Review: Pacific Symphony Firebird (with visuals)

Firebird is one of the favorites in our family so we were excited to see it live at the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom hall. I didn't realize until after I got the tickets that it was going to have a "visual" element. A few years ago we saw the Planets at the Pacific Symphony with visual elements and it was decent.

The concert started with JOHN ADAMS: Short Ride in a Fast Machine which I had never heard. It was fun but not my favorite. Review: 3/4

Then Aubree Oliverson (her website is really nice) played Korngold's violin concerto. This was the highlight of the concert. She really seemed to enjoy playing and it sounded great. She also was up on the mezzanine level of the concert hall greeting people and taking selfies during intermission. I thought that was very nice of her. Review: 25/27

After the intermission the video screens were unfurled, all the lights were brought down, and the Firebird started. Immediately I was shocked by the video. I was expecting either live action ballet or abstract visualization animation. Instead we got uncanny valley video game art. Some people seem to think it is "AI slop" but I actually don't think it was generated by AI. It looked like Unreal engine characters with motion capture. The program credits "Fowler Amusement" as the creator of the visuals. Their website says they are based in Southern California (strangely the footer of their website says it was created with Love in India).

I realize it is a big ask to create a 45 minute animation of the Firebird. I imagine the budget to do it properly would run in the millions of dollars. What we got from the animation was distracting, unprofessional, and bizarre. The concert would have been better if they turned the lights on and turned the video off.

Firebird review: 2/15