#Valse-Fantasie

[balanchine-ballet-master]

Indiana Woodward and corps in Balanchine's Valse-Fantasie, 2019.

Photo: Erin Baiano

[universe-nero]

FF XV Music Box

I'm so happy

[vg-soundtrack-showdown]

Playlist of Splatoon song recommendations

Playlist of Final Fantasy song recommendations

List of songs below

Splatoon: [1] Splattack!, Ink or Sink, Kraken Up, Now or Never, Split and Splat/Quick Start, Sucker Punch, High-Color Evolution/City of Color, Ink Me Up, Eight Legged Advance, Tentacular Circus, Cephaloparade, Tacozones Rendezvous/Octoling Rendezvous, I Am Octavio, Calamari Inkantation, [2] Inkoming!, Rip Entry, Now or Never (Wet Floor), Shipwreckin', Fins & Fiddles, Seafoam Shanty, Broken Coral, Riptide Rupture, Happy Little Workers, Deluge Dirge, Fishing Frenzy, Color Pulse, Ebb and Flow, Acid Hues, Muck Warfare, Now or Never (Off the Hook), Low Tide, Octo Eight-Step, Buoyant Boogie, Shooting Starfish, Octarmaments, Bomb Rush Blush, Tidal Rush, Spicy Calamari Inkantation, Nasty Majesty, Telephone's Theme, #0 shell, #1 progress, #9 party, Shark Bytes, #8 regret, #14 crush, #13 shade, #11 above, Splattack! (Octo), Fly Octo Fly, Into the Light, Blitz It!, Wave Prism, [3] Anarchy Rainbow, Anarchy Poison (Bird/Boar/Snake Mixes), Fins in the Air, Til Depth Do Us Part, Splattack!, Clickbait, Headhammer, Paintscraper, Triple Dip, Sea Me Now, Sandy Side Up, Candy Colored Rocks, Tentacle to the Metal, I'm Octavio (FE4RME Remix), Nine Out of Tension, Underwater Neon, Flop to It, Smoke and Mirrors, Ride or Fry, With Flying Colors, Seep & Destroy, #35 caught, Surprise and Shine, Hide and Sleek, Smeared Canvas, Bear With Me, Calamari Inkantation 3-MIX, Frothy Waters, Toxic Anoxic

Final Fantasy: [V] Battle on the Big Bridge, [VII + Remake] Opening ~ Bombing Mission, Tifa’s Theme, Those Who Fight, Electric De Chocobo, Let the Battles Begin!, Tightrope, J-E-N-O-V-A, One-Winged Angel, [XIV] To The Edge, Flow, In The Balance, Shadowbringers, Carrots of Happiness, Triumph, Twilit Terraces, Return to Oblivion, Answers, Black Wolf Stalks Again, Footfalls, Fiend, A Long Fall, Painted Skies, Neath Dark Waters, Full Fathom Five, Teardrops in the Rain, Flow/Flow Together, [XV] Valse di Fantasticsa, Somnus

