Games
Revisiting the iconic Red Dead Redemption 2 orchestral performance that stands as a landmark for the way music in video games is perceived.
A little over a year ago, the iconic composer Woody Jackson led an ensemble of musicians, engineers, and composers to give the live orchestral performance of selected pieces from the beloved Red Dead Redemption 2’s original score.
Today we revisited the show through a published video on YouTube to relive the performance that stands as a landmark for the way music in video games is perceived.
The Immersive Atmosphere
The 56-minute selection of music from the original score was interwoven with subtle visual elements - rhythmic lighting and projected scenes from the video game itself - making the performance a truly unique experience.
Mxdwn writes, "Bursts of red and purple lights filled the studio with dynamic energy and fog machines at the back provided a mysterious and beautiful touch."
The energy from the scenes seemed befitting to the experience of the game itself. You don’t just play Red Dead Redemption 2, you live in it - fully immersed in the experience of being an outlaw in the Wild West. And in this spirit, the orchestra moved through each track with the same intensity coupled with dramatic shifts and haunting, almost sinister undertones.
Stepping into the Goya Studios in Los Angeles, CA, you could almost expect to be treated this way, yet you would be surprised how beautifully the performers managed to delineate it.
Bending the Norm
The popular association of music in video games is with computerized monotone sounds that accompany classic Sega titles’ nostalgia.
Modern day video game music has become a huge part of title’s atmosphere and Woody has managed to create perfect scores time after time for his many endeavors with Rockstar Games, namely Grand Theft Audio, L.A. Noire, and the Red Dead Redemption series.
In the words of legendary composer and musician Frank Zappa, “without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
Woody is a revolutionary when it comes to video game music; his expansive 80-hour score for Red Dead Redemption 2 is a mere testament to the fact.
Hiraeth Beckons
The essence of life is in its spontaneity and it is imbued with anticipation. The word anticipation has a metaphysical flavor to it because it seeks to describe what cannot be truly known.
The whole business of art is to invoke emotions which cannot be portrayed by everyday consciousness and has a certain waywardness to it.
This whimsical attitude transpired into each song.
You don’t just play Red Dead Redemption 2, you live in it!
The exuberance of Woody’s music had an undercurrent of gloom and both these components played against each other beautifully to shape the performance.
The first track “Blessed are the Peacemakers” begins with arpeggios played on a classical guitar by Woody and soon the orchestra follows along with the enchanting voice of Petra Haden, ever so subtly increasing in intensity. The stage is dimly lit by blue lighting, complementing the calm atmosphere created by the music.
Petra Hayden, singer and violinist who has worked with artists like Beck, Sunn O))), and The Decemberist, was one of the many prolific artists on stage.
Jackson was also joined by experimental Indonesian duo Senyawa who made their appearance right after “Lost and Not Quite Found” for a stellar solo.
As the ambient sound of “Lost and Not Quite Found” faded into silence, the glimmering blue light shunned and in the hollow darkness, the growling vocals of Shabara - Senwaya’s frontman - emerged. In the faint light that engulfed the fog, Wukir Suryadi started plucking notes on his self-built instrument.
You are now in the jungle, away from civilization and at the mercy of Senyawa and the orchestra. So far it's all familiar, the sky's still blue and the leaves are still green. The tempo rises, your heart beats faster in anticipation.
Woody sits there smiling, teetering under a yellow light. Shabara’s growls meander through the sound of metal scraping. ”Paradise Mercifully Departed” begins and the stage turns blood red. Shabara begins chanting and soon the orchestra follows, rising dramatically until it abruptly dissolves into the blissful groove of “A Rage Unleashed”.
If you take a microscopic view, the peculiar, avant-garde music will sound disorderly. Yet in the macrocosm, at a higher level of magnification, it made absolute sense - you could almost find tranquility in it.
Woody rips out a groovy guitar solo accompanied by a rumbling bass, the woodwind section, booming horns, and thunderous drumming of Jon Theodore.
Jon Theodore, formerly the drummer of The Mars Volta, was elemental to the whole show. He, along with the percussionists, adapted tremendously well to the varying sounds of each track.
Colin Stetson’s bass saxophone solo came bursting with passion and unrivaled energy. Totally immersed in the music under flickering lights, Stenson captivated the audience in a performance that might as well be called the highlight of the show.
An Epic Finale
As for a fitting finale to the journey, Petra Hayden and Senyawa returned to the stage to perform “Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern.” Hiraeth beckoned as Hayden’s poignant highs and Shabara’s stirring lows meshed together to fill the studio with a melancholia that symbolizes Arthur - the protagonist of the video game - meeting his end with grace.
As we revisit the awe-inspiring work of Woody Jackson and his troop, the words of the illustrious British philosopher, Alan Watts, echo in our ears that in its essence music is not serious, yet it is sincere.
The performers took you through this passionate display of auditory and visual journey with the aforementioned sincerity; immersed in the music, they tapped their feet, smiled and glanced at each other from time to time, embodying the non-duality of the player and what’s being played.
If you’re feeling a little left out, watch the full length concert here.
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