Music Review: NieR Orchestra Concert 12024 [the end of data]

I am a huge fan of the Nier series. I was first introduced to it around December of 2016. This was  a very rough period of my life: I had dropped out of art school, moved back home, and was extremely overwhelmed by my diabetes. I was very depressed, nihilistic, and regularly pondering whether being dead would be preferable to the hell they my life was at the time. I wasn't drawing, wasn't hanging out with friends, basically the only thing I was doing was playing video games and hoping that some day thing would somehow just get even a little bit better. 

Someone encouraged me to download a demo for Nier Automata, a game I had never heard of for a series I had never heard of. The demo intrigued me enough that I picked up the full game when it released in March 2017. And it became a comfort game for me during this dark period of my life. For as depressing and nihilistic of a game as it is, thinking about it makes me feel so warm. It was one of a handful of matches I had while stranded in a dark, frozen forest.  A few years later I was also able to play Nier Replicant thanks to its PS4 remaster. 

The Nier games are revered for a variety of reasons, such as for both their stories and for Automata's gameplay. However, I think most fans would agree that their incredible music, courtesy of composer Keiichi Okabe, is what really earns the series the reputation and respect that it has. The series has had multiple concerts over the years to celebrate this, but it wasn't until the very end of its tour that it finally came somewhere close to me. 

That's how a friend, my brother, and I ended up spending a weekend in NYC to see the concert's final performance at the esteemed Carnegie Hall. However, that wasn't before we shopped til we literally dropped (our stuff). The Nintendo NYC bags don't hold up well in the rain and we ended up picking up a pile of spilled plushies off a busy, dirty, and wet street corner.  There was also a Nier art gallery and pop-up shop at the Japan Society that we swung by.

But I'm not writing this to walk about my expertise in wasting money! I I'm here to rave about the absolutely wonderful performance we saw at Carnegie Hall. Breathtaking. Tearjerking. Mesmerizing. None of those words come even close to accurately describing the experience. I don't think there even are words to describe it. But I am going to try my best!

The concert took place in Carnegie's largest hall, the Stern Auditorium / Perelmen Stage. It was gorgeous! Our seats were in the first (lower) balcony relatively close to the stage. Unfortunately we were in the middle row, but despite that we still had a very clear view of the stage. If I had wanted front row seats, I would have had to get tickets for a balcony much further back in the hall.  Seating was a bit cramped but was still better than what the ground floor had to deal with. The concert was completely sold out and the floor seats looks nightmarishly packed.

Most of the major players in Nier's history were present: composer Keiichi Okabe, director Yosuke Saito, vocalists Emi Evans and J'Nique Nicole, and of course the motherfucking man, the myth, the legend himself Yoko Taro. Conducting the orchestra was Eric Roth. He has a history with game orchestras, most notably for that of Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds. The only notable absences were 2B and 9S' voice actors, neither the English nor Japanese were present. 

Taro didn't actually appear until the very end of the concert, but when he did it was hilarious. The rest of the crew was dressed up formally while he walked onto the stage wearing his mask, an I HEART NY hoodie, baggy sweatpants, and sneakers. There is also a post on Reddit from someone who was unknowingly sitting behind him the entire concert, as he didn't put on his mask until the end. All of the sudden, this person sees Taro pull out his mask, put it on, and get escorted to the stage by Saito. I wonder how it feels to see the face of a god. 

It was interesting how the song order was determined. Between each song, we were played bits and pieces of a story narrated by 2B and 9S. The songs were played to accompany story beats and set the mood for different scenes, and so as each scene unfolded you got a bit of a feeling for what song, or at least type of song, would be performed next. 

The story begins sometime after the destruction of the Bunker and the dissolution of YoRHa in Nier Automata. The recording references 2B's infection and death as seen in Automata, but somehow she is alive here. There's no mention of A2, and 9S seems to be sane and not spiraling into a psychotic depression. Due to the conflicting cocktail of events I'm really not sure when exactly this takes place.  But with the Bunker's destruction being the catalyst here, the concert fittingly opens with "Crumbling Lies". The orchestra's chorus and strings do an excellent job of capturing the piece's impending sense of doom. What a way to start the show! 

