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Example research essay topic: Walt Disneys Classical Music - 1,426 words

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Fantasia is a truly unique movie that combines beautiful music with interpretive animation. The movies music is exquisite but one would expect no less form the Philadelphia Orchestra who, at the time, specialized in such classical works as preformed in this movie. The songs were written well but one would also expect this because they were written by musical geniuses such as Mozart and Bach and are some of their more popular works. There is no disputing these two things but what of Disneys interpretation of these classical pieces? The music selections were good because most are well known to all but on the other hand since people have probably heard these pieces before, they already have formulated their own pictures to go along with the music they might disagree with what Disneys thoughts. Made at the very top of Disneys artistic capabilities, 1940 s Fantasia was a unique experiment.

It grew out of Disneys Silly Symphony shorts where conductor Leopold Stokowski together with Disney had come together with the idea of setting classical music to animated shorts. They started work on The Sorcerers Apprentice in 1938; however, the ambition of the project actually outgrew the budgetary limitations of a short subject. Therefore, Disney came up with the idea of building an entire film out around it. Fantasia was the result. Many critics consider it Disneys single animation masterpiece. In its interconnection of music to visuals the Disney team were able to create a film that has been entirely freed of narrative.

It was a masterpiece of animation in the purest, most artistic sense. There is no doubt that Fantasia was a revolution. Despite Fantasia released in 1940 was not financial success, however, it is a movie masterpiece. Brave tendencies of weaving animation in the movie and music together until the spirited grandeur of art and classic music developed by Disney was the ultimate combined result. Fantasia is not simply a cinematic masterpiece; Fantasia is a journey through portals and dimensions that can only be found within the parallel universes of our minds. The masterpiece embodies Disneys creativity, and deepest enriched imaginations.

First of all it is a masterpiece because we can listen to classic music and envision places and stories that take place in them, oftentimes we imagine bright and beautiful pictures, and that is what makes Fantasia so special. Mickey and Donald take star turns in Fantasia 2000, Disneys updated version of the 1940 classic, but audiences will applaud loudest for the antics of the studios talented animators. Many fans of Fantasia may be skeptical, but Walt Disney Pictures sequel to this animated classic is as good as the original. Fantasia 2000, is witty, sophisticated and (to employ a well-worn but perfectly applicable phrase) fun for the whole family. Disney had meant for the original version, released in 1940, to be updated periodically, but the film was a flop. Critics found cartoons set to serious music pretentious, theaters could not accommodate stereophonic sound and audiences were distracted by World War II.

In fact, Fantasia did not make money until 1957, according to Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew and vice chairman of the company, who supervised production of Fantasia 2000. The movie finally caught on in the psychedelic sixties; baby boomers later would buy 20 million copies in video during the nineties. Fantasia is split up into numerous scenes, combining the masterpiece music of our planets greatest composers and the imaginative and limitless animation of Disneys animators. Disney himself believes what we would see if we were listening to this music in a concert hall. Strange shapes appear, objects and colors mix into each other, and several other numerous things become present while this music plays.

As it ends, we feel we have not seen a film sequence at all, but actually created it within our minds. The next few sequences also demonstrate the artistic beauty of some composers enduring pieces of music, as well as some of Walt Disneys most hard-core animation techniques. The last half of the film contains music by Schubert and Beethoven, of course, but the best of all these last segments is A Night On Bald Mountain, which would suggest the possibility of evil sneaking around the obstacles of good to people who probably do not believe in it. The character in this creepy and surreal sequence, Chernobog, sits atop a mountain at night and plays with the souls of the dead, who are tortured in front of his diabolical smile with fire, torment, and many other deathly obstacles. Even Disney himself might consider this scene to be one of the scariest things ever captured in film animation.

Besides, once again I have to emphasize that for 1940 it was a definite success. The sequence ends with good triumphing, set to the tune of Schubert's lyrical masterpiece Ave Maria, which is so beautiful to listen to that watching it in Fantasia brings unforgettable feeling. To Respighis Pines of Rome for instance, whales swim through arctic waters and galaxies of stars (the animators mix poetic digital seascapes with cartoony bubbles, a bit of coyness that suggests they are having good fun). To Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue, characters drawn in the style of caricaturist Al Hirschfeld cavort about New York during the Jazz Age. To Elgars Pomp and Circumstance, Donald and Daisy Duck herd pairs of animals onto Noahs ark. Disney included one sequence from the original Fantasia movie The Sorcerers Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse which fits nicely into the new package, the old-fashioned cell animation holding its own.

Shostokovichs Piano Concerto No. 2 sets the tone for a touching tale of bravery and fidelity based on the story, The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals has flamingos flummoxed by a yo-yo, and Stravinsky's great Firebird Suite allows the animators to show off their digital tricks in an allegory of vernal rebirth. Even though the anthology structure of the original has been scrupulously retained here, and the problems that limited that films appeal have been duly sidestepped, this beautifully designed and presented package of seven new animated sequences plus one reprise is definitely a masterpiece. If the 120 -minute Fantasia was too long, formal and somber to sustain the interest of most youngsters, and if it finally was too preoccupied with fulfilling certain of Walt Disneys highbrow aspirations, this enjoyable follow-up is, at 75 minutes, simply too breezy and lightweight. While it bends over backward not to be boring and is significantly more kid-friendly than the original, Fantasia- 2000 is like a light buffet of tasty morsels rather than a full and satisfying meal; all the episodes are more or less agreeable, but as a whole it lacks a knockout punch, one dynamite sequence that will galvanize viewers. Driven by the dream of creating animated accompaniment to pieces of classical music, Walt Disney produced Fantasia with the notion of releasing annual revisions in which some new sequences would replace certain existing episodes in a process of continual renewal.

But despite the fact that the film ran for a year in New York after its premiere in 1940, the original, which cost a whopping $ 2, 280, 000 and required the installation of expensive theater speaker systems to accommodate the cinemas first stereophonic-sound release was one of Disneys rare financial disasters, and the follow-up idea was shelved. Nevertheless, the idea to bring quality music to the audience is great. And what a joy masterpiece Fantasia is. It works very well on every level, from combining music and art to displaying energy and ambition, which is not easy to achieve in animation even today. Walt Disney might not consider Fantasia to be one of his favorite pieces of film making; however, I think that to the audience, it is an episodic masterpiece.

Many critics believe that this movie is one of Disneys greatest achievements. I believe that Fantasia is a masterpiece because Disney had a very original idea and no one to date has ever done anything quite like it. This movie however, will not appeal to everyone because music is too objective and will not meet everyones expectations. Younger audiences will find movie boring with the exception of a few parts because children need words and cannot grasp the musics relation to the movie. Nevertheless, the music in the movie was thoroughly selected to bring a certain message to a viewer.

Disney had the right idea and Fantasia was very successful back in the 50 s. Todays audience is looking for something more and Fantasia fails to hit this one home.


Free research essays on topics related to: classical music, disneys, masterpiece, disney, walt disneys

Research essay sample on Walt Disneys Classical Music

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