Although I have dim memories of seeing the original Fantasia in the theater as a youngster, I became a fan of the movie by first becoming a fan of it's music.
Those of us of a certain age can remember when home audio was being revolutionized by the introduction of the Compact Disc. I bought my first CD player back in the summer of 1986, and one of the very first things I bought for it was a two-disc soundtrack from Fantasia:
As I watched Fantasia 2000 again this weekend it struck me that these films seem to achieve a sort of elegant innocence by letting beautiful music and pure visual storytelling carry the show.
Walt Disney gave the world many gifts. Perhaps the most profound and lasting thing Walt gave me was an appreciation for classical music - through Fantasia. (Thanks, Walt).
I wonder if we will ever see another film like Fantasia. "The Concert Feature" (as it was originally known) was supposed to be the start of an evolving series. The world waited almost six decades to see the second installment - and then only through the efforts of Mr. Roy E. Disney.
I hope that some day we'll all have a chance to see more Disney fairies like these:
Until Next Time,
- Chris
