Toccata and Review in D Minor - Fantasia

3 – Fantasia

I had some mixed feelings going into watching Fantasia. As a musician (since the fourth grade) I was really interested in all the music and animation that goes along with it. Of course, I've also heard all of these pieces many times before and have seen bits and pieces from this movie more times than I can count. On top of that, as a writer I have trouble really getting invested in these tiny vignettes. Especially the ones that are more abstract than story driven. Despite that, I'm interested that Disney envisioned this to a new for of entertainment. It even presents itself as such in the beginning. I love that it is ambitious and presents the music in an interesting way that more people can come to enjoy it. Of course, some of the sequences were a bit more interesting than others.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

This sequence was definitely an interesting idea; present music in an abstract way almost as though it could be your own imagination. I think that by the end, however, I was just bored by all the images being thrown out. The images definitely fit the music but none of it really stands out in my head. The big problem was that hearing the music created different images in my head and while ambitious, I wish they had tried to form a bit more of a story from it.

Nutcracker Suite

This was a bit better. The imagery fit the music really well and I'm glad that they stayed away from the obvious nutcracker motif though it would have been interesting to see that, I'm sure. Still, without a story it was hard to be invested in what was going on. You can only go “ohh pretty sights and pretty sounds” for so long. The reoccurring fairies were interesting and the best part was the end with the changing seasons. It finally gave the piece some clear ideas to follow and I appreciated that.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Now this is the one that everyone remembers. And definitely for good reason. The imagery fits the music perfectly, which makes sense given that the story told in images was essentially the story that was imagined in the piece. This really helped draw me into the story and be more interested in what was going on. Definitely the best so far.

Rite of Spring

The idea for this scenario was very interesting. Begin at the dawn of the earth and go all the way until dinosaurs were becoming extinct. Unfortunately, I think the scenario didn't match the music very well. The Rite of Spring is really unsettling music. It's very tribal and depicts a human sacrifice at the beginning of spring. Unfortunately, most of the animation was spent on watching landscapes. It clicked in a bit when the world was being formed and the volcanoes were erupting but I don't think this would be the piece I would choose for this sequence. It felt very disjointed, especially when compared to the last sequence.

Soundtrack Segment

This was just a cute little interlude to demonstrate how sounds can interact with animation. I would have liked to see them take those abstract shapes and apply them a bit to more exact images but the segment was short so I can't complain too much.

The Pastoral Symphony

This one is an interesting case for me. I am the least familiar with this music so I wonder if that has anything to do with how I felt about it. I was immediately more interested in the animation and scenario they chose. Basically a collection of scenes from mythological ancient Greece. Unfortunately, I was really quite bored with the music. While the music matched up a bit better than Rite of Spring, I couldn't help feeling that the story they were trying to tell was being held back by the music. Overall, I really liked what they were trying to do but the music choice wasn't my favorite.

Dance of the Hours

This story and music was immediately more interesting to me. I don't have much to say about it except that it's another scene most people would remember. It's funny, and the finale is pretty great.

Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria

This final sequence was pretty damn cool. Where Rite of Spring lacked the menace that it needed, Night on Bald Mountain had it in spades. The idea for the imagery was great and the music fit perfectly. It's exciting when it needs to be and dark and menacing when it needs to be. Chernabog is just the right amount of scary and the demons are all active and interesting. I can see why this scared (or I suppose can still scare) kids but I think it's great. It needs to be scary so that the transition to Ave Maria can be more glorious.

I liked that transition and the juxtaposition of those musical ideas though I wish it had occurred more in the imagery. The scene basically stays dark until the very end with the sun coming up over the mountains. I wish they had brought the light in a bit earlier to give a better contrast to the darkness from before. Other than that, I have to say it was my second favorite sequence.

I think you really have to be in a certain mood to watch 2 hours of classical music, no matter who you are. I don't think I was particularly in that mood but I did enjoy Fantasia in a way. Some of the sequences are still spectacular today and I really appreciate what Disney tried to do. Bring great music to the masses. Unfortunately, I think I've personally just spent way too much time with it and I'm still kind of sick of it. Nonetheless, It's a fantastic work, and I can still see why it's held in such high esteem.

I'm pretty psyched for Fantasia 2000 at least.

3 Down. 50 to go.