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GameMusic.net: How do you distinguish the pieces suitable for live performances from the ones that are simply inappropriate for such an event? It seems like you abstain from arranging Yasunori Mitsuda’s celtic compositions, like those from the Xenogears soundtrack. When determining which pieces to arrange, do you look for any specific features?
Arnie Roth: Final Fantasy fans are so devoted to the music of Final Fantasy. It’s really kind of different than a lot of the other games, I think. For instance, Halo fans might not be so devoted to the music of that game, it just isn’t something those fans continually seek out. That’s my personal observation. Maybe with Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger too, people really go after Mitsuda and his music. But anyway, when you deal only with Final Fantasy, there is such a huge volume of material to pick and choose from. I talk to one set of people, and they say “You must do this!” and when I talk to another group, they say “You must do that!”. That’s why we decided to narrow it down just to battle music, and let people vote among 5 tracks at our official site. This is how they picked “J-E-N-O-V-A” and “Dancing Mad”.  I don’t think you’re right about us trying to exclude something purposely. With Final Fantasy, we’re overwhelmed with the volume of things to choose from. We’d love to introduce new arrangements to the concerts, and in the next year, we’re introducing 12 to 15 new pieces. Some of them were played in Japan on the Tour de Japon, and never were performed at any other concerts. Uematsu is pushing us to do more new arrangements, so the tour will keep evolving. We’d really like to get to Europe more often. People are writing us all the time, asking us to “come to London” or “come to Paris”, but we haven’t found the right connections with orchestras and presenters to do this.

Nobuo Uematsu and Arnie Roth on Distant Worlds concertNobuo Uematsu and Arnie Roth on Distant Worlds concert

As for Mitsuda, he is the only other person I hear mentioned often. If there’s anything else that’s similar to the Final Fantasy series, in terms of its devoted fan base, it’s Mitsuda’s music. It’s one thing to be devoted to the game, but these people really seek out his music for the concert stage. Doing Final Fantasy has been a unique experience that way. I always tell people: we have visuals on stage at Distant Worlds concerts, but it’s not important. The fans are not there for that. All the presenters and promoters think that visuals attract them the most – that’s not true. That’s eye-candy and fun, but in reality, people come to hear good music. That’s the right reason to be at the concert.

GameMusic.net: Distant Worlds gave you the opportunity to prove yourself as a producer. How was that experience? 
Arnie Roth: I’m most happy that the opportunity to produce the Distant Worlds came up after having already worked as music director and conductor of many other concerts and tours, including the other concerts based on video game music such as Dear Friends, More Friends, Voices and PLAY!. All of these, and of course, my work with Mannheim Steamroller, Diana Ross, Andrea Bocelli, Charlotte Church, Rod Stewart, Peter Cetera, Il Divo and many others certainly all contributed to being able to put together the Distant Worlds tour, which is of course ongoing, and is giving us such great concert opportunities all over the world with the very best orchestras possible.