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Somnus (Instrumental Version) • Departure • Broken Down • ハンマーヘッド - Hammerhead • Wanderlust • Encroaching Fear • Stand Your Ground • Relax And Reflect • Day's End Fanfare • Horizon • 安息の地 - Safe Haven • Lurking Danger • Hunt or Be Hunted • CIDNEY - Cindy • Urban Chrome • A Quick Pit Stop • 行方知れぬ想い - Love Lost • ガーディナ - Galadin Quay • ARDYN • The Agressors • NOX AETERNA • The Hunters • What Lies Within • Daemons • Bros On The Road • Fantastica! • The Niflheim Empire • Veiled In Black • Valse Di Fantastica • Crystalline Chill • What A Hoot • ブルース de チョコボ - Blues De Chocobo • Reel Rumble • The Fight Is On! • レスタルム - Lestallum • Welcome to the Leville • Unsettling Aura • Don't Panic! • APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS • Cosmogony • Melancholia • A Premonition • NOX DIVINA • Labyrinthine • Flying R • Imperial Infiltration • Veiled in Black (Arrangement) • Invidia • Sorrow Without Solace • Sunset Waltz • Disquiet • OMNIS LACRIMA • ロデオ de チョコボ - Rodeo de Chocobo • Listen Up • Creeping Shadows • Impending Peril • Up for the Challenge • カエム - Cape Caem • カエム ～隠れ家～ - Cape Caem - Our New Home • カエム ～港～ - Cape Caem - Hidden Harbor • Bros on the Road II • NOCTIS • Over the Waves • オルティシエ ～港～ - Altissia • オルティシエ ～ゴンドラ～ - Altissia - Gondola Ride • Welcome to the Royal Suite • 綺羅星円舞曲 - Starlit Waltz • Prayer de LUNA • No Time Left • Song of the Stars • The Hydraean's Wrath • ARDYN II • LUNA • APOCALYPSIS AQUARIUS • Broken Bonds • Dining Car • カルタナティカ - Cartanica • Relax and Reflect - Pensive • Careening Into Danger • テネブラエ - Tenebrae • Horrors of the Night • End of the Road • An Empire in Ruins • RAVUS AETERNA • In the Light of the Crystal • A World Unwaking • Neverending Nightmare • Homecoming • ハンマーヘッド ～The Last Bastion～ - Hammerhead - The Last Bastion • Somnus • Hellfire • Magna Insomnia • Dawn • Somnus Ultima • Dewdrops at Dawn • Main Theme from FINAL FANTASY

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[lesser-known-composers]

Vyacheslav Gryaznov plays Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) : Valse-Fantasie (Trascr. V. Gryaznov).

[dynamite124]

Hypothetically, if someone were to write a piano solo piece for Tally, what kind of feelings would you want it to evoke?

Hypothetically, of course

I'm not sure. Something close to a waltz just still catchy. Maybe something similar to Valse Di Fantastica from Final Fantasy XV.

Picture from @skyrimpals

[the-trinket-witch]

Gonna ask for my buddies Tidus and Laz - The Main Character, I/Me/Myself, and Against the Kitchen Floor, pleeeeeease! <3

(Ask Meme Here)

The Main Character: What does your OC excel at? How much do they tout their ability?

Outside of his strength (that he tries to hide most of the time), he's actually quite a sketch artist! He won't flaunt it, but he likes to think he's doing decent with natural settings and scenes!

I/Me/Myself: Is your OC LGBTQ+? Regardless, how did they figure our their gender/sexual orientation?

Cis/Het, but is a little bi-curious. So technically, he doesn't have a lot of experience in romance to have a definite preference yet.

Against the Kitchen Floor: Describe a flaw in your OC that they understand can be a dealbreaker, as well as what your OC would consider one in an S/O

He is still under the impression that his size can be intimidating to more land species, but something he would consider a dealbreaker in a S/O would be someone who's non-adventurous. If they're an exclusive Homebody, that wouldn't work because he's gonna wanna go out, see the world~

The Main Character: What does your OC excel at? How much do they tout their ability?

He likes to think himself a pretty descent musician, one who can play most any instrument, but excels the most in the guitar. He's honestly the guy you likely will see at most house parties in the corner ready to play Fantasy-Wonderwall.

I/Me/Myself: Is your OC LGBTQ+? Regardless, how did they figure our their gender/sexual orientation?

Cis, but in a Prince sort of way. (Confident in his skin to the point he isn't bothered by wearing fashion not conventionally considered 'masc'.) Also he's probably the only 'straight' character I have here. He just likes the way women look, feel and carry themselves (esp ones that will reel him in with some practicality)

Against the Kitchen Floor: Describe a flaw in your OC that they understand can be a dealbreaker, as well as what your OC would consider one in an S/O

He would need someone with confidence in a relationship, cause he understands that the life of a musician is very busy and in constant motion. It's something he realizes might be a turn off for most, but he would need someone who isn't going to insist on setting roots before he's ready.