With no operators or commander to answer to, 2B and 9S begin wandering the world. Their journey opens with "City Ruins". The melody is initially carried by a clarinet before switching to the violin for B section. The switch here is well planned. The A section has less variability in pitch and is overall somewhat calmer than the B section. The B section, meanwhile, holds the piece's highest notes, its literal apex. The violin gracefully glides up to this register while its vibrato almost, for lack of a better word, shimmers. In the OST, the choir carries the B section. In my opinion, the violin captures far more facets of the human voice than the clarinet could. And that makes the B section so wonderful. 

Rather than returning to the clarinet for the following A section, the choir picks up the melody. Interestingly, it is noticeably lower pitched that the choir from the OST version of the song. It provides a nice contrast against the higher pitch of the instruments proceeding it as well as the piano accompanying it.

 I don't know for sure whether the deeper pitch was an intentional artistic choice or simply due to the availability of singers. Seeing as this show was a high quality production, in New York City, at as prestigious a venue as Carnegie Hall, I have my doubts that there would have been difficulties getting the needed singers. It's my opinion, then, that the lower pitch was deliberate. It does, in a way, set the tone for the story that unfolds. 

2B's black box is damaged. Her days are numbered. And since the Bunker is destroyed, her consciousness can't be uploaded to a new body when she dies.  Both her and 9S are aware of the damage, but neither of them tell each other that they know for fear of the anguish it will cause the other. The only way she can survive is if 9S repairs her, but he has none of the needed materials and has no idea where to find them.

And while the lower pitch of "City Ruins'" choir helps subtly introduce 2B's dire straits, "Snow in Summer" hammers them in. There is no denying it: the seeming tranquility and peace of the "City Ruins" are a facade. "Snow in Summer's" other-worldly choir shows us what they really are: loneliness and isolation. 2B and 9S aren't enjoying a life free of orders and duty, they are struggling to survive in a world without their old safety net and, for a 9S, a world that he now knows is basically meaningless. The choir is so chilling here. Absolutely ethereal.

Following "Snow in Summer", Nicole and Evans finally make their appearances. The crowd goes absolutely wild. We begin to hear callbacks to the old world. "Song of the Ancients" starts with Devola's calm and serene version from the original Nier. I was absolutely expecting this specific version to make an appearance. What I was not expecting, however, was how beautiful Evans' voice would be. She is gentle, as if she holds her voice and lungs on a leash. If a voice could swaddle a baby, it would be hers to do so. And her body language here just as motherly and delicate. It reminded me of a ballerina. 

Yet, despite the restraint she appears to demonstrate, her voice is still so full and lively. It is one thing to hear it in the OST's recording where she is singing in studio-engineered conditions and where post-production can smooth out rough edges. But to hear this live, without all those luxuries, is a testament to Evans' sheer talent. 

I would have been content to just here this specific version of "Song of the Ancients". However, halfway through, a powerful strong backbeat roars to life and the orchestra transitions to the Fate version. At this point Nicole also joins in, her voice powerful and soulful. It is a perfect foil to Evans' gentleness. "Song of the Ancients", regardless of the particular arrangement, is undoubtedly Evans' song. I don't believe any of the OST arrangements actually even feature Nicole, and so hearing her collaborate with Evans here is an absolute treat. My eyes were tearing up. 

Following "Song of the Ancients" is "Amusement Park". The first half of the song is instrumental and carried by the clarinet and violin. It's very charming and definitely elevates the original song. Besides the lead instruments though, a lot of that charm is also due to the ornaments. It's packed with lots of trills and frills from the flute to provide that bit of whimsical carnival flare. Meanwhile, in the chorus, the violin is delightfully dramatic. 

