The Video Game Orchestra - An Amazing Experience

I just returned from a performance by the Video Game Orchestra (VGO) at the Berklee Performance Center this evening and I must say it was quite an experience. It was a thrill to hear some of the best video game scores performed live by a full orchestra and accompanying choir. The musicians exhibited remarkable talent as they brought to life music from games spanning popular franchises such as Myst, Sonic, Final Fantasy, Jade Empire, Caesar IV, Mass Effect, Brothers in Arms and much more. The high point of the performance for me was when Gerard Marino took the stage to introduce his score from God of War, a powerful piece that was even more epic when performed by these fine musicians and singers. You could almost imagine Aries in the background, hurling fireballs at the stage and the kettle bass drums rumbled through the auditorium. I was fortunate en ought to be able to speak with Mr. Marino briefly after the performance and hope to have an interview with him in the near future. Several other composers, including Duncan Watt, Keith Zizza and Jack Wall were also present. Mr. Wall, known for his work on Mass Effect, Jade Empire and in his role as co-producer of Video Games Live, another professional orchestral exhibition of video game music, took over the conductor's baton for several of his pieces. The night concluded with a powerful rendition "One Winged Angel" from of Final Fantasy VII, another powerful arrangement that had the audience erupting in applause upon its conclusion.
 

This concert was a brilliant extension of the video gaming experience, bringing to full life the music that we often take for granted as we play the games we love. I highly recommend that you attend a VGO performance if given the opportunity. It will give you a renewed appreciation for how much of the story behind a given video game is transmitted through its score.
 

You can learn more about the musicians, history and music of VGO and listen to some of the scores that I heard this evening by visiting www.vgo-online.org/live/