No opera for me tonight; I’m focused on the ampersand part of my job, backstage right with the National Symphony Orchestra, listening to Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy.
Is this genre a new part of the symphonic pops “long tail”? It’s not Mahler, but it certainly can hold its own next to the decades-old Broadway/cabaret pops model. It feels more complex and varied than most film music. And it certainly has an audience. (The male/female ratio is the largest I’ve seen all summer. Yes, ladies, I know you’re out there. But even you know you’re outnumbered.)
The whole atmosphere is a curious combination of the emotional landscape of movie music, the buzz of a rock event, the power and pomp of an orchestra concert, the audience spontaneity of jazz, and the cult of opera.
I’ll turn tomorrow’s NSO concert (Holst Planets with a new HD film!) over to colleage Rahree while I oversee Steve Blier’s dress rehearsal in preparation for Sunday’s Invitation to the Dance! See you there.
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