Post by joplin4 on May 26, 2009 21:07:27 GMT -5
Disney's 3rd feature film took us to a concert hall. Leopold Stokowski conducts as Disney animators attempted to capture with a brush what some of the most famous composers tried to express through music. The film was divided into 7 pieces of music, each fitting into 3 categories: music that tells a story, music that paints a picture, and music that exists for its own sake.
1. The first segment featured music that exists for its own sake. Johann Sebastian Bach's "Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor" simply brought to the screen abstract images of rolling hills and colors.
2. Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" told a story in the ballet, but animator's changed the story to the changing of the seasons. My favorite scene here is the Russian flower dance.
3. Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" told a definite story about an apprentice who got himself in a lot of trouble when he tried to use magic to make his job easier, but couldn't control it. For this scene, Walt Disney chose his greatest star, Mickey Mouse, to play the part of the title character.
4. Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" told of the creation and evolution of the world during the first several million years, according to popular scientific belief. The highlight of this sequence is the dinosaur fight.
5. Ludwig Von Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" tells the story of Ancient Greece. Bacchus throws a big party until Zeus gets angry and decides to crash with a huge storm.
6. Amilcare Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" celebrates the different stages of the day. The morning starts with the ostrich. This gives way to noontide with the elephant. The hippos rule the dusk. And twilight brings out the alligators. The highlight of this sequence is the dance between Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator.
7. In Modest Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain", Chernabog (evil incarnate) hosts a celebration of evil where demons dance and witches ride. Evil rules the night, but the celebration dies as the church bells ring out the dawning of a new day. The film ends as pilgrims journey through the wilderness in "Ave Maria". The sacred defeats the profane as the film reaches its conclusion.
This film is not one that folks enjoy the first viewing. It took me a few viewings to really appreciate the film for what it is. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
1. The first segment featured music that exists for its own sake. Johann Sebastian Bach's "Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor" simply brought to the screen abstract images of rolling hills and colors.
2. Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" told a story in the ballet, but animator's changed the story to the changing of the seasons. My favorite scene here is the Russian flower dance.
3. Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" told a definite story about an apprentice who got himself in a lot of trouble when he tried to use magic to make his job easier, but couldn't control it. For this scene, Walt Disney chose his greatest star, Mickey Mouse, to play the part of the title character.
4. Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" told of the creation and evolution of the world during the first several million years, according to popular scientific belief. The highlight of this sequence is the dinosaur fight.
5. Ludwig Von Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" tells the story of Ancient Greece. Bacchus throws a big party until Zeus gets angry and decides to crash with a huge storm.
6. Amilcare Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" celebrates the different stages of the day. The morning starts with the ostrich. This gives way to noontide with the elephant. The hippos rule the dusk. And twilight brings out the alligators. The highlight of this sequence is the dance between Hyacinth Hippo and Ben Ali Gator.
7. In Modest Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain", Chernabog (evil incarnate) hosts a celebration of evil where demons dance and witches ride. Evil rules the night, but the celebration dies as the church bells ring out the dawning of a new day. The film ends as pilgrims journey through the wilderness in "Ave Maria". The sacred defeats the profane as the film reaches its conclusion.
This film is not one that folks enjoy the first viewing. It took me a few viewings to really appreciate the film for what it is. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.