Editorial Product Review:Amazon.com essential video:Groundbreaking on several counts, not the least of which was an innovative use of animation and stereophonic sound, this ambitious Disney feature has lost nothing to time since its release in 1940. Classical music was interpreted by Disney animators, resulting in surreal fantasy and playful escapism. Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra provided the music for eight segments by the composers Tchaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Ponchielli, Bach, Dukas, and Schubert. Not all the sequences were created equally, but a few are simply glorious, such as 'Night on Bald Mountain,' 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' and 'The Nutcracker Suite.' The animation ranges from subtly delicate to fiercely bold. The screen bursts with color and action as creatures transmute and convention is thrust aside. The painstaking detail and saturated hues are unique to this film, unmatched even by more advanced technology.
--Rochelle O'Gorman
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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Disney's Greatest Film
I have to admit, I'm an avid listener of classical music. So it's a small wonder why Disney's Fantasia is one of my favorite films. Every music sequence is pure gold (except maybe the Pastoral sequence).
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach = My second favorite sequence, it is a mixture of abstract colors & images, live action orchestral playing, and Stokowski's acclaimed orchestration of Bach's organ music.
Nutcracker Suite by Peter Illich Tchaikovsky = Although I'm not a fan of Tchaikovsky's ballet music, this one is very good and entertaining. The dancing of the fairies and flowers and mushrooms make for a heck of a good time for the whole family.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas = This is probably the most exciting rendition of Dukas's masterpiece I've ever heard (even though a few minutes of music has been cut out of it). Mickey the apprentice dreams of being a powerful sorcerer, so he dons the hat of his master, and lets loose his magic. But, of course, no one controls literally everything that is created . . .
Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) by Igor Stravinsky = This is my 3rd favorite out of all of them for two reasons. One is that Stravinsky is one of my all-time favorite composers, and two, The Rite of Spring is one of my all-time favorite pieces. Too bad that a mere ten minutes has been cut in order to save time. Dinosaurs, volcanoes, and earthquakes do seem to fit Stravinsky's music a bit, that I can tell you.
Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" by Ludwig van Beethoven = This is probably the weakest of all the sequences. It's too cartoony, too bombastic, too cheery, and to many minutes of music have been cut out sadly. The storm scene is a nice touch, though.
Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli = Gorgeous and downright hilarious. If you don't think hippo and ostrich ballet dancers is funny, then something is wrong with you.
A Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky/Ave Maria by Franz Schubert = Ah yes. My No. 1 favorite out of all of them. This didn't scare me as a kid for some reason. Chernobog is as creepy as The Horned King from "The Black Cauldron", and the demonic and ghostly dancing was (and still is) way ahead of its time. The last five minutes is beautiful and ethereal = they don't make them like they used to.
Grade: A
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Great DVD but Bad Price
This is a great dvd but the price is nothing I would pay again for a musical that old.
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beachhut
I never received the CD of FANTASIA and cannot make a review on this item, but would like to say that I would to hear from Beachhut if they plan to send it or cancel it???? Waiting this long to hear anything is unsatisfactory.
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first exposure to classical music
I think I have loved this film since I can remember, from my parent's old video tape to my current DVD. I'm a little sad that it never became truly the evolving work Disney dreamed, but this is still a wondrous collection of music and artwork--all done without the aid of computers. I think this was also my first dive into fantasy, what with the fairies and centaurs and all. Therefore, this is certainly a favorite I cannot do without, whether I'm truly studying it or just slipping it in to play in the background.