During the second half, the choir joins in. And honestly, while they sound great, they don't do proper justice to the original. The original song is an Evans solo with no choir to be heard. And, in her solo, Evans sounds lost, lonely, and melancholic. Her dainty voice fits the mood perfectly. On the other hand, the choir is just too powerful and deep. It gives the song a grand feeling that it is not supposed to have.

It's almost as if this performance changes the perspective of the listener: Evans makes you feel like an impoverished child whose parents, in the middle of the Great Depression, somehow scraped together a few coins to take you to a clearly run-down circus. The choir makes you feel like the egotistical ring master who is eager to prey on a poor family's desperate desire for just a taste of fun. The arrangement isn't bad by any means- it is still without a doubt excellent. I just prefer Evans' vibes more. 

Eventually, 2B and 9S come upon records of the events of the original Nier. At this point the orchestra eases into "Ultimate Weapon". It is, in my opinion, not the most memorable selection. I actually didn't recognize it during the performance and I thought it might have been a song from an optional quest or something else that I missed. But nope, it plays when you visit Emil's mansion. I am just a dumbass. 

Anyways though, I prefer this version to the OST version! The choir is swapped for a violin, making it more tragic than eerie. And with how sad of a backstory Emil has, I think that's very appropriate. The violin's vibrato is especially heart-breaking; it is the musical embodiment of the point at which someone curls their lips, grits their teeth, and tries very hard not to cry. Eventually the clarinet joins in and takes over the melody, which provides a nice transition to "Deep Crimson Foe".  Here we are treated to an intimidating chorus. Perfectly fitting for the monstrosity that the song represents. 

Next up is "Gods Bound By Rules". The hint of brass in the beginning provides a feeling of grandeur before the cellos get some much deserved spotlight. Seriously. As much as I adore the violin, throughout the concert it tends to hog the spotlight from the other strings. We also get a flurry of marimba (?) strikes to raise the stakes before the god (choir) itself finally makes an appearance. It is powerful. It does not mess around. 

The highlight of this section, however, comes with "Shadowlord". It is easily my favorite song from the original Nier and probably within my top 20 video game songs overall. I was frothing at the mouth to hear it.  Before the concert started, I jokingly threatened to my friend that I was going to kill myself if they didn't perform it. As soon as I heard the opening notes, I looked over to my brother and friend with a deranged, toothy smile and two thumbs up. 

Interestingly though, it is performed entirely without the choir. Instead, the main melody is carried by the brass section. It is somber, no doubt, but in my opinion the song's tone depends on the vocals present in the original. "Shadowlord" is a desperate piece. It is sadness and fury incarnate. It is the song of a man who will stop at nothing to save his sister yet who is currently standing on the precipice between salvation and disaster. The brass is lovely, but it just sounds a bit too calm. The choir would have brought that extra layer of anguish and turmoil. 

Despite my gripe, though, the brass does offer a different perspective for the song. It's very noble. There is not a hint of malice in it.  For all of the Shadowlord's suffering that the original's choir conveys, it doesn't establish whether he is an anguished hero or an anguished villain. The brass, on the other hand, makes his nature very apparent. He loves his sister and wants to get her body back (that is rightfully hers) to save her. That is ALL he wants in this world. He is undoubtedly a hero while Nier has, mostly unwittingly, been the villain.  

So you know what? I sort of take back my gripe. Yes, the choir brings vibes that the brass doesn't, but the reverse is true as well. It's cool to explore the different facets of a character's personality with music, especially when each facet uses the same musical composition. 

Eventually, though, we return to the present as 2B and 9S continue to explore to the backdrop of "Copied City". This is a piece from Automata's soundtrack that I have never been particularly fond of. It's fine, still a perfectly good piece. But it's never made my heart skip beats or taken my breath away. Seeing it live, however, gave me a bit more appreciation. 

