All the Final Fantasy High Notes Captured in One Evening at Carnegie Hall
Video games feel front and center to the action at New York’s Carnegie Hall.
At the very end of the 2022 film Tár, Cate Blanchett gets back in the conductor’s saddle but this time it’s to a gamer’s score, and cosplayers can be seen in the audience. This seemingly nonsequitur of an ending is meant to convey that Blanchett’s character will still remain in the realm of music, but she’s been sidelined into a career of near anonymity.
What say you then of Arnie Roth, the spirited conductor headlining the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth orchestral performance, who peppers his speech with gamer jokes? Video games feel front and center to the action, in heralding in 2025, at the Rebirth concert in Carnegie Hall on a freezing New York night, where attendees dressed as Aerith or Sephiroth.
“Sephiroth,” by the way, was one of the few recognizable lyrics sung by the choir, during the throes of battle on screen during One-Winged Angel, a song about the formidable villain.
“Sephiroth,” by the way, was one of the few recognizable lyrics sung by the choir, during the throes of battle on screen during One-Winged Angel, a song about the formidable villain. A giant monitor loomed over the choir and band, a terrible distraction from my view in the audience. Normally, wordless music lulls me into a meditative state, but Rebirth the concert was filled with large, cinematic reminders of our least favorite gaming moments – a nasty sidequest involving throwing boxes, a demanding point-and-shoot minigame that stands in fans’ way of platinuming the game. Rather than get to luxuriate in the sound bath, we got to watch the screen as if looking over the shoulder of a friend haplessly navigating through Rebirth. Worse yet, my plus one had not played either Remake or Rebirth, and the music was convincing him to try both games, yet the onscreen scenes were spoiling significant plot points.
The overpacked merchandise hall made the occasion feel more like an anime convention than a solemn performance – attendees were eager to pre-order a T-shirt exclusive to the evening that simply reads Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Orchestra. If at first glance, the crowds gave a sense that there was something worth lining up for, the scanned QR codes of the merchandise menu quickly set those expectations straight.
Final Fantasy had already taken over the world.
Over the course of just two hours and a timely intermission, Roth weaved his magic, drumming up excitement, even as he watched a smaller version of the same game scenes on a tablet. I had come to Carnegie Hall last January for a Genshin Impact concert and had left not nearly as impressed back then. This time, however, there was something deeply stirring about getting to hear the Queen’s Blood card game theme, one that I had allowed to play on repeat in the background while I mulled over strategy. Or head over to Costa del Sol for some beach views. Seeing the 100-hour plus game plus prequel get translated into tunes felt like a special way to showcase just how dynamic and versatile Final Fantasy is. It’s got everything – romance, horror, adventure, tragedy – all within the span of an evening.
I thought of all my friends who I knew had played the game — who talked with me over and over about Rebirth — and felt bad for not having invited more folks. I posted to Instagram to alert them. My friends were quick to chime in that they had already seen the show that night, they were there in the audience, or they had purchased tickets in the past to see a previous production. Who was I to worry about spreading the love? Final Fantasy had already taken over the world.