Taglist:

@ceruleancattail @squidwen @thecosmicjackalope @vaporvipermedia@writing-heiress

@oya-oya-okay @k-looking-glass-house@thehollowwriter@rainesol @cyn-write

@heartscrypt@honey-milk-depresso @br3adtoasty @jackiecronefield @ruggiethethuggie

@demonichikikomori @hoboyherewego @achy-boo @oreoskys@oseathepebble

@tunabesimpin @hamstergal @fumikomiyasaki@valse-a-mille-temps

@hallowed-delights @kimikitti @plutos-hell @thetwstwildcard @atwstedstory

@comingyourlugubriousness @ice-cweam-sod4 @twst-the-night-away @nammanarin

[maryse127]

YOKO FUCKING SHIMOMURA IS SITTING TWO ROWS BEHIND ME AT THE CONCERT. SHE WAS SO CLOSE. I AM LOSING IT. I ALMOST STARTED CRYING. MAYBE I ACTUALLY DID. ALSO THEY PLAYED VALSE DI FANTASTICA AND SOMNUS AND APOCALYPTIS NOCTIS AND MY FINAL FANTASY XV LOVING ASS IS SO HAPPY

[threewaysdivided]

Hobson Heckled into Historical Haute-Couture

Continuing the Dan Jones & Dragons gala parade with Hobson, the Flower Crowns' oft-harried Halfling Warlock (played by the ever-wholesome Dan Floyd). Is he trying to massage away the realisation that letting his literally-half-brained patron choose his gala attire might have been a mistake? Is Valse giving him a headache over something else entirely? Did he use Detect Magic in a room full of powerful items and accidentally flash-bang himself? Yes.

More Flower Crowns Gala Outfits: Morenthal | Gelnek

As always, design talk under the cut:

But before that, a short story: I've been following Dan's content on Youtube for... oh jeez, that sure is almost a decade now, both on his current New Frame Plus/Playframe channels and back when he was the primary founder and narrator for EC. His old games education videos helped me get one of my earliest jobs in project work and introduced me to a bunch of media production concepts (like scope management) that would go on to inform some of my own storytelling analysis posts. It was a startling little moment of artistic ouroboros to realise I was mentally running through key points from Dan's own Pose Design 101 video as I was drawing his DnD character. Never expected things to come full-circle like that, but if you're seeing this, Dan: here's to you 🫡 If you're not Dan and haven't already, do go check out his stuff - it's all super well-produced, informative, funny and he's just an overall stand-up guy.

Now: onto the tiny little nerd and his passé party attire

This was a really fun costuming challenge, with a bunch of interesting curveballs thrown in the mix. Unlike the rest of the Flower Crowns, Hobson didn't choose his own party outfit: it was picked out by his patron after Valse kibbitzed him into giving up and letting a heroism-obsessed Fey call the shots. Dan cited Valse as having the fashion sense of Stede Bonnet-as-depicted-in-OFMD, briefing a vaguely 19th century-style outfit that had frilled sleeves and 'would have looked gaudy even when it was in fashion a century earlier'.

Actually dating his outfit was the first challenge. D&D settings are kind of an anachronistic uchronia, with classic swords-and-sorcery fantasy campaigns potentially pulling inspiration points from anywhere across the Arthurian era up to pre-war modernity. Which leads to the question: how do you make something seem dated in a setting where most everything looks vaguely ye-olde-fantasy? The other challenge was that, IRL, the 19th century (i.e Victorian era) was when menswear started taking on a lot of the shapes that would eventually become modern suit and top-'n'-tails fashion. Since Trilby was already going to be wearing classic top-'n'-tails formalwear, I decided to set Hobson's style earlier in the 1800s-1820s and pull in some 18th century Stede Bonnet flourishes to visually set them apart. This article provided some great reference images, and once I hit on the figured silk waistcoat I knew I had a potential starting point.

Colour-wise, I stuck with the burgundy-and-gold palette the Dans gave Hobson in his official gala stream art, since those looked good together and matched up with Dan J's tendency to draw Hobson wearing greens/earth-tones and Valse in reds/jewel-tones. The combination is a lot more colourful and richly saturated than is typical for this style of Victorian-adjacent clothes, which felt appropriate for Valse's gaudy tastes.

