I know I'm reviving an ol' thread, but what the heck? I'm a new member here, and I simply can't hold away from saying something on this topic, because it is one that means a lot to me. I will talk about v.g. music, but will mostly focus on the composer, Nobuo Uematsu.
I don't know about the lot of you, but I find that much of the music of Nobuo Uematsu (former composer for the Final Fantasy series) is anything but background music. Some of you claim that the main reason people are so obsessed with V.G. music is because they're hardcore videogame freaks stricken with the Nostalgia syndrome. Well, I'd have to say that I'm an exception to that then. I'm not exactly into video games. I get bored real quick from smashing monsters and gaining levels... My brothers, however, used to play v. games, including several titles from the Final Fantasy series and that is how I happened upon the music of Mr. Uematsu. After that, I began to research his music and ultimately ended up getting all of the Final Fantasy soundtracks. I was thrilled by its beauty and melodic strength. It was quite unlike any other kind of music I've ever heard. Ever since I was a kid, being taught the piano, I always craved to learn to play those pieces that had emotion in them, but rarely would I find them--Tchaikovsky was my favorite composer because it seems he understood the importance of a strong melody. His music actually made me FEEL something, whereas a lot of the other generic-sounding classical music just left me spacing out... So when I heard some pieces from the FF series, it was like something I had been searching for so long.
The thing I completely don't understand is: Why do people compare v.g. music, namely Uematsu's music, with classical music? Why do it? They're completely different types of music written with different goals in mind. You might as well start comparing film, rock, and various electronic music to classical music for that matter, since Mr. U's music tends to lean toward those genres. So what that it gets performed in concert halls? It doesn't hurt anyone. If people love it, let them enjoy it. I personally dream of going to one of Uematsu's orchestral conerts some day.
I fully realize that a lot of "Dead Germans" as someone put it, were amazingly gifted people who laid the musical foundation for what we often take for granted today. However, I do believe that people like Uematsu are geniuses in their own right. It's not true that anyone can write a lovely melody. It takes talent to come up with a powerful melody and then to orchestrate and arrange it all so that it ultimately will be something that people will want to listen to again and again and again. I must say that I never get tired of a lot of the music from the FF series. Some of it just never ceases to fascinate me. I do believe that this music will be remembered for decades, centuries, maybe even ages... If I fell in love with Uematsu's music some 20 years after it was originally composed (FF I,II), I dare predict that there will indeed be those like me 100 years from now who will happen upon his music and eat it up with great appetite.
Someone claimed that it's the games that get people to love the music... Well it was exactly opposite for me. After I heard the amazing FINAL FANTASY VI soundtrack, I just had to play the game, simply to hear it in context of the plot, because I know Mr. Uematsu is so good at writing the perfect music for every situation. It is so far the first and only game out of the series that I have ever finished and yet I love all the soundtracks without ever having played the actual games. The Opening Theme of FF VI blows me away every time and gives me the chills. Some say that Uematsu's music is primitive and that melody is his only strength. I highly disagree there. Listen to Dancing Mad (FF VI's final boss theme)--in my opinion it is a phenomenal and rather complex 17-minute composition that takes up the whole range of the keyboard if you're gonna try to play it. And BTW, Uematsu scored the FF VI soundtrack ALL on his own without the help of any arrangers. That's pretty impressive for someone who didn't receive any formal musical education whatsoever. The FF VI OSV is often heralded as his magnum opus. It is a favorite of many people, and it's certainly one of mine. Take a listen to it--it has some good stuff.
I understand those of you who cannot digest Uematsu's music and I do not believe that there is right and wrong in music. I'm not trying to make someone like what I like. I'm just expressing my opinions and I respect those who differ. Every person enjoys different music for different purposes. I tend to lean more toward melodic stuff. This is why I can find common elements between composers such as Bach, Tchaikovsky, Hans Zimmer, and Uematsu. They all have that talent of producing powerful melodic music that takes me to another place. Sometimes it is very simple, but sometimes it's complicated, but it's all so amazing.
I would say that Mr. U's music is more directed toward a person's feelings. Those who are heavily/solely into classical music tend to focus more on techniques. I personally don't care for highly complex compositions if in the end they leave me with no impression or emotions. Yes Mozart and Beethoven had some true masterpieces, but I think they had some generic boring stuff as well even though technically perhaps, it was very well written.
I must also admit that N. Uematsu wrote a lot of crappy, boring stuff too. From all the FF's he has scored, I usually like no more than 50% of each soundtrack. But still, imagine how much music that is! Another reason some of you will not be able to appreciate his music is because usually the production quality of the soundtracks is "cheap,"(although I love it :D) especially the earlier OSTs. The thing is, Uematsu focuses most of his mind and energy on producing music that is powerful melody- and harmony-wise and to pack as much feeling into it as possible--this is why he often would neglect the sound quality part. He actually admit this in an interview. For me, sound quality is not at all an issue. I will hear and enjoy a brilliant composition even if I hear it as beeps out of a Gameboy or Nintendo NES. That is why I enjoy the FF soundtracks in their original unarranged, unorchestrated state.
The pioneer of this thread stated that v. game music lacks dimension--true, but not always. Uematsu's Opening and Ending themes are rich in dimension. And although alot of the tracks throughout the soundtracks keep looping over, I think they are excellent "blueprints" for writing some really nice, powerful compositions if they are edited and orchestrated.
And another thing, I am not a die-hard Uematsu fan either. It is beyond me what has happened with him lately. I think that he writes such uninspired, trashy music today, it makes me sick. Blue Dragon OST, Lost Odyssey OST, especially the latter: I think they're sooooo boring, other than a few nice tracks. It's sad. What happened to him I wonder. Maybe it's the effects of all that home-made beer... Uematsu, please redeem yourself!
Anyway, I could go on and on and on about this. I suppose I'm so in the mood for expressing my love for Uematsu's (former) music after reading all the criticizing posts about it in this thread and others.
I would just summarize my opinion on VG and classical music like this: if you want to be a brilliant, original musician, don't narrow yourself to only classical, only V.G., or only anything else. You gotta listen to and learn to appreciate all kinds of different music for all their different qualities and purposes.
Those are my two fat cents on the matter...
Oh yes, one more thing. You just have to take a listen to this:
It is a video of an orchestral performance of a large portion of Dancing Mad-the last battle theme in FF VI. I think it's great.
