Zelda Symphony - Should We Cheer While The Orchestra Plays?

Given all the video games published these days, only a large handful gets their music to be played by a symphony orchestra. Final Fantasy was one, Zelda is another. The Legend of Zelda series has some of the most memorable pieces of video game music ever. It is a rare moment to finally listen to the music of a game being played by a large ensemble of people. But when attending an orchestra, people are supposed to listen aren’t they? No?

Are they supposed to clap their hands or shout in appreciation of the music while the music is playing?

Ms. Susan Schuyler from SchuylrPR attended a Zelda Symphony concert in San Francisco and observed that there was something, let’s just say, a bit awkward. While proper orchestra manners dictate that there should be respect for the ensemble, what she found was

A constant smattering of applause, deep throated cheers, and cries of outrage during each piece of a medley, effectively ruining both the otherwise deep acoustics and general enjoyment of the concert.

While the statement above was like saying she did not enjoy the orchestra because of that, turns out she actually did enjoyed it in the next statement

The compositions alone, when reviewed in tandem and without the vocal audience’s opinion, were at times superior to the original tracks.

She just felt that even though the symphony orchestra was enjoyable (and really superior,) it was somehow hard to hear everything due to the surroundings which disrupts the general feel of the tracks as a whole. If you take a look at this YouTube video, you’ll find out that there are people who feel the same way as her.

However, we have two sides to every coin.

While general manners dictate that in an orchestra, we are supposed to listen while just clapping our hands occasionally in appreciation, the fact that the show is targeted to an age group that grew up with the Legend of Zelda may also say another thing. Why? Because as Zelda fans, we can say that they were astonished to hear the tracks live and in an orchestra in addition. We can also say that that is their way of appreciating the music that they have heard in all the Zelda games they played. On the other side, perhaps it really wasn’t supposed to be that way. Perhaps it really matters that we stay collected during a symphony. And being silent while the orchestra is playing is what’s expected of the audience that’s listening to them.

While I realize this may be a sensitive issue to discuss, if you have attended one of the Zelda concerts that has been touring the States and Canada right now, what is your opinion of the show? Did you also experience what Ms. Schuyler had? Let us know your thoughts!

Source:

PWR After Class

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http://zreomusic.com ebuch

As someone who attended both the 25th Anniversary Symphony in LA, and the Symphony of the Goddesses premiere in Dallas (there hasn’t even been a show in San Francisco yet..), I will say that neither audience was disruptive enough to completely ruin the atmosphere. The LA crowd was a lot rowdier than the Dallas crowd, which actually seemed a little *too* afraid to clap, (there was dead silence between the prelude and first movement of the symphony).

Now, I know that “traditional orchestra etiquette” says that you don’t clap in between movements, but since this was a celebration of Zelda music, the conductor actually *encouraged* the audience to applaud between each movement. The only time the Dallas crowd started cheering during a performance was at the very beginning of the A Link to the Past movement, because everyone was so happy to see it being included in the show. I think that’s perfectly fine–to an extent.

The concerts are huge gatherings of Zelda fans.. there are probably more Zelda fans under one roof than most other events. These types of events don’t happen very often, so fans are going to make the most of it! If you don’t think it’s right to cheer during a performance, then don’t cheer, but it’s silly to get upset at other people for showing their excitement at such an event. If you’d rather listen to the music in complete silence, I would highly recommend you just stay home and listen to the CD recordings. Don’t expect hundreds of fans of all ages to sit quietly in their seats.. expect there to be cheering.

But a “constant smattering of applause, deep throated cheers, and cries of outrage”? I can agree that would be bothersome, but I really don’t know what concert this person was at. Certainly wasn’t either of the ones I went to.

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http://zreomusic.com ebuch

As someone who attended both the 25th Anniversary Symphony in LA, and the Symphony of the Goddesses premiere in Dallas (there hasn’t even been a show in San Francisco yet..), I will say that neither audience was disruptive enough to completely ruin the atmosphere. The LA crowd was a lot rowdier than the Dallas crowd, which actually seemed a little *too* afraid to clap, (there was dead silence between the prelude and first movement of the symphony).

Now, I know that “traditional orchestra etiquette” says that you don’t clap in between movements, but since this was a celebration of Zelda music, the conductor actually *encouraged* the audience to applaud between each movement. The only time the Dallas crowd started cheering during a performance was at the very beginning of the A Link to the Past movement, because everyone was so happy to see it being included in the show. I think that’s perfectly fine–to an extent.

The concerts are huge gatherings of Zelda fans.. there are probably more Zelda fans under one roof than most other events. These types of events don’t happen very often, so fans are going to make the most of it! If you don’t think it’s right to cheer during a performance, then don’t cheer, but it’s silly to get upset at other people for showing their excitement at such an event. If you’d rather listen to the music in complete silence, I would highly recommend you just stay home and listen to the CD recordings. Don’t expect hundreds of fans of all ages to sit quietly in their seats.. expect there to be cheering.

But a “constant smattering of applause, deep throated cheers, and cries of outrage”? I can agree that would be bothersome, but I really don’t know what concert this person was at. Certainly wasn’t either of the ones I went to.

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Michael Vincent

Hmm. Interesting Ebuch. I think you’re right. In the first place, Those were a huge gathering of Zelda fans, and the conductor encouraging people to applaud indeed means that it was really okay to begin with. At least now we have enough information that cheering at the event is perfectly fine, as you’ve said, to an extent. As for the venue, perhaps it wasn’t the Zelda Symphony (which started in Dallas) but another one which happened there. But if it happened there, I supposed that is something you know right? So all that’s left was the anniversary symphony show at the Pantages theater in Hollywood. But Hollywood is in L.A. Hmm….

Btw, I checked up on your site, it’s awesome! ^^

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CronoA7X

Hey ebuch. I agree, a concert is supposed to get loud, its an experience, not something you’ll get by sitting at home. I myself have not attended any of these shows yet, but I wouldn’t find a problem with the crowd being loud.

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BoaTransistor

This is WAY late for the post, but I may as well comment anyway…

The tour hit Philly this week, so I was finally able to attend. Make no mistake, orchestra etiquette does *not* apply to this concert. You are absolutely encouraged to applaud between movements, and the program makes it clear.

However, at the Philly show in particular, there was also occasional applause throughout the movements. Not to mention a baby screaming and a dog barking (??) at one point. With a couple small exceptions by the conductor (who obviously loves to put on a show, with the Wind Waker thing), the performers stayed composed, of course, and it probably didn’t bother them too much thanks to their ear pieces.

As far as whether it was appropriate or not, I’m leaning toward yes. While it’s absolutely taboo for that behavior in a traditional orchestra performance, the Zelda concerts are clearly an exception and entirely based on fan service. It seemed to help keep the energy level up for the orchestra and you could notice a few smiles from some musicians on camera.

Keep in mind that other orchestra performances do not include video displays or even the conductor speaking to the audience. Couple that with the lax dress code and the rock-concert like atmosphere (complete with merchandise and, at our venue, a bar!) and this is not in any way a normal orchestra performance.

Don’t be fooled by the size of the band or the instruments they use. They’re playing to fans, not an audience. It’s okay to show your appreciation, even during the music if you want.

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