"Copied City" and "Snow in Summer" have always felt like parallels to me. They both use a foreboding choir to usher characters into new, bewildering situations. However, "Copied City's" choir can't stand on its own the way "Snow in Summer's" can. Hearing it in concert felt like the first time I was hearing it with the full, instrumental backbone that it needs. The violins glide through these shrill, piercing vibratos that just endlessly bounce around the hall. It felt like the musical employment of a finishing attack where someone gets locked into a position and get rapid-fire slashed as their opponent hacks away at them from every possible angle. As the white dust of the city settles, the orchestra moves back in time. 

Similar to "Shadowlord", "Emil's Sacrifice" is (initially) given the instrumental treatment. His theme shares a sad undertone with "Shadowlord", however, there is a split in the type of sadness. "Shadowlord's" is defiant and distraught while "Emil's" is accepting and yearning. The strings here really elevate the piece beyond the original's emotional scope. While the vocals of the original stray more toward the yearning end of the spectrum, the cello favors the feeling of acceptance. Eventually the orchestra transitions to "Emil's Despair" as the choir joins in. 

At this point in their journey, 2B and 9S are exploring a top-secret area stocked with the newest YoRHa technology. It wouldn't be a proper journey without an ambush though. The concert reaches its peak as we are treated to a godly performance of "A Beautiful Song". 

Just as machine life forms burst through the ceiling of the compound, the brass bursts through the quiet and kicks off the song, trading the eerie intimidation of the original's choir for aggressive intimidation. Evans' voice here is angelic and her posture almost beckoning and tempting. The blending of her allure and the fervor of this being a battle song give it this femme fatale identity that isn't necessarily present in the original.

Evans sets up a great foil for Nichole to contrast against. Nichole's voice is so innocent here. While Evans invites you to join the battlefield knowing you will likely die there, Nichole pleads for you to take her away.  "A Beautiful Song" was easily my favorite piece of the night. From the second the brass broke free of its restraints, my mouth was agape and my heart quivering. Every minute detail was so masterfully executed, drenched in both glamor and ferocity. You know how they put warnings on roller coasters saying that people with heart conditions shouldn't ride them? Well they should have put out a warning like that for this concert. Because if I had atrial fibrillation or some other arrhythmia, I probably would have died. Carnegie Hall does not allow recordings of performances, but here is one from the tour in Berlin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDWhNb7Cvc98Q&v=WhNb7Cvc98Q

After the intensity of "A Beautiful Song", the orchestra mellows out with "Forest Kingdom". It is a relaxing break from the previous chaos. Things don't stay peaceful for long though as it blends into "Possessed by Disease". I was pleasantly surprised to hear this performed. It is, in my opinion, one of Automata's most underrated songs. I never heard people talk about it. The opening viola sounds excellent- it has a touch of grime and unease. It feels like the musicians purposefully, just barely nick an adjacent string as they transition between strings.

The highlight of the song is the violin though, stepping in for the game versions' chorus. A bit of unease is lost here- the choir in the original version sounds hysteric, as if succumbing to the disease themselves. However, in exchange, the violin grants a greater sense of urgency, as if little more than a few bowings (breaths) could infect hundreds of thousands more. This is creating a "Shadowlord" type situation again, in which two mediums highlight different aspects of something. Now, instead of highlighting parts of someone's personality, they are highlighting different facets of epidemiology: the violin for morbidity and the chorus for mortality.

The orchestra comes down from its high as "Fleeting Words" begins. Evans performs here without Nicole and the orchestra takes advantage of this. The entire instrumentation is modeled around her with softness and silkiness. There is a noticeable emphasis on a harp that otherwise makes very limited appearance throughout the concert. Evans' voice and the orchestra combined to make something so floaty and airy and scarcely attached to the earth. It makes me think of when you are spraying a can of whipped cream into your own mouth and you get an occasional burst of air without any cream. This dreamy haze doesn't last though as Evans steps back for a frightening choir and a stronger backbeat. At this point in the concert, the transition from the calmer version of a song to the more intense version has become a trend. Yet this does prove to be the most intense transition so far.

