Event Review | The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (MusiCube)

The show opens with a bang, as the symphony (in this case, the Kansas City Symphony) plays "Overture," a massive rendition of the series' main theme. Behind the musicians, footage from the games plays on a large screen, working its way from The Legend of Zelda up to more recent titles (even including the recent Tri Force Heroes). The rest of the night follows suit; the footage displayed on-screen is taken from various games and is perfectly synched to the music; rapid violin bows might be accompanied by frenetic slashes of Link's sword, for example. Link's triumphs aren't the only thing showcased here, as our favourite hero in green clothes sometimes falls victim to his enemies, and Link's humanity is reflected equally in the music being played. This footage is also used to tell the underlying stories, going so far as to hint at the trouble to come for Link following the events of Ocarina of Time with a quick tease of the titular Majora's Mask, a very nice touch put in for diehard fans.

Interspersed within this is footage of various musicians, some with big parts to play and others contributing on a smaller scale, though all of it equally important. Between some movements, videos appear of Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, and Koji Kondo, discussing the importance of music in the series. Miyamoto speaks of growth (with a fun titbit about how Nintendo had to develop NES hardware specifically to play music in The Legend of Zelda), Aonuma talks about far off lands, and Kondo describes his intentions of using music to evoke emotions and experiences in players. These three are some of the best at what they do, and it shows in the music: from the calm, serene "Prelude - The Creation of Hyrule" to the imposing "Boss Battle Medley," these tunes are sure to conjure images of the moments they accompanied, and the feelings players got when first experiencing them. Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link to the Past each get their own medley movement, while the encore  (which the audience thunderously cheered for) covers Majora's Mask, "Dragon Roost Island," and Skyward Sword.

The music is balanced well, though the show's first half almost seems to overshadow its second; Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker have age-added fondness on top of their impeccable soundtracks, and while still fantastic, Twilight Princess and A Link to the Past have a harder time keeping up. The encore makes sure to close things on a high note, with a perfect performance of Majora's Mask's "Clock Town Theme" and Skyward Sword's "Ballad of the Goddesses," a tune likely to go down in Zelda history as one of the best.