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| Derek Heemsbergen |
Featuring music from Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy, Zelda, and more.
07.16.10 - 8:43 PM
Video Games Live, the concert series featuring fully orchestrated music from a wide variety of video games, has met with critical acclaim since its inaugural performance back in 2005. Those who have attended a concert know how breathtaking it is to hear music from games they know and love performed with such passion and finesse.
Fans not fortunate enough to see a live performance will be pleased to know that the Video Games Live experience will be more accessible than ever this summer with the release of a special on PBS. The program will feature music played by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jack Wall, the co-founder of Video Games Live, as well as interviews with actress Jamie Lee Curtis and video game composers such as Russell Brower, Christopher Tin and Gerard Marino.
The full list of music to be performed during the special includes Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Halo, Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, Castlevania, God of War, Civilization IV, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, and a classic arcade medley.
Executive producer Tommy Tallarico says that the focus of Video Games Live to celebrate the fantastic musical scores of beloved video games while introducing listeners to the complex world of a symphony orchestra. His passion for video game music is evident:
"I'm hoping that this project will have a positive impact on the perception of video games by the non-gaming world," said Tallarico. "We created Video Games Live over eight years ago to prove to the world how culturally significant and artistic video games have become. The goal was to create a show for everyone whether they play games or not. The fact that all of the game publishers have come on board with this project to help our mission says a lot about the future of gaming and how much they believe in Video Games Live."
The national broadcast of the Video Games Live special will coincide with a CD and DVD/Blu-Ray release of the program. The video release will contain more than three hours of bonus material, including extended musical performances, exclusive game trailers, composer commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. Both will be available exclusively through PBS until November 1, 2010.
To find out when the special will air in your area, check your local listings. The program will also be streaming online beginning the day after broadcast on the PBS Video Portal.