And they energy carries over into "The Dark Colossus Destroys All". This has to have been my second most anticipated song for the concert. While "Shadowlord" is a divine exercise in angst, "The Dark Colossus Destroys All" is pure might. It plays no tricks, it keeps no secrets, its one and only goal is to overwhelm you with the sheer force of the monster facing you. Whether it is Replicant's or Automata's version, this song never fails to send chills down my spine.

One of my favorite parts of its performance is the drums. Most of the pieces featured lose a bit of their percussive force during their arrangement for the concert. For some pieces, their soundtrack arrangements feature synth percussion and so perhaps the decision was made to not replicate them with any instruments. This can be heard in "A Beautiful Song". For others, such as "Shadowlord", I am thinking that the drums may have been toned down for fear of them overwhelming the melody.

But "The Dark Colossus Destroys All" pulls no punches. The drums are a beastly, thundering heartbeat here. Like if they were an actual heartbeat, you would be having a hypertensive emergency and your nurse would be checking your blood pressure a second time to make sure their first reading was actually correct. And the brass and strings synergize so well. For most of the pieces, one group clearly carries the performance and dominates over the other. Here, however, they are co-stars. There is even some gorgeous accompaniment from the woodwinds. This easily takes the spot for my second favorite performance of the night. Below is a recording from the tour's Berlin show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDtCu1OdCt4Us&v=tCu1OdCt4Us

Our protagonists' stakes grow more dire as "The Sound of the End" begins. It easily captures the original pieces' sense of urgency while also granting listeners a short reprieve with a break from the drums. 2B and 9S fight continue to fight onward to the backdrop of "Bipolar Nightmare" before the orchestra screeches to a halt with "Mourning". The parallels the screeching halt in the pair's journey as they make a gruesome discovery: a church, littered with the corpses of other YoRHa members who spent their last moments wishing for a God whose feet they could grovel at.

Similar to "Possessed by a Disease", "Mourning" is not a song that I expected to hear. It was perhaps even more unexpected. It plays during a few optional missions in Automata, but I cannot recall it playing in any mandatory missions. It also gets virtually zero discussion amongst fans. For all the discussion I have read and heard of the series' soundtrack, I genuinely cannot remember someone ever mentioning it.

A bit unique amongst most of the songs played is that there is no break between "Bipolar Nightmare" and "Mourning" - they flow into each other. The drop in tempo is jarring, but in a weirdly wonderful way, as it matches the equally jarring change in atmosphere between story bits. One minute 2B and 9S are fighting machines to the furious backdrop of "Bipolar Nightmare" only for them to then stumble into a church littered with corpses. All of the transitions up until this point have been the reverse direction, ramping up from slow and calm paced to furious ones. It is fun to hear this trend flipped around. Out of all the songs featured in the concert, I think these two songs are the best pair possible for creating such a feeling of contrast.

The orchestra's performance of "Mourning" is very faithful to Okabe's original arrangement- beginning solely with the choir's upper register before refraining with its deeper voices. Eventually it transitions to a strings solo. This perfectly reflects 2B and 9S' reactions to the scene- the choir is far more eerie, emphasizing their initial shock and horror at the sight of so many corpses. The strings, meanwhile, abandon the attempt at terror. They create a feeling of drowning sadness that only comes after 2B and 9S get over the initial shock and realize that their situation is hopeless. The two came this far in hopes of finding the supplies needed to repair 2B's black box and save her life. Instead, they find countless other YoRHa members who failed to achieve the exact same goal.

