Castlevania themes played on massive pipe organ
by Justin McElroy 
{ Apr 4th 2007 at 10:54AM }
Add this to your list of things you never knew you needed to see: The music of Castlevania played on a three-story pipe organ.
The video was taken during a Video Games Live performance at Yale's Woolsey Hall this past weekend. The century-old organ is apparently famous ... if, you know, you're a pipe organ aficionado. Oh, who are we kidding? Attempting to be cynical in the face of something this rad is pretty futile.
That being said, check out the guy unable to keep himself from applauding at 28 seconds in when he realizes what's going on. Don't laugh too hard though; wouldn't we all do the same?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeremy @ Apr 4th 2007 11:18AM
Freakin' awesome.
Daniel @ Apr 4th 2007 11:25AM
Now I've got the level 1's theme from Castievania 3 stuck in my head. Again.
Thanks, Joystiq!
Joshua @ Apr 4th 2007 11:42AM
I don't have the direct link (youtube is blocked here at work) but check out user FatherMatthew on YouTube. He has a post where he plays the theme to Super Mario Brothers on the Church's bells. Not like handheld bells, but the type that are in the tower.
Kizzle @ Apr 4th 2007 11:43AM
Pretty neat. Nothing to flip out over. I've heard Castlevania's music done so many times in so many different ways now it has kind of lost the appeal.
"Check out the guy unable to keep himself from applauding at 28 seconds in when he realizes what's going on."
Yeah, he probably had a "moment" then as well. Loser.
Kevin @ Apr 4th 2007 11:51AM
I can't help but smile when I listen to stuff like this.
JGE @ Apr 4th 2007 1:07PM
I think that's Martin Leung, the video game pianast. Check him out at http://videogamepianist.com/ he plays all kinds of crazy stuff.
AP @ Apr 4th 2007 1:13PM
Its really pisses me off when people cheer or make noises during one of these things... The same crap happened when i went to the Dear Friend Concert for FF... I swear some people need to learn some respect and save your clapping, cheering and hollering till after the song's over... Otherwise you deserve a punch in the face...
Silver Gecko @ Apr 4th 2007 2:59PM
I couldn't agree more with AP. The performance was great, but there were times when the crowd would just start shouting and clapping when their favorite game came on the screen, it drowned out the performance of the orchestra. The Gaming Pianist is an amazing musician and he did a number or solo pieces for the crowd that night. I would highly recommend for everyone to go to one of these shows if they come near you. I would just hope other crowds respect the orchestra more and save their applause for after the song ends.
Hart704 @ Apr 4th 2007 3:05PM
Awesome as one would expect!
Dylan @ Apr 4th 2007 3:13PM
He kinda...... sucked.
This guy was better, I hope he does more some time
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5442182124751353607
benjamin @ Apr 4th 2007 3:46PM
It's impressive that he did all this, that's definitely true.
However, I can't help but to think that he really butchered a lot of the songs featured. If anything, he's playing *way* too fast. Many of CV's most famous songs come from having a very somber, paced timing to them. The way he plays them, it's like CV: Remixed, almost like K. Club albums that Konami put out awhile ago.
There's also several times that he totally misses the counter melody, and that makes the songs signifigantly less pleasant.
So good effort, but I must say I enjoyed the gentleman in the video Dylan linked to much more.
benjamin @ Apr 4th 2007 3:50PM
@AP's #7:
I think many of the people that'd attend a performance like that just aren't familiar with the etiquette that goes along with attending a performance of this type. A Metallica concert it is not.
Case in point, when I attended a performance of Phantom of the Opera, everyone there knew that it was only appropriate to clap once the lights went down on a scene or the curtains were drawn.
Contrast this with when I went to see Lion King recently and everyone would just go frigging NUTS at any given moment.
Ethan Long @ Apr 4th 2007 4:13PM
It was Martin Leung. I was in attendance that night. It was insane, they almost broke the organ trying to get it to work.
Pzychotix @ Apr 4th 2007 6:17PM
I agree... His performance was pretty poor.
There were quite a few mistakes. A lot of time he jumbles some notes, other times he flat out hits a wrong note, and even has his hands out of sync with each other later on. I'd expect more out of him, honestly.
Goldspire @ Apr 4th 2007 10:31PM
Pretty cool, the pianist could have been better. Regardless, I want to go to one of these Video Games Live concerts really really badly, damn.
Tacoman @ Apr 5th 2007 12:26PM
Too much Tommy Talarico for my tastes.
And those who say the performance "sucked" are more than welcome to upload videos playing their own video game themes arranged for piano/organ. I can wait all day.
cliffjeff @ Apr 5th 2007 3:41PM
I was there, and I thought the show and especially this performance totally rocked, though it did have its flaws. Martin Leung goes for speed over accuracy, which is cool as a novelty but when you're listening for a while, you want to hear good music, not fast music. I'm not sure he had any time to practice on this organ though so you have to cut him some slack. As for the people saying it was rude for the audience to clap at random moments - well, no one was more rude than Tommy Talarico himself... he was somewhat insensitive to a big guy in an audience participation bit early in the show, he sidelined the whole orchestra to give Martin Leung some more solo piano time, and he was showboating on his electric guitar for the closing number... if you're MCing a concert that's supposed to speak to video games as a mature art form, you ought to act mature yourself...