D-frag (D): First and simple question: how you liked the concert yesterday?
Nobuo (U): Except for the long, long speech was all wonderful and perfect.
D: Oh yes, the speech was very long and very boring. [Note: Ministerial conductor Hans - Ernst Hanten gave a content inappropriate and far too long opening speech.]
U: To tell you the truth: I fell asleep.
D: Yes, many in the audience were asleep.
U: But up to this point, everything was perfect and has fully met my expectations.
D: I had read an interview that you are pleased to have "My Dancing Mad" performed live on the organ of the Gewandhaus to hear. Was it as you had hoped?
U: Yes, I just noticed that maybe something in the arrangement has not quite fit. As the organ played her solo, I could a few small mistakes hear.
D: Okay, there were a few mistakes, but it was still great, right?
U: Yes. We have "Mad Dancing" once with the Black Mages [Note: the rock band of Mr. Uematsu], so I know how difficult and complex this fast part to play, just because I had the practical experience. I have very carefully belongs, and the mistakes are exactly happened, where I thought they had me, because it is so difficult to play. Because I know many details, I could hear those little things, but the person next to me was very touched, and it felt great.
D: So you have these mistakes?
U: Yes. (Laughing)
D: And the lady had indeed still running up and down! [Note: Soloist Daniela Kosinova played on the organ gallery, as well as piano and wings on the stage and had therefore many often quickly overcome altitude meter.]
The opening concert of the Games Convention 2003 was the first games symphonic music concert outside of Japan. Why, Japan was the first country in which game music concerts took place, what do you think?
U: There are the productions that Nintendo is responsible for and, second, that the Japanese games is a long cultural tradition. As far as I know, the game Dragon Quest [Note: Dragon Warrior in the United States] was the first major explosion in terms of music triggered games, but this is probably in Europe is not so well known. The composer Koichi Sugiyama has relatively simple music, classical music is similar. That is why it was possible, his music to orchestrate games and perform in a concert.
In Japan, people prefer to play the role-playing as an action games, and role-playing games can be rather dramatic, emotional music composing. That's why were in Japan rather emotional, wrote, just beautiful pieces of music composed for games, which are easier to be played in concerts.
D: What is your view, the main purpose of symphonic music concerts games like this?
U: Quite simply, to all the fans something to offer, which they want to listen to music and to the attention of the children. Even classical orchestral music is not as popular as before, but perhaps we can through music games again more young people to inspire orchestral music.
D: Game music has existed very long in the industry. What has changed since your first composed game music?
U: As you might have guessed, back then my first game have only three audio channels for which they had to compose, and now you can get it all into a computer, so the audience the same quality as played by live listen to music.
D: Which projects are you working on at the moment?
U: Currently I am working on a game called Lost Odyssey for the Xbox 360.
D: You also play in a rock band. Are there plans for a show in Europe soon?
U: Whoever wants to get in toch with me and invite us, we would be very happy at any time!
D: Thomas! [Thomas Böcker, concert organizer, will be involuntarily involved in the conversation.] How about? The concert is sold out. So if you really interested in this?
U: From the United States and from Taiwan, there were already questions, but unfortunately there are four of the six band members employed, so the timing is difficult.
D: You used to write articles for the magazine Famitsu weekly. Do you still write today? or do you have a weblog?
U: Since I started working on "Blue Dragon", I have little time, so now I need a break. But I really like it, to write articles, so I would like to eventually write again.
D: I would read it.
U: But I am afraid that you could not read it.
D: Oh, he [Thomas Böcker] will translate it.
U: Thomas does everything. (Laughing)
D: Last question. I have read somewhere that you brew your own beer. Is that really true? Truth time!
U: That's quite a while ago. Prior to four or five years I have brewed themselves, yes. But due to the weather conditions in Japan, there is no constant temperatures and beer requires very stable conditions, it is perhaps in the spring and autumn. Moreover, it is hard to imagine all the time to deal with. Now that I have tried a couple of years, I have found a solution: I just go into a pub and professionals make it.
D: Because we are here in Germany, I thought it would be interesting to hear, because it is a beer country ...
U: Now, I have a question, yes because Germany has a beer culture: there are many people who brew their own beer?
D: Oh, I do not know. Some might do it, but I do not think so.
U: In Japan, some department stores sections explain how to brew beer yourself. But I know of no one except me that have tried.
D: I also knows nobody else brewing their own beer, probably because there is so much beer that you don't need to brew your own.
U: But if beer so well known in Germany is why the people are not interested in how it is brewed?
D: I once read somewhere how to make beer, but it is rather unusual.
U: And beer is made from the same ingredients as bread is made.
D: Yes, in German, one says, "liquid bread."
U: If you love beer, it should be in my opinion, at times, which brew itself.
D: I will try it sometime.
U: Invite me please?
D: I would be very happy to! Now we have nice weather, you have already seen some of Leipzig?
U: This is my third visit to Leipzig, and today I was back in the Thomas Church. There is a gentlemen playing the organ ...
D: ... the famous organ ...
U: I wish that this gentleman would played "Dancing Mad" to me once.
D: I fear that this gentleman only plays pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach.
U: Yes, that's right/
[At this point Nobuo Uematsu and translator Kanako are both giggling. Maybe about me! Who knows!]
D: Thank you for this interview.
