The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony

The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony was a series of three concerts which performed in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and London on October, 2011 as part of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary. The Symphony made its first appearance during the E3 2011 show, where Shigeru Miyamoto asked the to play some of the classic songs from the series, such as the Fairy Fountain medley, the jingle when a puzzle is solved, as well as the music played when a Treasure Chest is opened.
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD, which included music from the 25th Anniversary concerts, was released in conjunction with every copy of .
==Concerts==
The three premier concerts were part of a preview which preceded a full world tour, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. The music was hand-picked by Nintendo composer Koji Kondo and his team, while the concerts were produced by Jason Michael Paul, Inc., the producers of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.
In the Los Angeles and London concerts, the pieces were accompanied by synced videos featuring scenes taken from the Zelda games which were projected behind the orchestra. This feature was not included in the Tokyo concert.
Each of the three concerts featured the appearances of Eiji Aonuma and Koji Kondo on stage, with the latter performing a solo on piano. Shigeru Miyamoto was only present at the Tokyo concert, while Zelda Williams made a special appearance in the London concert.
The places where the concerts took place were fully decorated with Zelda-related images and banners. hanged on the outside of the Pantages Theater, and the 25th Anniversary picture featuring all the Links from the series covered the building as well. Inside, the theater's lobby featured playable demos of , , and Anniversary Edition. Moreover, hanging from the walls were golden drapes depicting the Royal Crest, while others illustrated characters and scenes from . A merchandise booth was also set up, where attendees could buy t-shirts containing the 25th anniversary logo for $20 each, while posters, with three of each kind, were selling for $10 each. The outside of the hall where the Tokyo concert took place had pillars which were decorated with the official Zelda 25th Anniversary logo, as well as a history of all the Links up to .
===Tokyo===
In Tokyo there were two concerts on October 10, one starting at 2:00 PM and the other one at 6:30 PM, local time. The concerts were performed by the .
===Los Angeles===
The Los Angeles concert was performed by the on October 21, 2011 at the Pantages Theater with ticket prices starting at $35 USD.
===London===
The London concert was performed by the on October 25, 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo, with ticket prices starting at £33.75.
==Program==
The premier concerts included pieces that were not performed during the Symphony of the Godesses concerts, as the 25th anniversary symphony concerts were "intended to be unique, special, one-time commemorative events." However, the Symphony of the Goddesses did feature various pieces from the premier concerts, including the " Symphonic Movement" and the " Symphonic Movement".
*Part I
**"Hyrule Castle Theme"
**"Princess Zelda's Theme"
**" Symphonic Movement"
**"Ocarina Melody Suite"
**"Boss Battle Medley"
**"Kakariko Village - Theme"
**"The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Medley"
*Part II
**"Ganondorf's Theme"
**"The Legend of Zelda Selected Shorts Suite"
**"Gerudo Valley"
**"Hyrule Field from "
**"Great Fairy's Fountain Theme"
**" Symphonic Movement"
**"The Legend of Zelda Main Theme Medley"
*Encore
**"Grandma's Theme" (played by Koji Kondo)
==Reception==
The reception to the 25th anniversary concerts was mostly positive; all four concerts were completely sold out, and it was highly praised by reviewers. Steve Hogarty of the Official Nintendo Magazine stated about the London concert that it was "...one of the most moving and beautiful live performances I've ever had the good fortune to put my ears near."Legend Of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony review; retrieved Feb. 24 2011 Matt Allen from Nintendo Life believed "[it] was a night enjoyed by all and filled with affection for Zelda, its music and the talented developers, musicians and performers who have all shaped one of the most influential and well-regarded gaming series of our time." However, one minor criticism was when "individual instruments and sections played through all 19 ocarina melodies from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask: while memorable in-game, in this setting they felt more like filler."Feature: Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Report; retrieved Feb. 24 2012 Bob Mackley from 1up mentions that "while the 25th Anniversary Symphony isn't going to meet the needs of every Zelda fan, it's certainly a fitting celebration of all things Zelda."Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony; retrieved Feb. 24 2012
Most reviewers noted Symphony Movement to be one of the highlights of the show, as Nintendo World Report comments that "[the] entire orchestra was at its best during this song, with a smattering of solos sprinkled throughout, but the cello and bass sections in particular impressed with their rich accompaniment in the lower registry." The surprise performance of Koji Kondo was also highly acclaimed. Although the music selection "was quite unexpected", Nintendo World Report states that "the crowd held onto Mr. Kondo's every note," with Hogarty also commenting that "Koji Kondo brought the entirety of the venue to the edge of its seat and the verge of having something-in-its-eye."[http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/31956/legend-of-zelda-25th-anniversary-symphony-concert-review/ Legend Of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony review; retrieved Feb. 24 2012
As for the videos being projected behind the orchestra, Allen from the London concert comments that "the video perfectly captured its sense of adventure."Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Report; retrieved Feb. 24 2011 However, Andrea Campton from Nintendo Gal felt that, in the Los Angeles concert, "the screen and video felt implemented at the last minute and poorly planned" since "many times the video had issues with frame skipping" and that "other times it fell flat and stopped during the climax of a song."
One of the minor criticisms about the atmosphere of the Los Angeles concert was the audience's reactions while the orchestra was performing. Mackley from 1up states that although the crowd's "enthusiasm is appreciated, [...] the medleys suffered the most from audience outbursts, as the crowd would erupt whenever they recognized the snippet of the song that just started... which was every single time,"The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Experience; retrieved Feb. 24 2012 while Alex Plant from Zelda Informer commented that "this was the worst audience I have ever had the displeasure of being part of" since the attendees "were laughing out loud at the most inappropriate times".The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony: The ZI Review; retrieved Feb. 24 2012
==Gallery==
===Program===
File:Zelda program 1.jpg
File:Zelda program 2.jpg
File:Zelda program 3.jpg
File:Zelda program 4.jpg
File:Zelda program 5.jpg
===Decorations===
File:Pillar decoration.jpg|Pillar outside the concert hall of the Tokyo performance featuring Link throughout the years
File:Pillar decoration 2.jpg|Pillar outside the concert hall of the Tokyo performance featuring the 25th anniversary logo
==See Also==
*The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
*The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary Concert