So of course, 2B dies. 9S is devastated and starts bargaining with their non-existent God to save her. Evan and Nicole reappear on stage to rub in the tragedy with "Ashes of Dreams". We already had an oppressively sad piece with "Mourning" while "Ashes of Dreams" takes a more reflective position. Evans is characteristically quaint here, but even Nicole is reserved as well. You can feel and hear her actively restraining her voice, as if she wants to bawl but is trying her best to hold it together. This piece was written long before Nicole's involvement in the series and so was originally an Evans' solo. This arrangement with the normally full Nicole so meek and mild is an excellent twist and perfectly fitting for the story.

Yet, for as much as Taro takes delight in torturing his characters, he shows a shred of mercy here. 2B is miraculously revived by a resonance between the black boxes of the deceased YoRHa members. Or something like that. He wanted to kill 2B for a tragic story beat but clearly didn't want her to stay dead, so he connived some reason for her to be alive again. As this particular adventure concludes, the orchestra ends with "Weight of the World". It is a fitting finale and the one I was absolutely expecting. Nicole is absolutely spectacular here. Her voice drips with passion and soul.

It also helps to know her background with the song: when she was originally hired to sing it for Automata's soundtrack, it had neither a name nor any lyrics at that point. She crafted the lyrics from her own struggles and experiences as a black woman. Listeners latched onto the lyrics "Weight of the World", unintentionally giving the song its name.

On her social media accounts, Nicole has also mentioned multiple times how one of her dreams is to perform at Carnegie Hall. Hearing her live performance, combined with the knowledge that this song came from the depths of her heart and the desire to sing here came from the depths of her dreams, it is beautiful to witness. I just wish though that Nicole was given this piece as a solo performance. Instead, it is a duet with Evans. But "Weight of the World" is Nicole's song. It has her life poured into it. And it has been sculpted around her full, booming voice. Its lyrics and heart fall loosely around Evans' delicate vocals, like a dress around someone who is two sizes too small. I've made it very evident that Evans is a wonderful singer, but I really do wish this song had been reserved just for Nicole.

I legitimately thought the concert was done at this point because in my head there was no other song they could end with besides "Weight of the World". I was proven wrong, though, as we were treated to an encore with "Inori" and *Kaine's Salvation". "Inori" is from the Nier Reincarnation mobile game which I have not played. It was a completely new and unfamiliar song for me.

The concert's true ending then comes with "Kaine's Salvation" and Kaine's Escape". "Salvation" mostly highlights Evans' vocals while "Escape" places much more emphasis on the quick strings. It is, perhaps, a more fitting end to 9S and 2B's story than "Weight of the World". The strings, rather than sounding urgent, are upbeat and spirited. On one hand, 2B and 9S have suffered great losses: their base of operations, their comrades, and their sense of purpose are all gone. They were brought into this life specifically for those purposes.

But "Kaine's Escape" sounds so upbeat and optimistic, almost unconcerned. It reminds me of the final line of ending E in Automata: "A future is not given to you. It is something you must take for yourself." A purpose is no different. And what greater joy is there in life than finding it? Throughout the course of Automata, both the androids and machine lifeforms express great respect toward humanity and go to great lengths to mimic it. And only by having their whole human-worshiping organization collapse around them are 2B and 9S finally given the chance to pursue this joy.

I really cannot properly put into words my enjoyment of the night's concert. Evans, Nicole, Roth, the whole orchestra, all of their performances were divine. While I did mention some gripes I had throughout this review, they did not stop the experience from being unforgettable.

I have the utmost respect for every form of the arts. But music, I think, is the purest form of it. And when performed in a venue with grand acoustics such as Carnegie's, it refracts much like light through a prism. Hearing every joy, every heartache, every fear, it is like getting to dissect a still-beating heart.

10/10

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Nier Orchestral Concert 12024 [ the end of data ] has concluded its international tour. No future Nier concerts have been announced at this time.

Nier Replicant is available for purchase on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It carries an ESRB rating of M for Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence.

Nier Automata is available for purchase on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It carries an ESRB rating of M for Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, and Violence.

Nier Reincarnation ended its services in 2024 and is no longer available to play.