Fabric-wise, I figured a fun way to gaudy things up even further would be to lean into the silks and satins that were fashionable at the time, but make all of his outfit shimmery rather than just a single feature piece. As a bonus, silk and satin clothes tend be hot, inelastic and have horribly itchy seams if worn unlined, which felt like exactly the kind of thing Valse's all-form-no-function sensibilities would inflict upon the small, long-suffering fellow. Both these fabrics also have a habit of behaving hideously and ripping themselves apart when worn wet, which makes this a great outfit to, say, accidentally fight an Aboleth in. Poor Hobson.

Some other details, just for fun: 1. Hobson's sketch layers include a drawing of his un-removable cursed left bracer. He's pulled the frilly, puffy sleeve over it but you might spot hints of the shape and the gem if you squint. 2. The reference waistcoat I used had floral embroidery on it. Had this actually been a Hobson outfit, I would have converted them to his garland flower (Forget-Me-Nots), but since it was a Valse pick I decided to make them Senaliesse chrysanthemums; a flower given out to friends of the Feywild's Summer Court as a sign of protection and favour. (It also adds extra layers to Pocket mistaking Hobson for a denizen of the Fey, which is fun).

Close crop on the details because I'm very happy with how they turned out:

[sixty-silver-wishes]

What's your opinion on the funny Bolero man?

okay, I have a LOT of opinions on Ravel, and I’ve actually done quite a bit of research on him. He’s one of my favourite composers, and his life story just… god.

So the first thing I want to say about Ravel is that his music tends to be very easily misunderstood, and this is according to Ravel himself. Ravel is a toymaker, a tinker. He called himself “artificial by nature,” and that’s the key thing to understand. Ravel is artificial, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, that’s part of his appeal and what makes his music unique. Much of the time, he’s not directly seeking to express an emotion, but rather a depiction, an imitation of one. It’s like he’s creating clockwork automatons of living things that are not meant to be lifelike, but to be clockwork. He imitates other composers in “A la Maniere de Borodin/Chabrier,” objects and animals in “L’enfant et les Sortileges,” and the styles of other cultures around the world across his body of work. On the subject of the last one, Ravel does often have a tendency towards Orientalism, which can be sometimes cringey in today’s social environment (“Chinoiserie” and a general fascination with the East was very much in fashion in his day), but I think Ravel’s impressions of Asian, Middle Eastern, and even European music (including Spain; Ravel was part Basque and was very proud of that) can be best understood when compared to Disney’s “Small World” ride. You’re not getting an authentic picture of the world; you’re getting a mechanical fantasy based on it.

I bring up machines a lot when I talk about Ravel, not just in reference to his music, but also to his life. Stravinsky referred to him as the “most perfect of Swiss watchmakers,” his father was in inventor (who was also responsible for creating a machine that resulted in a fatal mishap, aptly called the “Whirlwind of Death;” look it up), and he had a lifelong fascination with toys and mechanical objects. We see them prominently featured in his opera “L’Heure Espagnole,” the vocal piece “Noel des Jouets” (a little-known piece about the Nativity, except make it steampunk!), and of course, Bolero, which is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted Ravel works.

The thing about Bolero is it’s not supposed to be sexy. And many Ravel pieces are- Nahandove from “Chansons Madacasses” (a cycle which, I should add, also includes a striking rebuke of French colonialism in “Aoua”), Daphnis et Chloe’s Bacchanale, maybe even La Valse. However, Ravel stated that “Bolero should be played at a constant speed from beginning to end, in the plaintive, monotonous style of Arabo-Spanish melodies.” He considered it his only masterpiece, not because of its beauty or virtuosity, but because it achieved what he set out to write- a piece with “no form properly speaking, no development, no modulation, or hardly any.”

I think this is where misinterpretations of Ravel most commonly arise, when his artificiality is mistaken for genuine passion. Famously, with his “Pavane for a Dead Princess,” Ravel disliked interpretations that were too slow, remarking that “it’s a Pavane for a dead princess, not a dead Pavane for a princess.” While slow interpretations may intend to be elegiac, a steady tempo brings another meaning to the title- not that this Pavane would be heard at a princess’ funeral, but rather something that a princess from a past time would have danced while alive. And we can also connect this to the view of death Ravel takes in “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” a work with each movement dedicated to a friend who died in WWI (Ravel served as a nurse and supply truck driver). Despite being a memorial piece, “Le Tombeau” is largely joyful; the “Minuet” displays some sentimentality, but this work is largely dedicated to celebrating life, rather than mourning death.

