around the nation and the world begging for more concert dates. Nintendo didn't disappoint (at least for fans here in the States), and they finally announced the lineup for the touring dates for 2012.

The first concert was held in Dallas on January 10th at the Meyerson Symphony Center and sold out within hours of being announced. Eleven more concerts in the U.S. and Canada are slated for the coming months, and the Dallas show has already garnered some very positive reviews. Being the Zelda fanatic that I am, I bought tickets to the concert in San Francisco scheduled for March 28th at the Davies Symphony Hall, and I'm bursting at the seams with excitement. After that show I'll definitely be making a post about my experience to share with you all.

If you too would like to attend one of concerts in the tour, which is officially titled The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, take a gander at the listings on http://zelda-symphony.com/schedule, where there is also a link to purchase your tickets if you feel so inclined.

As a lifelong Zelda fan who has always appreciated the beauty of the music featured in the games, I'm so excited that Nintendo has decided to award their fans with such an experience. A 25th anniversary celebration, indeed. Not only is this a huge milestone for the Zelda franchise, but this too is helping to break the stereotype of video games being an unsophisticated pasttime meant solely for socially inept nerds.

Happy Gaming!