Album Review | Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy | Nobuo Uematsu (Royal Stockholm Philharmonic)

In 2007, the Distant Worlds concerts began in Stockholm with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Allmänna Sången choir, playing music from across the Final Fantasy series.

Composed by Nobuo Uematsu.

Music conducted by Arnie Roth.

Orchestrated by Shiro Hamaguchi, Arnie Roth, Sachiko Miyano, Naoshi Mizuta, and Hiroyuki Nakayama.

The soloist singer in the 'Distant Worlds' half of track six, "Memora de la Stano ~ Distant Worlds", was Susan Colloway.

The opera soloists for track eleven, "Opera 'Mario and Draco'", were Emma Wetter, Fredrik Strid, and Johan Schinkler.

The guitar soloist in "Vamo'alla Flamenco" was Per Skareng.

Track	Game	Notes
Opening ~ Bombing Mission	FFVII
Liberi Fatali	FFVIII
Aerith's Theme	FFVII
Fisherman's Horizon	FFVIII
Don't be Afraid	FFVIII
Memora de la Stano ~ Distant Worlds	FFXI	Soloist: Susan Colloway
Medley 2002	FFI - FFIII	[1]
Theme of Love	FFIV
Vamo'alla Flamenco	FFIX	Guitar Soloist: Per Skareng
Love Grows	FFVIII
Opera "Maria and Draco"	FFVI	Soloists: Emma Wetter, Fredrik Strud, Johan Schinkler
Swing de Chocobo
One-Winged Angel	FFVII

[1] Medley of FFI's "Prelude," "Main Theme," "Matoya's Cave," FFIII's "Elia, Maiden of Water," and FFII's "Chocobo Theme" and "Rebel Army Theme," in that order.

The concert tour Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy began back in 2007 and this is the first CD release running under the same tagline. (It was followed by Distant Worlds II-IV on CD, though the numeration is only for the CD releases.) This tour, by the way, is still going: here's their website.

This first album release, as you can see, is dominated by fan-favorite tracks: FFVII and FFVIII predominant among them, with FFIV's popular "Theme of Love", FFVI's "Opera 'Maria and Draco'" (the famous opera scene), and FFIX's "Vallo'alla Flamenco" also making it in along with a handful of others.

The arrangements here are all, generally, absolutely excellent. "Don't be Afraid" is probably my favorite: Uematsu's best battle theme is given a magnificent, four-minute epic arrangement using the original as a leaping-off point for wildly dramatic and new arrangements of the original. It stays true to the original, even as it turns it becomes something distinctive to the concert.

"Opera 'Maria and Draco'" is far more powerful than its original version on the SNES, which was limited by its technology. Some people insist that the SNES original still holds up, with its ridiculous soloist voice sounds, but while it may've been powerful back in the day, it sounds silly now. It is an example of nostalgia talking. The soloists are exquisite, never over-the-top and supreme in their vocal command.

Meanwhile, for those who loved the original games, "Medley 2002" will be a sure treat: FFI's "Main Theme" (its overworld music) has never sounded better, while the "Rebel Army Theme" takes on shocking force and strength that just wasn't present in its NES original.

"One-Winged Angel" is, of course, magnificently powerful with the full force of a genuine philharmonic orchestra behind it. It does, however, finish somewhat abruptly, which left me feeling just a little bit short-changed.

My only critique would be Susan Colloway as soloist, whose pop music stylings and melodramatic inflections are a bizarre misfit for "Distant Worlds." Though clear and carrying, her voice is too thick. Izumi Masuda, who sung the original, blows Colloway straight out of the water with a less melodramatic and more emotional performance. Her voice, less thick than Colloway's, is clearer, kinder to the ears.

Though only thirteen tracks long, this album isn't asking you to spend your money on just a half-hour of music: "Medley 2002" is eight minutes, while "Opera 'Maria and Draco'" lasts for twelve minutes! The album is, in total over an hour and ten minutes long.

This tribute to Final Fantasy - three parts fan favorites and one part series' best collection - is a magnificent performance of Nobuo Uematsu's music for the series' first eleven games, skipping out only on FFV and FFX, both of which would appear in later Distant Worlds collections.

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic delivers a stirring and powerful performance. The track arrangements are nigh-on perfect, with "Don't be Afraid" a particular highlight for its willingness to depart from note-to-note conversion of the original.