Another thing to consider about Ravel was that he made his aesthetic his entire personality. And I’m dead serious about that. Ravel adopted the fashion style and philosophy of Dandyism, in which one was to make themselves stylish and presentable, while appearing detached and aloof from the rest of the world, keeping inner feelings private. Ravel was very particular about his personal appearance (he was once late to a funeral because he couldn’t decide which suit to wear!) and hardly divulged deeply personal information in his private correspondence- for instance, while it’s likely he may have been aromantic, as far as we know, we don’t have any evidence of Ravel having any committed romantic or sexual partners (although we do have a few accounts from other people claiming he sometimes saw prostitutes). He kept his passions and fears largely secret, and this is further reflected in his works; while he often dedicated them to friends and patrons, I can’t say I know of anything by Ravel that’s explicitly or otherwise proven to be biographical. As a composer, he takes a “Dandyistic” approach as well, giving us beautiful works while hardly allowing us a window into his mind.

One thing in particular about Ravel has haunted me, and that’s how he died. While he’d been showing signs of mental deterioration in years prior, in 1932, he got into a taxi accident, which likely accelerated what would be diagnosed as aphasia, although we still don’t know what exactly he had. For the next five years, Ravel would gradually become unable to read, write (both words and music), and play the piano, and sometimes had difficulty controlling his movements and recognizing people. Even prominent biographers like Roger Nichols express how devastating this period of Ravel’s life was, as his friends tried to make it, in Nichols’ words, “even remotely tolerable.” During this time, Ravel could compose in his head, but not write anything down, and was even planning at least two major works- an opera called “Jeanne d’Arc,” and a ballet called “Morgiane.” His friends took him on a trip to Morocco and he immensely enjoyed it, appearing to temporarily improve, but afterwards, his mental health continued to decline. Looking at Ravel’s correspondence from this time is devastating, as we see his handwriting get messier and messier, then only typewritten letters, and then nothing at all. At a performance of his ballet, “Daphnis et Chloe,” Ravel reportedly began to cry, remarking, “and yet, there is still so much music inside my head!”

Sources vary on whether or not Ravel was aware of the fact, but his brother Edouard arranged for him to have an operation with the famous brain surgeon Clovis Vincent. Afterwards, Ravel woke up from the surgery, asked to see his brother, but fell comatose, dying in his sleep on December 28th, 1937. Dr. Vincent reportedly did not find ant tumours.

… anyway, this ended up way longer than I expected it to be. but I really like ravel

[bouncycloud]

If the Slytherin quartet were immersed in Muggle culture. What things would each one like? Type music, literature, games, clothes?

As i'm asian and have limited knowledge on the british muggle culture, i'll answer it as best as i can😅

Rabastan

-plain polo shirts. Sensible pants. Expensive watches and sunglasses

-he would read paradise lost and Dante's divine comedy and find the humor in them.

-he would think muggle music is cool, but wouldn't like anything particular. in modern au he'd probably mention Imagine Dragons if you ask about his type of music, he's that basic.

Regulus

-he will love overshirt, jackets, dark (mostly black) coats.

-in modern au will cry while watching the lion king.

-He would, of course, be interested in reading anything from Arthur Conan Doyle. He would like Dostoevsky's books if someone introduced them to him.

- reggie and music. Guys, i don't think you understand, but reg's childhood music is just the kind that walburga likes: Tchaikovsky's Valse sentimentale. The freaking Mozart's Requiem. I'm not familiar with 70s songs, but he most likely will like songs with deep lyrics and i don't know.. intense songs really, because he's wired that way. In modern au he probably would have a love and hate relationship with arctic monkey's do i wanna know

Barty

-he would have two moods in clothing: popular rock band tshirts or cartoon tshirt. Leather jacket is also a favorite.

-in modern au, he'd watch netflix in maddy's profile and mess up her algorithm (intentionally, mind you. Because Maddy would only watch movies and series based on Bethany and Amanda's reccomondations and they're all boring. He wanted to help!)

-music like AC/DC, led zeppelin. Honestly just any epic song to play in the background while he's being awesome.

- dinosaurs are dragons. This conspiracy would be the only time he agrees with regulus.

- He probably would prefer something light like the LOTR and narnia. Fantasy books.

Evan

- turtleneck everything. Expensive everything. He's a brand baby.

- evan was robbed Taylor Swift in his time. He also listens to classical music, brahms mostly.

- doesn't like to read at all.

- in modern au would probably like superheroes themed movies.

That was it lol. If someone wants to educate me in british culture or just direct me to somewhere so i can learn about it, i'll appreciate it very much. For the greater good, guys.

[dawntrailing]

upcoming upload.

FINAL FANTASY Series ACOUSTIC ARRANGEMENTS

Opening Theme

The Rebel Army

Eternal Wind

Battle With The Four Fiends

Battle at the Big Bridge

Battle to the Death

Gold Saucer

Don't Be Afraid & Force Your Way

Not Alone

Zanarkand

Awakening

The Dalmasca Estersand

Blinded By Light

The Final Day

Valse di Fantastica

[mozzy54]

this comment under glinka's valse fantasie is so funny to me LOL

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: National Tell A Fairy Tale Day

Clockwork Fairy Tales edited by Stephen L. Antczak & James C. Bassett

Combining the timeless fairy tales that we all read as children with the out-of-time technological wizardry that is steampunk, this collection of stories blends the old and the new in ways sure to engage every fantasy reader.…

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s "The Red Shoes", New York Times bestselling author K. W. Jeter’s "La Valse" forges a fable about love, the decadence of technology, and a gala dance that becomes the obsession of a young engineer - and the doom of those who partake in it.…

In "You Will Attend Until Beauty Awakens", national bestselling author and John W. Campbell Award winner Jay Lake tells the story of Sleeping Beauty - and how the princess was conceived in deception, raised in danger, and rescued by a prince who may be less than valiant.

The tale of "The Tinderbox" takes a turn into the surreal when a damaged young soldier comes into possession of an intricate, treacherous treasure and is drawn into a mission of mercy in national bestselling author Kat Richardson’s "The Hollow Hounds".

In "The Kings of Mount Golden", Hugo and World Fantasy Award nominee Paul Di Filippo tells the story of a young man’s search for his heritage and a mechanical marvel that lies at the heart of a sinister pact in this fascinating take on "The King of the Golden Mountain".

Other Ever Afters by Melanie Gillman

Once upon a time... happily ever after turned out differently than expected. In this new, feminist, queer fairy-tale collection, you’ll find the princesses, mermaids, knights, barmaids, children, and wise old women who have been forced to sit on the sidelines in classic stories taking center stage. A gorgeous all-new collection in graphic novel format from a Stonewall Honor-winning author and artist.

What if the giant who abducted you was actually thoughtful and kind? What if you didn’t want to marry your handsome, popular, but cold-inside suitor? What if your one true love has all the responsibilities that come with running a kingdom?

Award-winning author Melanie Gillman’s phenomenal colored-pencil art creates another "ever after" for the characters who are most worthy of it.

The Original Folk & Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm edited by Jack Zipes

When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their "Children's and Household Tales" in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, " The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, newly translated and brought together in one beautiful book, are accompanied by sumptuous new illustrations from award-winning artist Andrea Dezso.

From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key," wondrous worlds unfold - heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique - they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes's introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes.

Celtic Fairy Tales edited by Joseph Jacobs

Joseph Jacobs collected these fairy stories in the closing days of the nineteenth century. They are engaging brief episodes of fancy and fantasy from the oral tradition, which were designed to engage and fascinate the young mind. In this fast-paced, electronic world where life whizzes and fizzes by, it is a comfort and joy to pause awhile to savour such delights from a simpler and less pressured age. Reading one of these stories is the literary equivalent of stepping into the quiet and majesty of a medieval church or a circle of standing stones. In the twenty-first century there is a renewed appetite for magic, fairies, and fantastic worlds. With Celtic Fairy Tales, we are not only entertained but can also feel the gentle spiritual hand of history resting on our shoulders.

[kyndaris]

An Intimate Night

During the pandemic, there wasn't much opportunity to attend music concerts. After all, there was a virus going around. As countries reopen with COVID-19 relegated to the rear view mirror, there has been a return of nighttime entertainment in the last few years. Of note for this humble blogger has been the return of musicals. Be that 9-5, featuring the songs of our favourite country singer: Dolly Parton, to Six and the Rocky Horror Show.

In the city itself, there have been a few smaller candlelit concerts with music ranging from movies to anime. A Distant Worlds hasn't graced the shores of Australia since 2017. And while we had a Kingdom Hearts music concert in 2019, it has certainly been quite a few years since I've gotten to enjoy a proper orchestra playing my favourite songs from a couple of my favourite franchises live.

No longer!

Given advanced notice by Facebook, I co-opted my good friend, @bleachpanda into the proceedings. It helped that the New World concert fell very close to her birthday. But unlike previous New Worlds that had been held at Chatswood Concourse, this time round, the two of us would enjoy the music from Final Fantasy at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

A place that I'd been to in my youth. Back when I was still being graded for piano and hadn't visited in a very long time.

After picking up two Krispy Kreme donuts and getting overcharged (for some reason, they charged me the price of a 4-donut box and I didn't realise it until I checked my bank balance the next day), I picked up @bleachpanda at Wynyard train station in the heart of the CBD. From there, we headed eastwards towards the State Library.

Despite the fact that we had bought tickets for the 6PM showing, eschewing dinner (which we ended up grabbing later anyways), there were still plenty of people in attendance. @bleachpanda and I were not the only music starved Final Fantasy fans out there.

And what a riveting opening number that the smaller chamber orchestra started off with! As soon as I heard the first few notes, a grin split my face from ear to ear. After all, this was Valse di Fantastica!

What followed next were a mix of songs both old and new.

I won't be able to put them in exact order as I thought it rude to pull out my phone and start recording the names but barring two songs from Final Fantasy XIV, I managed to remember most of them. I do believe one of them MAY have been Insatiable from the Shadowbrings DLC. The other was a more jazzy piece that I cannot, for the life of me, recall the name of. Probably because I should have played more of Final Fantasy XIV, but I digress.

The other songs that caught my attention were Town Theme from the first Final Fantasy. Then we had Besaid from Final Fantasy X, which I immediately recognised, followed by Heaven's Tower from Final Fantasy XI.

Then we had a variety of different songs. Unfortunately for @bleachpanda, none of them proved capable of keeping her engaged. These included Lenna's Theme from Final Fantasy V, Atonement from Final Fantasy XIII, Dark World from Final Fantasy VI and Melancholia from Final Fantasy XV.

Finally, in order to keep my poor friend awake, the orchestra played Force Your Way from Final Fantasy VIII along with a piece from @bleachpanda's favourite Final Fantasy game: IX. Except of course, A Place to Call Home was rudely cut short with a Final Fantasy XIV song.

We even got to hear the conductor, Eric Roth, sing when Serah's theme was played. And in fact, Eric Roth was a very memorable conductor as he gallivanted around the stage. Well, gallivant isn't quite the word either. He...danced? Or rather, conducted with the entirety of his body. From stamping his feet to waving his arms around as a means to tell the orchestra to add more oomph to a piece or to keep it more quiet.

Before too long, the concert came to an end. As it did, we were treated with several classic: Zanarkand, One-winged Angel, Victory Fanfare and Chocobo Medley. And to justify the acoustic guitar that they brought in we also heard a guitar solo of the main theme from the first Final Fantasy.

While it was no Distant Worlds, it was certainly a night that brought back a flood of memories of attending these concerts in the past. And, if anything else, was a sign that things in the world were finally returning to a state of normalcy. Whether we were ready for it or not.